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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Gift  of 
Mrs.  Esther  C.  Thomson 


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C.  THOMSON 


JESUS  THE  CHRIST 

A  Study  of  the  Messiah  and  His  Mission 

according  to  Holy  Scriptures  both 

Ancient  and  Modern 


By 
JAMES  E.  TALMAGE 

One  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  CHURCH 

SECOND  EDITION 
SIXTH  TO  FIFTEENTH  THOUSAND  INCLUSIVE 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

The  Deseret  News 

1915 


Copyright 
September  1915  and  December  1915 

By 

JOSEPH  F.  SMITH 

Trustee-in-Trust  for  the 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 

Latter-day  Saints 


PREFACE. 

The  scope  of  the  subject  presented  in  this  work  is  ex- 
pressed on  the  title  page.  It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the 
author  has  departed  from  the  course  usually  followed  by 
writers  on  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  course,  as  a  rule, 
begins  with  the  birth  of  Mary's  Babe  and  ends  with  the 
ascension  of  the  slain  and  risen  Lord  from  Olivet.  The 
treatment  embodied  in  these  pages,  in  addition  to  the  narra- 
tive of  the  Lord's  life  in  the  flesh  comprizes  the  antemortal 
existence  and  activities  of  the  world's  Redeemer,  the  revela- 
tions and  personal  manifestations  of  the  glorified  and  exalted 
Son  of  God  during  the  apostolic  period  of  old  and  in  modern 
times,  the  assured  nearness  of  the  Lord's  second  advent,  and 
predicted  events  beyond — all  so  far  as  the  Holy  Scriptures 
make  plain. 

It  is  particularly  congruous  and  appropriate  that  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints — the  only 
Church  that  affirms  authority  based  on  specific  revelation 
and  commission  to  use  the  Lord's  Holy  Name  as  a  distinc- 
tive designation — should  set  forth  her  doctrines  concerning 
the  Messiah  and  His  mission. 

The  author  of  this  volume  entered  upon  his  welcome 
service  under  request  and  appointment  from  the  presiding 
authorities  of  the  Church ;  and  the  completed  work,  has  been 
read  to  and  is  approved  by  the  First  Presidency  and  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve.  It  presents,  however,  the  writer's 
personal  belief  and  profoundest  conviction  as  to  the  truth  of 


iv 

what  he  has  written.    The  book  is  published  by  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

A  characteristic  feature  of  the  work  is  the  guidance 
afforded  by  modern  scriptures  and  the  explication  of  the 
Holy  Writ  of  olden  times  in  the  light  of  present  day  revela- 
tion, which,  as  a  powerful  and  well  directed  beam,  illumines 
many  dark  passages  of  ancient  construction. 

The  spirit  of  the  sacredness  inherent  in  the  subject  has 
been  a  constant  companion  of  the  writer  throughout  his 
pleasing  labor,  and  he  reverently  invokes  the  same  as  a  min- 
ister to  the  readers  of  the  volume. 

JAMES  E.  TARMACS. 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
September,  1915. 


PREFACE   TO   THE   SECOND    EDITION. 

A  second  edition  of  this  work  was  called  for  within  a 
month  after  the  publication  of  the  first.  The  later  issue 
presents  some  minor  changes  in  expression  and  a  few  addi- 
tional references ;  but  in  the  main  it  is  a  reprint.  To  fa- 
cilitate the  use  of  both  editions  together  in  classes,  care  has 
been  taken  to  make  the  pagination  practically  uniform. 

JAMES  E.  TARMACS. 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
December,  1915. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter   1. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Historicity  of  Jesus  the  Christ.— Scope  and  purpose  of  the  present  treatise       1-5 

Chapter    2. 
PREEXISTENCE  AND  FOREORDINATION  OF  THE  CHRIST. 

Antemortal  existence  of  spirits. — Primeval  council  in  heaven. — Rebellion  of 
Lucifer. — His  defeat  and  expulsion. — Free  agency  of  man  insured. — The 
Beloved  Son  chosen  to  be  the  Savior  and  Redeemer  of  mankind  6-16 

Chapter  3. 
THE  NEED  OF  A  REDEEMER. 

Spirits  of  diverse  capacities. — Entrance  of  sin  into  the  world  foreseen. — 
God's  foreknowledge  not  a  determining  cause. — Creation  of  man  in  the 
flesh. — Fall  of  man. — Atonement  necessary. — Jesus  Christ  the  only  Being 
eligible  as  Redeemer  and  Savior. — Universal  resurrection  provided  17-31 

Chapter  4. 
THE   ANTEMORTAL    GODSHIP   OF    CHRIST. 

The  Godhead.— Jesus  Christ  the  Word  of  power.— Jesus  Christ  the  Creator. 
— Jehovah. — The  Eternal  I  AM. — Proclamations  of  Jesus  Christ  by  the 
Father 32-41 

Chapter  5. 
EARTHLY   ADVENT   OF   THE   CHRIST  PREDICTED. 

Biblical  prophecies.— Revelation  to  Enoch.— The  Prophet  predicted  by  Moses. 
—Sacrifices  as  prototypes.— Book  of  Mormon  predictions  .  .  42-56 

Chapter  6. 
THE  MERIDIAN   OF  TIME. 

Significance  of  the  designation. — Epitome  of  Israel's  history. — Jews  in  vassal- 
age to  Rome.— Scribes  and  rabbis.— Pharisees  and  Sadducees.— Other 
sects  and  parties 57-74 

Chapter  7. 
GABRIEL'S  ANNUNCIATION  OF  JOHN  AND  OF  JESUS. 

Angelic  visitation  to  Zacharias.— Birth  of  John  the  forerunner.— Annuncia- 
tion to  Mary  the  Virgin.— Mary  and  Joseph.— Their  genealogies.— Jesus 
Christ  heir  to  the  throne  of  David  75-90 


vi  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  8. 
THE  BABE  OF  BETHLEHEM. 

Birth  of  Jesus  Christ. — His  presentation  in  the  temple. — Visit  of  the  magi. — 
Herod's  evil  designs.— The  Child  taken  into  Egypt.— Birth  of  Christ 
made  known  to  Nephites.— Time  of  the  birth 91-109 

Chapter  9. 
THE  BOY  OF  NAZARETH. 

Jesus  to  be  called  a  Nazarene. — At  the  temple  when  twelve  years  of  age. — 
Jesus  and  the  doctors  of  the  law. — Jesus  of  Nazareth  .  .  .  110-120 

Chapter   10. 
IN  THE  WILDERNESS  OF  JUDEA. 

John  the  Baptist. — The  voice  in  the  wilderness. — Baptism  of  Jesus. — The 
Father's  proclamation.— Descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost. — Sign  of  the  dove.— 
Temptations  of  Christ 121-137 

Chapter    11. 
FROM  JUDEA  TO  GALILEE. 

John  Baptist's  testimony  of  Christ.— First  disciples.— The  Son  of  Man,  sig- 
nificance of  title. — Miracle  of  transmuting  water  into  wine. — Miracles 
in  general 138-152 

Chapter   12. 
EARLY  INCIDENTS  IN  OUR  LORD'S  PUBLIC  MINISTRY. 

First  clearing  of  the  temple. — Jesus  and  Nicodemus.— John  Baptist's  disciples 
in  disputation. — John's  tribute  to  and  repeated  testimony  of  the 
Christ 153-171 

Chapter   13. 
HONORED  BY  STRANGERS,   REJECTED   BY   HIS   OWN. 

Jesus  and  the  Samaritan  woman. — Among  the  Samaritans. — While  at  Cana 
Christ  heals  a  nobleman's  son  in  Capernaum. — At  Nazareth  Christ 
preaches  in  synagog. — Nazarenes  attempt  to  kill  him. — Demons  sub- 
dued in  Capernaum. — Demoniacal  possession 172-187 

Chapter   14. 
CONTINUATION  OF  OUR  LORD'S  MINISTRY  IN  GALILEE. 

A  leper  healed.— Leprosy.— Palsied  man  healed  and  forgiven.— Imputation  of 
blasphemy. — Publicans  and  sinners. — Old  cloth,  old  bottles,  and  the  new. 
—Preliminary  call  of  disciples. — Fishers  of  men  ....  188-202 

Chapter    15. 
LORD  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

Sabbath  distinctively  sacred  to  Israel.— Cripple  healed  on  Sabbath  day.— 
Accusations  by  the  Jews  and  the  Lord's  reply  thereto. — Disciples 
charged  with  Sabbath-breaking. — Man  with  a  withered  hand  healed  on 
Sabbath  day 203-216 


CONTENTS.  VJi 

Chapter   16. 
THE  CHOSEN  TWELVE. 

Their  call  and  ordination.— The  Twelve  considered  individually.— Their  char- 
acteristics in  general.— Disciples  and  apostles  ....  217-229 

Chapter   17. 
THE  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

The  Beatitudes. — Dignity  and  responsibility  in  tht  ministry. — The  Mosaic 
law  superseded  by  the  gospel  of  Christ. — Sincerity  of  purpose. — The 
Lord's  Prayer. — True  wealth. — Promise  and  re-assurance. — Hearing  and 
doing ' 230-248 

Chapter   18. 
AS  ONE  HAVING  AUTHORITY. 

Healing  of  centurion's  servant. — Young  man  of  Nain  raised  from  the  dead. — 
John  Baptist's  message  to  Jesus. — The  Lord's  commentary  thereon. — 
Death  of  John  Baptist. — Jesus  in  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee. — Penitent 
woman  forgiven. — Christ's  authority  ascribed  to  Beelzebub. — The  sin 
against  the  Holy  Ghost.— Sign-seekers 249-280 

Chapter   19. 
"HE  SPAKE  MANY  THINGS  UNTO  THEM  IN  PARABLES." 

The  Sower. — Wheat  and  Tares. — Seed  growing  secretly. — Mustard  Seed. — 
Leaven.— Hidden  Treasure.— Pearl  of  Great  Price.— Gospel  Net.— The 
Lord's  purpose  in  parabolic  teaching. — Parables  in  general  .  281-304 

Chapter  20. 
"PEACE,  BE  STILL." 

Candidates  for  discipleship.— Stilling  the  storm.— Quieting  the  demons  in 
region  of  Gadara.— Raising  of  daughter  of  Jairus.— Restoration  to  life 
and  resurrection. — A  woman  healed  amidst  the  throng. — Blind  see  and 
dumb  speak  . r 305-326 

Chapter  21. 
THE  APOSTOLIC  MISSION,  AND  EVENTS  RELATED  THERETO. 

Jesus  again  in  Nazareth. — The  Twelve  charged  and  sent  out. — Their  return.— 
Five  thousand  people  miraculously  fed. — Miracle  of  walking  upon  the 
water. — People  seek  Christ  for  more  loaves  and  fishes. — Christ  the  bread 
of  life. — Many  disciples  turn  away 327-348 

Chapter  22. 
A   PERIOD   OF    DARKENING    OPPOSITION. 

Ceremonial  washings. — Pharisees  rebuked. — Jesus  in  borders  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon. — Daughter  of  Syro-Phenici.an  woman  healed. — Miracles  wrought 
in  coasts  of  Decapolis. — Four  thousand  people  miraculously  fed. — More 
seekers  after  signs. — Leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Herod- 
ians.— Peter's  great  confession,  "Thou  art  the  Christ"  .  .  349-369 


iriii  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  23. 

THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

Visitation  of  Moses  and  Elijah.— The  Father  again  proclaims  the  Son.— The 
apostles  temporarily  restrained  from  testifying  concerning  the  trans- 
figuration.— Elias  and  Elijah. — The  Lesser  and  the  Higher  Priest- 
hood    370-377 

Chapter  24. 

FROM  SUNSHINE  TO  SHADOW. 

Youthful  demoniac  healed. — Further  prediction  of  Christ's  death  and  resur- 
rection.—The  tribute  money;  supplied  by  a  miracle.— Humility  illustrated 
by  a  little  child. — Parable  of  the  Lost  Sheep.— In  Christ's  name. — My 
brother  and  I.— Parable  of  the  Unmerciful  Servant  .  .  .  378-397 

Chapter   25. 

JESUS  AGAIN  IN  JERUSALEM. 

Departure  from  Galilee.— At  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.— Another  charge  of 
Sabbath  desecration. — Living  water  for  the  spiritually  thirsty. — Plans  to 
arrest  Tesus. — Nicodemus  protests. — Woman  taken  in  adultery. — Christ 
the  light  of  the  world. — The  truth  shall  make  men  free, — Christ's 
seniority  over  Abraham. — Sight  restored  on  Sabbath  day. — Physical  and 
spiritual  blindness. — Shepherd  and  sheep-herder. — Christ  the  Good 
Shepherd. — His  inherent  power  over  life  and  death. — Sheep  of  another 
fold  . 398-422 

Chapter  26. 

OUR  LORD'S  MINISTRY  IN   PEREA  AND  JUDEA. 

Jesus  rejected  in  Samaria. — James  and  John  reproved  for  revengeful  desire. — 
The  Seventy  charged  and  sent. — Their  return. — A  lawyer's  question. — 
Parable  of  Good  Samaritan. — Martha  and  Mary. — Ask  and  receive. — 
Parable  of  Friend  at  Midnight. — Criticism  on  Pharisees  and  lawyers. — 
Parable  of  Foolish  Rich  Man.— The  unrepentant  to  perish.— Parable  of 
Barren  Fig  Tree.— A  woman  healed  on  the  Sabbath.— Many  or  few  to  be 
saved?— Jesus  warned  of  Herod's  design 423-448 

Chapter  27. 

CONTINUATION  OF  THE  PEREAN  AND  JUDEAN  MINISTRY. 
In  the  house  of  one  of  the  chief  Pharisees.— Parable  of  the  Great  Supper.— 
Counting  the  cost.— Salvation  even  for  publicans  and  sinners.— Parable 
of  the  Lost  Sheep  repeated.— Of  the  Lost  Coin.— Of  the  Prodigal  Son.— 
Of  the  Unrighteous  Steward. — Of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus. — Of  the 
Unprofitable  Servants. — Ten  lepers  healed. — Parable  of  the  Pharisee  and 
Publican. — On  marriage  and  divorce. — Jesus  and  the  little  ones. — The 
rich  young  ruler.— First  may  be  last  and  last  first.— Parable  of  the 
Laborers 449-486 

Chapter  28. 

THE   LAST   WINTER. 

At  the  Feast  of  Dedication.— Sheep  know  the  Shepherd's  Voice.— The  Lord's 
retirement  in  Perea.— Lazarus  raised  from  the  dead.— Jewish  hierarchy 
agitated  over  the  miracle. — Prophecy  by  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest. — 
Jesus  in  retirement  at  Ephraim,  ».»»•«»  487-501 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Chapter  29. 

ON  TO  JERUSALEM. 

Jesus  again  foretells  His  death  and  resurrection.— Aspiring  request  of  James 

and  John.— Sight  restored  near  Jericho.— Zaccheus   the   chief  publican.— 

Parable  of  the  Pounds.— The  supper  in  the  house  of  Simon   the  leper.— 

__  Mary's  tribute  in  anointing  Jesus.— Iscariot's  protest.— Christ's  triumphal 

*  entry  into  Jerusalem.— Certain  Greeks   seek  interview  with  Jesus.— The 

Voice    from    heaven  502-523 

Chapter  30. 
JESUS  RETURNS  TO  THE  TEMPLE  DAILY. 

A  leafy  but  fruitless  fig  tree  cursed. — Second  clearing  of  the  temple. — Chil- 
dren shout  Hosanna. — Christ's  authority  challenged  by  the  rulers.— 
Parable  of  the  two  sons.  Of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen. — The  rejected 
Stone  to  be  head  of  the  corner. — Parable  of  the  Royal  Marriage  Feast. 
—The  wedding  garment  lacking 524-543 

Chapter  31. 
THE    CLOSE    OF   OUR   LORD'S    PUBLIC    MINISTRY. 

Pharisees  and  Herodians  in  conspiracy.— Caesar  to  have  his  due. — The  image 
on  the  coin. — Sadducees  and  the  resurrection. — Levirate  marriages. — The 
great  commandment. — Jesus  turns  questioner. — Scathing  denunciation  of 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites! — Lamentation  over  Jerusalem. — The 
widow's  mites. — Christ's  final  withdrawal  from  temple. — Destruction  of 
temple  predicted «  .  *  .  544-568 

Chapter  32. 
FURTHER    INSTRUCTION    TO    THE    APOSTLES. 

Prophecies  relating  to  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Lord's  future  ad- 
vent.—Watch!— Parable  of  Ten  Virgins.— Of  the  Entrusted  Talents.— 
The  inevitable  judgment. — Another  and  specific  prediction  of  the 
Lord's  impending  death  569-590 

Chapter  33. 
THE  LAST  SUPPER  AND  THE  BETRAYAL. 

Judas  Iscariot  in  conspiracy  with  the  Jews. — Preparations  for  the  Lord's  last 
Passover.— The  last  supper  of  Jesus  with  the  Twelve. — The  traitor 
designated. — Ordinance  of  washing  of  feet. — Sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper. — The  betrayer  goes  out  into  the  night. — Discourse  following  the 
supper.— The  High-Priestly  Prayer.— The  Lord's  agony  in  Gethsemane. 
—The  betrayal  and  the  arrest  591-620 

Chapter  34. 
THE  TRIAL  AND  CONDEMNATION. 

The  Jewish  trial.— Christ  before  Annas  and  Caiaphas.— The  illegal  night 
court.— The  morning  session.— False  witnesses  and  unrighteous  con- 
viction.—Peter's  denial  of  his  Lord.— Christ's  first  arraignment  before 
Pilate.— Before  Herod.— Second  appearance  before  Pilate.— Pilate's  sur- 
render to  Jewish  clamor.— The  sentence  of  crucifixion. — Suicide  of 
Judas  Iscariot  621-651 


x  CONTENTS 

Chapter    35. 

DEATH  AND  BURIAL. 

On  the  way  to  Calvary. — The  Lord's  address  to  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 
—The  crucifixion.— Occurrences  between  the  Lord's  death  and  burial.— 
The  burial.— The  sepulchre  guarded 652-669 

Chapter  36. 

IN  THE  REALM   OF   DISEMBODIED   SPIRITS. 

Actuality  of  the  Lord's  death. — Condition  of  spirits  between  death  and  resur- 
rection.—The  Savior  among  the  dead.— The  gospel  preached  to  the 
spirits  in  prison 670-677 

Chapter  37. 

THE   RESURRECTION  AND  THE  ASCENSION. 

Christ  is  risen.— The  women  at  the  sepulchre.— Angelic  communications.— 
The  risen  Lord  seen  by  Mary  Magdalene. — And  by  other  women. — A 
priestly  conspiracy  of  falsehood. — The  Lord  and  two  disciples  on  the 
Emmaus  road. — He  appears  to  disciples  in  Jerusalem  and  eats  in  their 
presence.— Doubting  Thomas.— The  Lord  appears  to  the  apostles  at  the 
sea  of  Tiberias. — Other  manifestations  in  Galilee. — Final  commission  to 
the  apostles. — The  ascension 678-699 

Chapter  38. 

THE   APOSTOLIC   MINISTRY. 

Matthias  ordained  to  the  apostleship.— Bestowal  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  Pente- 
cost.— The  apostles'  preaching.— Imprisoned  and  delivered. — Gamaliel's 
advice  to  the  council. — Stephen  the  martyr. — Saul  of  Tarsus,  his  con- 
version.—Becomes  Paul  the  apostle.— The  record  by  John  the  Revelator. 
—Close  of  the  apostolic  ministry 700-720 

Chapter  39. 

MINISTRY   OF   THE   RESURRECTED   CHRIST   ON   THE   WESTERN 

HEMISPHERE. 

The  Lord's  death  signalized  by  great  calamities  on  western  continent. — The 
Voice  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  heard. — His  visitations  to  the  Nephites. — 
The  Nephite  Twelve. — Baptism  among  Nephites. — The  Mosaic  law  ful- 
filled.— Address  to  Nephites  compared  with  Sermon  on  the  Mount. — 
Sacrament  of  bread  and  wine  instituted  among  Nephites.— Name  of 
Christ's  Church.— The  Three  Nephites.— Growth  of  the  Church.— Final 
apostasy  of  Nephite  nation  721-744 

Chapter  40. 

THE  LONG  NIGHT  OF  APOSTASY. 

The  g^eat  falling  away  as  predicted. — Individual  apostasy  from  the  Church. — 
Apostasy  of  the  Church. — Constantine  makes  Christianity  the  religion 
of  state.— Papal  claims  to  secular  authority.— Churc*hly  tyranny.— The 
Dark  Ages.— The  inevitable  revolt.— The  Reformation.— Rise  of  Church 
of  England.— Catholicism  and  Protestantism.— The  apostasy  affirmed.— 
Mission  of  Columbus  and  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  predicted  in  ancient 
scripture. — Fulfilment  of  the  prophecies. — Establishment  of  American 
nation  provided  for 745-757 


CONTENTS.  xi 

Chapter    41. 

PERSONAL   MANIFESTATIONS   OF    GOD   THE   ETERNAL   FATHER 
AND  OF  HIS  SON  JESUS  CHRIST  IN  MODERN  TIMES. 

A  new  dispensation.— Joseph  Smith's  perplexity  over  sectarian  strife.— The 
Eternal  Father  and  His  Son  Jesus  Christ  appear  to  and  personally  in- 
struct Joseph  Smith. — Visitation  of  Moroni. — The  Book  of  Mormon. — 
Aaronic  Priesthood  restored  by  John  the  Baptist. — Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood restored  by  Peter,  James,  and  John. — The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.— Divine  manifestations  in  Kirtland  Temple.— The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  appears.— Specific  authority  of  olden  dispensations 
conferred  by  Moses,  Elias,  and  Elijah. — The  Holy  Priesthood  now  oper- 
ative on  earth 758-779 

Chapter    42. 
JESUS  THE  CHRIST  TO  RETURN.     * 

Ancient  predictions  of  the  Lord's  second  advent. — Modern  revelation  affirms 
the  same. — Today  and  tomorrow. — The  great  and  dreadful  day  near  at 
hand. — Kingdom  of  God  and  Kingdom  of  Heaven. — The  Millennium. — 
The  celestial  consummation  780-793 

Index  794-804 


JESUS  THE  CHRIST 


CHAPTER    1. 
INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  a  matter  of  history  that,  at  or  near  the  beginning  of 
what  has  since  come  to  be  known  as  the  Christian  era,  the 
Man  Jesus,  surnamed  the  Christ,  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of 
Judea.a  The  principal  data  as  to  His  birth,  life,  and  death 
are  so  well  attested  as  to  be  reasonably  indisputable;  they 
are  facts  of  record,  and  are  accepted  as  essentially  authentic 
by  the  civilized  world  at  large.  True,  there  are  diversities  of 
deduction  based  on  alleged  discrepancies  in  the  records  of 
the  past  as  to  circumstantial  details ;  but  such  differences  are 
of  strictly  minor  importance,  for  none  of  them  nor  all  taken 
together  cast  a  shadow  of  rational  doubt  upon  the  historicity 
of  the  earthly  existence  of  the  Man  known  in  literature  as 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

As  to  who  and  what  He  was  there  are  dissensions  of 
grave  moment  dividing  the  opinions  of  men ;  and  this  diver- 
gence of  conception  and  belief  is  most  pronounced  upon  those 
matters  to  which  the  greatest  importance  attaches.  The 
solemn  testimonies  of  millions  dead  and  of  millions  living 
unite  in  proclaiming  Him  as  divine,  the  Son  of  the  Living 
God,  the  Redeemer  and  Savior  of  the  human  race,  the 
Eternal  Judge  of  the  souls  of  men,  the  Chosen  and  Anointed 

o  As  to  the  year  of  Christ's  birth,   see  chapter  8, 

I 


2  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  .          [CHAP.    1. 

of  the  Father — in  short,  the  Christ.  Others  there  are  who 
deny  His  Godhood  while  extolling  the  transcendent  qualities 
of  His  unparalleled  and  unapproachable  Manhood. 

To  the  student  of  history  this  Man  among  men  stands 
first,  foremost,  and  alone,  as  a  directing  personality  in  the 
world's  progression.  Mankind  has  never  produced  a  leader 
to  rank  with  Him.  Regarded  solely  as  a  historic  personage 
He  is  unique.  Judged  by  the  standard  of  human  estimation, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  supreme  among  men  by  reason  of  the 
excellence  of  His  personal  character,  the  simplicity,  beauty, 
and  genuine  worth  of  His  precepts,  and  the  influence  of  His 
example  and  doctrines  in  the  advancement  of  the  race.  To 
these  distinguishing  characteristics  of  surpassing  greatness 
the  devout  Christian  soul  adds  an  attribute  that  far  exceeds 
the  sum  of  all  the  others — the  divinity  of  Christ's  origin -and 
the  eternal  reality  of  His  status  as  Lord  and  God. 

Christian  and  unbeliever  alike  acknowledge  His  suprem- 
acy as  a  Man,  and  respect  the  epoch-making  significance  of 
His  birth.  Christ  was  born  in  the  meridian  of  time;&  and 
His  life  on  earth  marked  at  once  the  culmination  of  the  past 
and  the  inauguration  of  an  era  distinctive  in  human  hope, 
endeavor,  and  achievement.  His  advent  determined  a  new 
order  in  the  reckoning  of  the  years ;  and  by  common  consent 
the  centuries  antedating  His  birth  have  been  counted  back- 
ward from  the  pivotal  event  and  are  designated  accordingly. 
The  rise  and  fall  of  dynasties,  the  birth  and  dissolution  of  na- 
tions, all  the  cycles  of  history  as  to  war  and  peace,  as  to 
prosperity  and  adversity,  as  to  health  and  pestilence,  seasons 
of  plenty  and  of  famine,  the  awful  happenings  of  earthquake 
and  storm,  the  triumphs  of  invention  and  discovery,  the 
epochs  of  man's  development  in  godliness  and  the  long 
periods  of  his  dwindling  in  unbelief — all  the  occurrences  that 
make  history — are  chronicled  throughout  Christendom  by 
reference  to  the  year  before  or  after  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ. 

b  See  chapter  <}. 


INTRODUCTION.  3, 

His  earthly  life  covered  a  period  of  thirty-three  years; 
and  of  these  but  three  were  spent  by  Him  as  an  acknowl- 
edged Teacher  openly  engaged  in  the  activities  of  public 
ministry.  He  was  brought  to  a  violent  death  before  He  had 
attained  what  we  now  regard  as  the  age  of  manhood's  prime. 
As  an  individual  He  was  personally  known  to  but  few ;  and 
His  fame  as  a  world  character  became  general  only  after 
His  death. 

Brief  account  of  some  of  His  words  and  works  has  been 
preserved  to  us;  and  this  record,  fragmentary  and  incom- 
plete though  it  be,  is  rightly  esteemed  as  the  world's  greatest 
treasure.  The  earliest  and  most  extended  history  of  His 
mortal  existence  is  embodied  within  the  compilation  of 
scriptures  known  as  the  New  Testament ;  indeed  but  little 
is  said  of  Him  by  secular  historians  of  His  time.  Few  and 
short  as  are  the  allusions  to  Him  made  by  non-scriptural 
writers  in  the  period  immediately  following  that  of  His  min- 
istry, enough  is  found  to  corroborate  the  sacred  record  as 
to  the  actuality  and  period  of  Christ's  earthly  existence. 

No  adequate  biography  of  Jesus  as  Boy  and  Man  has 
been  or  can  be  written,  for  the  sufficing  reason  that  a  fulness 
of  data  is  lacking.  Nevertheless,  man  never  lived  of  whom 
more  has  been  said  and  sung,  none  to  whom  is  devoted  a 
greater  proportion  of  the  world's  literature.  He  is  extolled 
by  Christian,  Mohammedan  and  Jew,  by  skeptic  and  infidel, 
by  the  world's  greatest  poets,  philosophers,  statesmen,  scien- 
tists, and  historian?.  Even  the  profane  sinner  in  the  foul 
sacrilege  of  his  oath  acclaims  the  divine  supremacy  of  Him 
whose  name  he  desecrates. 

The  purpose  of  the  present  treatise  is  that  of  considering 
the  life  and  mission  of  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  In  this  under- 
taking we  are  to  be  guided  by  the  light  of  both  ancient  and 
modern  scriptures ;  and,  thus  led,  we  shall  discover,  even  in 
the  early  stages  of  our  course,  that  the  word  of  God  as  re- 
vealed in  latter  days  is  effective  in  illuming  and  making  plain 


4  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    1. 

the  Holy  Writ  of  ancient  times,  and  this,  in  many  matters 
of  the  profoundest  import/ 

Instead  of  beginning  our  study  with  the  earthly  birth 
of  the  Holy  Babe  of  Bethlehem,  we  shall  consider  the  part 
taken  by  the  Firstborn  Son  of  God  in  the  primeval  councils 
of  heaven,  at  the  time  when  He  was  chosen  and  ordained 
to  be  the  Savior  of  the  unborn  race  of  mortals,  the  Redeemer 
of  a  world  then  in  its  formative  stages  of  development.  We 
are  to  study  Him  as  the  Creator  of  the  world,  as  the  Word 
of  Power,  through  whom  the  purposes  of  the  Eternal  Father 
were  realized  in  the  preparation  of  the  earth  for  the  abode 
of  His  myriad  spirit-children  during  the  appointed  period 
of  their  mortal  probation.  Jesus  Christ  was  and  is  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  Adam  and  of  Noah,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  the  God  of  Israel,  the  God  at  whose  instance  the 
prophets  of  the  ages  have  spoken,  the  God  of  all  nations,  and 
He  who  shall  yet  reign  on  earth  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords. 

His  wondrous  yet  natural  birth,  His  immaculate  life  in 
the  flesh,  and  His  voluntary  death  as  a  consecrated  sacrifice 
for  the  sins  of  mankind,  shall  claim  our  reverent  attention ; 
as  shall  also  His  redeeming  service  in  the  world  of  disem- 
bodied spirits ;  His  literal  resurrection  from  bodily  death  to 
immortality;  His  several  appearings  to  men  and  His  con- 
tinued ministry  as  the  Resurrected  Lord  on  both  continents ; 
the  reestablishment  of  His  Church  through  His  personal 
presence  and  that  of  the  Eternal  Father  in  the  latter  days ; 
and  His  coming  to  His  temple  in  the  current  dispensation. 
All  these  developments  in  the  ministration  of  the  Christ  are 
already  of  the  past.  Our  proposed  course  of  investigation 
will  lead  yet  onward,  into  the  future  concerning  which  the 
word  of  divine  revelation  is  of  record.  We  shall  consider 


c  The  Holy  Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
and  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  constitute  the  standard  works  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  These  will  be  cited  alike  as  Scrip- 
tures in  the  following  pages,  for  such  they  are. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

the  conditions  incident  to  the  Lord's  return  in  power  and 
glory  to  inaugurate  the  dominion  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven 
on  earth,  and  to  usher  in  the  predicted  Millennium  of  peace 
and  righteousness.  And  yet  beyond  we  shall  follow  Him, 
through  the  post-Millennial  conflict  between  the  powers  of 
heaven  and  the  forces  of  hell,  to  the  completion  of  His  vic- 
tory over  Satan,  sin,  and  death,  when  He  shall  present  the 
glorified  earth  and  its  sanctified  hosts,  spotless  and  celestial- 
ized,  unto  the  Father. 


JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 


CHAPTER   2. 

PREEXISTENCE    AND    FOREORDINATION    OF    THE 
CHRIST. 

We  affirm,  on  the  authority  of  Holy  Scripture,  that  the 
Being  who  is  known  among  men  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and 
by  all  who  acknowledge  His  Godhood  as  Jesus  the  Christ, 
existed  with  the  Father  prior  to  birth  in  the  flesh ;  and  that 
in  the  preexistent  state  He  was  chosen  and  ordained  to  be 
the  one  and  only  Savior  and  Redeemer  of  the  human  race. 
Foreordination  implies  and  comprizes  preexistence  as  an 
essential  condition  ;  therefore  scriptures  bearing  upon  the  one 
are  germane  to  the  other ;  and  consequently  in  this  presenta- 
tion no  segregation  of  evidence  as  applying  specifically  to 
the  preexistence  of  Christ  or  to  His  foreordination  will  be 
attempted. 

John  the  Revelator  beheld  in  vision  some  of  the  scenes 
that  had  been  enacted  in  the  spirit-world  before  the  begin- 
ning of  human  history.  He  witnessed  strife  and  contention 
between  loyalty  and  rebellion,  with  the  hosts  defending  the 
former  led  by  Michael  the  archangel,  and  the  rebellious 
forces  captained  by  Satan,  who  is  also  called  the  devil,  the 
serpent,  and  the  dragon.  We  read :  "And  there  was  war  in 
heaven :  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon ; 
and  the  dragon  fought  and  his  angels."0 

In  this  struggle  between  unembodietf  hosts  the  forces 
were  unequally  divided ;  Satan  drew  to  his  standard  only  a 
third  part  of  the  children  of  God,  who  are  symbolized  as  the 
"stars  of  heaven"  f  the  other  two  thirds  remained  true  to 
their  allegiance  and  battled  for  the  cause  of  righteousness, 

a  Rev.  12:7;  see  also  verses  8  and  9. 

b  Rev.  12:4;  see  also  Doc.  and  Cov.  29:36-38;  and  76:25-27. 


HIS    PREEXISTENCE    AND    FOREORDINATION.  7 

thus  accomplishing  the  purpose  of  their  "first  estate" ;  while 
the  angels  who  arrayed  themselves  on  the  side  of  Satan 
"kept  not  their  first  estate",*7  and  therefore  rendered  them- 
selves ineligible  for  the  glorious  possibilities  of  an  advanced 
condition  or  "second  estate"/  The  victory  was  with  Michael 
and  his  angels ;  and  Satan  or  Lucifer,  theretofore  a  "son  of 
the  morning",  was  cast  out  of  heaven,  yea  "he  was  cast  out 
into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him".*  The 
prophet  Isaiah,  to  whom  these  momentous  occurrences  had 
been  revealed  about  eight  centuries  prior  to  the  time  of 
John's  writings,  laments  with  inspired  pathos  the  fall  of  so 
great  a  one ;  and  specifies  selfish  ambition  as  the  occasion : 
"How  art  thou  fallen  from  heaven,  O  Lucifer,  son  of  the 
morning !  how  art  thou  cut  down  to  the  ground,  which  didst 
weaken  the  nations !  For  thou  hast  said  in  thine  heart,  I 
will  ascend  into  heaven,  I  will  exalt  my  throne  above  the 
stars  of  God :  I  will  sit  also  upon  the  mount  of  the  congre- 
gation, in  the  sides  of  the  north ;  I  will  ascend  above  the 
heights  of  the  clouds ;  I  will  be  like  the  most  High.  Yet  thou 
shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell,  to  the  sides  of  the  pit."^ 

Justification  for  citing  these  scriptures  in  connection  with 
our  present  consideration  will  be  found  in  the  cause  of  the 
great  contention — the  conditions  that  led  to  this  war  in 
heaven.  It  is  plain  from  the  words  of  Isaiah  that  Lucifer, 
already  of  exalted  rank,  sought  to  aggrandize  himself  with- 
out regard  to  the  rights  and  agency  of  others.  The  matter 
is  set  forth,  in  words  that  none  may  misapprehend,  in  a  reve- 
lation given  to  Moses  and  repeated  through  the  first  prophet 
of  the  present  dispensation :  ."And  I,  the  Lord  God,  spake 
unto  Moses,  saying:  That  Satan,  whom  thou  hast  com- 
manded in  the  name  of  mine  Only  Begotten,  is  the  same 
which  was  from  the  beginning,  and  he  came  before  me,  say- 


c  Tude  6. 

d'P.   of  G.   P.,   Abraham  3:26. 

*Rev.    12:9. 

flsa.  14:12-15;  compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  29:30-38;  and  76:23-27. 


8  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 

ing — Behold,  here  am  I,  send  me,  I  will  be  thy  son,  and  I  will 
redeem  all  mankind,  that  one  soul  shall  not  be  lost,  and 
surely  I  will  do  it ;  wherefore  give  me  thine  honor.  But,  be- 
hold, my  Beloved  Son,  which  was  my  Beloved  and  Chosen 
from  the  beginning,  said  unto  me — Father,  thy  will  be  done, 
and  the  glory  be  thine  forever.  Wherefore,  because  that 
Satan  rebelled  against  me,  and  sought  to  destroy  the  agency 
of  man,  which  I,  the  Lord  God,  had  given  him,  and  also,  that 
I  should  give  unto  him  mine  own  power ;  by  the  power  of 
mine  Only  Begotten,  I  caused  that  he  should  be  cast  down; 
and  he  became  Satan,  yea,  even  the  devil,  the  father  of  all 
lies,  to  deceive  and  to  blind  men,  and  to  lead  them  captive  at 
his  will,  even  as  many  as  would  not  hearken  unto  my  voice."*7 
i  Thus  it  is  shown  that  prior  to  the  placing  of  man  upon 
the  earth,  how  long  before  we  do  not  know,  Christ  and 
Satan,  together  with  the  hosts  of  the  spirit-children  of  God, 
existed  as  intelligent  individuals/1  possessing  power  and  op- 
portunity to  choose  the  course  they  would  pursue  and  the 
leaders  whom  they  would  follow  and  obey.1'  In  that  great 
concourse  of  spirit-intelligences,  the  Father's  plan,  whereby 
His  children  would  be  advanced  to  their  second  estate,  was 
submitted  and  doubtless  discussed.  The  opportunity  so 
placed  within  the  reach  of  the  spirits  who  were  to  be  priv- 
ileged to  take  bodies  upon  the  earth  was  so  transcendently 
glorious  that  those  heavenly  multitudes  burst  forth  into  song 
and  shouted  for  joy.' 

Satan's  plan  of  compulsion,  whereby  all  would  be  safely 
conducted  through  the  career  of  mortality,  bereft  of  free- 
dom to  act  and  agency  to  choose,  so  circumscribed  that  they 
would  be  compelled  to  do  right — that  one  soul  would  not  be 
lost — was  rejected ;  and  the  humble  offer  of  Jesus  the  First- 
born— to  assume  mortality  and  live  among  men  as  their  Ex- 

gP.  of  G.   P.,  Moses  4:1-4;   see  also  Abraham  3:27,  28. 
h  For  a  further  treatment  of  the  preexistence  of  spirits  see  the  author's 
"Articles  of  Faith"  x:21-30. 

f  Note    1,    end    of    chapter, 
;  Job  38:7, 


HIS    PREEXISTENCE    AND    FOREORDINATION. 

emplar  and  Teacher,  observing  the  sanctity  of  man's  agency 
but  teaching  men  to  use  aright  that  divine  heritage — was 
accepted.  The  decision  brought  war,  which  resulted  in  the 
vanquishment  of  Satan  and  his  angels,  who  were  cast  out 
and  deprived  of  the  boundless  privileges  incident  to  the  mor- 
tal or  second  estate. 

In  that  august  council  of  the  angels  and  the  Gods,  the 
Being  who  later  was  born  in  flesh  as  Mary's  Son,  Jesus, 
took  prominent  part,  and  there  was  He  ordained  of  the 
Father  to  be  the  Savior  of  mankind.  As  to  time,  the  term 
being  used  in  the  sense  of  all  duration  past,  this  is  our  earliest 
record  of  the  Firstborn  among  the  sons  of  God ;  to  us  who 
read,  it  marks  the  beginning  of  the  written  history  of  Jesus 
the  Christ.* 

Old  Testament  scriptures,  while  abounding  in  promises 
relating  to  the  actuality  of  Christ's  advent  in  the  flesh,  are 
less  specific  in  information  concerning  His  antemortal  exist- 
ence. By  the  children  of  Israel,  while  living  under  the  law 
and  still  unprepared  to  receive  the  gospel,  the  Messiah  was 
looked  for  as  one  to  be  born  in  the  lineage  of  Abraham  and 
David,  empowered  to  deliver  them  from  personal  and  na- 
tional burdens,  and  to  vanquish  their  enemies.  The  actuality 
of  the  Messiah's  status  as  the  chosen  Son  of  God,  who  was 
with  the  Father  from  the  beginning,  a  Being  of  preexistent 
power  and  glory,  was  but  dimly  perceived,  if  conceived  at  all, 
by  the  people  in  general ;  and  although  to  prophets  specially 
commissioned  in  the  authorities  and  privileges  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood,  revelation  of  the  great  truth  was  given/  they 
transmitted  it  to  the  people  rather  in  the  language  of  imag- 
ery and  parable  than  in  words  of  direct  plainness.  Never- 
theless the  testimony  of  the  evangelists  and  the  apostles,  the 
attestation  of  the  Christ  Himself  while  in  the  flesh,  and  the 
revelation  given  in  the  present  dispensation  leave  us  without 
dearth  of  scriptural  proof. 

k  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
I  Psalm  25:14;  Amos  8:7, 


10  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 

Iii  the  opening  lines  of  the  Gospel  book  written  by  John 
the  apostle,  we  read :  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and 
the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The  same 
was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made  by 
him ;  and  without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was 
made.  .  .  .  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  us  (and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only 
begotten  of  the  Father,)  full  of  grace  and  truth. "m 

The  passage  is  simple,  precise  and  unambiguous.  We 
may  reasonably  give  to  the  phrase  "In  the  beginning"  the 
same  meaning  as  attaches  thereto  in  the  first  line  of  Genesis ; 
and  such  signification  must  indicate  a  time  antecedent  to  the 
earliest  stages  of  human  existence  upon  the  earth.  That  the 
Word  is  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  with  the  Father  in  that  be- 
ginning and  who  was  Himself  invested  with  the  powers  and 
rank  of  Godship,  and  that  He  came  into  the  world  and  dwelt 
among  men,  are  definitely  affirmed.  These  statements  are  cor- 
roborated through  a  revelation  given  to  Moses,  in  which  he 
was  permitted  to  see  many  of  the  creations  of  God,  and  to 
hear  the  voice  of  the  Father  with  respect  to  the  things  that 
had  been  made:  "And  by  the  word  of  my  power,  have  I 
created  them,  which  is  mine  Only  Begotten  Son,  who  is  full 
of  grace  and  truth."" 

John  the  apostle  repeatedly  affirms  the  preexistence  of 
the  Christ  and  the  fact  of  His  authority  and  power  in  the 
antemortal  state.0  To  the  same  effect  is  the  testimony  of 
Paul^  and  of  Peter.  Instructing  the  saints  concerning  the 
basis  of  their  faith,  the  last-named  apostle  impressed  upon 
them  that  their  redemption  was  not  to  be  secured  through 
corruptible  things  nor  by  the  outward  observance  of  tradi- 
tional requirements,  "But  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 


m  John  1:1-3,  14;  see  also  1  John  1:1;  5:7;  Rev.  19:13;  compare  Doc. 
and  Cov.  93:1-17,  21. 

nP.   of  G.   P.,   Moses   1:32,  33;   see   also  2:5. 

01    John    1:1-3;    2:13,    14;    4:9;    Rev.    3:14. 

p2  Tim.  1:9,  10;  Rom.  16:25;  Eph.  1:4;  3:9,  11;  Titus  1:2.  See  especially 
Rom.  3:25;  and  note  the  marginal  rendering— "foreordained"— making  the 
passage  read:  ^Whom  God  hath  foreordained  to  be  a  propitiation." 


HIS    PREEXISTENCE    AND    FOREORDINATION.  11 

as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and  without  spot :  who  verily 
was  foreordained  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  but 
was  manifest  in  these  last  times  for  you."3 

Even  more  impressive  and  yet  more  truly  conclusive  are 
the  personal  testimonies  of  the  Savior  as  to  His  own  pre- 
existent  life  and  the  mission  among  men  to  which  He  had 
been  appointed.  No  one  who  accepts  Jesus  as  the  Messiah 
can  consistently  reject  these  evidences  of  His  eternal  nature. 
When,  on  a  certain  occasion,  the  Jews  in  the  synagog  dis- 
puted among  themselves  and  murmured  because  of  their 
failure  to  understand  aright  His  doctrine  concerning  Him- 
self, especially  as  touching  His  relationship  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  said  unto  them :  "For  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not 
to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."  And 
then,  continuing  the  lesson  based  upon  the  contrast  between 
the  manna  with  which  their  fathers  had  been  fed  in  the  wil- 
derness and  the  bread  of  life  which  He  had  to  offer,  He 
added :  "I  am  the  living  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven,"  and  again  declared  "the  living  Father  hath  sent 
me."  Not  a  few  of  the  disciples  failed  to  comprehend  His 
teachings;  and  their  complaints  drew  from  Him  these 
words :  "Doth  this  offend  you  ?  What  and  if  ye  shall  see 
the  Son  of  man  ascend  up  where  he  was  before?"*" 

To  certain  wicked  Jews,  wrapped  in  the  mantle  of  racial 
pride,  boastful  of  their  descent  through  the  lineage  of  Abra- 
ham, and  seeking  to  excuse  their  sins  through  an  unwar- 
ranted use  of  the  great  patriarch's  name,  our  Lord  thus  pro- 
claimed His  own  preeminence :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am."-*  The  fuller  significance  of 
this  remark  will  be  treated  later ;  suffice  it  in  the  present  con- 
nection to  consider  this  scripture  as  a  plain  avowal  of  our 
Lord's  seniority  and  supremacy  over  Abraham.  But  as 
Abraham's  birth  had  preceded  that  of  Christ  by  more  than 

q\  Peter  1:19,  20. 

rjohn   6:38,    51,    57,   61,    62. 

j  John  8:58;  see  also  17:5,  24;  and  compare  Exo.  3:14.    Page  37. 


12  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 

nineteen  centuries,  such  seniority  must  have  reference  to  a 
state  of  existence  antedating  that  of  mortality. 

When  the  hour  of  His  betrayal  was  near,  in  the  last  inter- 
view with  the  apostles  prior  to  His  agonizing  experience  in 
Gethsemane,  Jesus  comforted  them  saying :  "For  the  Father 
himself  loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and  have  be- 
lieved that  I  came  out  from  God.  I  came  forth  from  the 
Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world :  again,  I  leave  the  world, 
and  go  to  the  Father."'  Furthermore,  in  the  course  of  up- 
welling  prayer  for  those  who  had  been  true  to  their  testimony 
of  His  Messiahship,  He  addressed  the  Father  with  this  sol- 
emn invocation :  "And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might 
know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou 
hast  sent.  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth :  I  have  finished 
the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do.  And  now,  O  Father 
glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self  with  the  glory  which  I 
had  with  thee  before  the  world  was."" 

Book  of  Mormon  scriptures  are  likewise  explicit  in  proof 
of  the  preexistence  of  the  Christ  and  of  His  foreappointed 
mission.  A  few  only  of  the  many  evidences  therein  found 
will  be  cited  here.  An  ancient  prophet,  designated  in  the 
record  as  the  brother  of  Jared,v  once  pleaded  with  the  Lord 
in  special  supplication :  "And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Be- 
lievest  thou  the  words  which  I  shall  speak?  And  he  an- 
swered, Yea,  Lord,  I  know  that  thou  speakest  the  truth,  for 
thou  art  a  God  of  truth,  and  canst  not  lie.  And  when  he  had 
said  these  words,  behold,  the  Lord  shewed  himself  unto  him, 
and  said,  Because  thou  knowest  these  things,  ye  are  re- 
deemed from  the  fall ;  therefore  ye  are  brought  back  into  my 
presence ;  therefore  I  shew  myself  unto  you.  Behold,  I  am 
he  who  was  prepared  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  to 
redeem  my  people.  Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  the 


fjohn    16:27,    28;    see    also    13:3. 
ttjohn    17:3-5;    see    also    verses    24,    25. 
v  Note    3,    end    of    chapter. 


HIS    FREEXISTENCE   AND   FOREORDI NATION.  13 

Father  and  the  Son.  In  me  shall  all  mankind  have  light,  and 
that  eternally,  even  they  who  shall  believe  on  my  name ;  and 
they  shall  become  my  sons  and  my  daughters.  And  never 
have  I  shewed  myself  unto  man  whom  I  have  created,  for 
never  has  man  believed  in  me  as  thou  hast.  Seest  thou  that 
ye  are  created  after  mine  own  image?  Yea,  even  all  men 
were  created  in  the  beginning,  after  mine  own  image.  Be- 
hold, this  body,  which  ye  now  behold,  is  the  body  of  my 
spirit ;  and  man  have  I  created  after  the  body  of  my  spirit ; 
and  even  as  I  appear  unto  thee  to  be  in  the  spirit,  will  I 
appear  unto  my  people  in  the  flesh. "w  The  main  facts  at- 
tested by  this  scripture  as  having  a  direct  bearing  upon  our 
present  subject  are  those  of  the  Christ  manifesting  Himself 
while  yet  in  His  antemortal  state,  and  of  His  declaration 
that  He  had  been  chosen  from  the  foundation  of  the  world 
as  the  Redeemer. 

Revelation  given  through  the  prophets  of  God  in  the 
present  dispensation  is  replete  with  evidence  of  Christ's  ap- 
pointment and  ordination  in  the  primeval  world ;  and  the 
whole  tenor  of  the  scriptures  contained  in  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  may  be  called  in  witness.  The  following  in- 
stances are  particularly  in  point.  In  a  communication  to 
Joseph  Smith  the  prophet,  in  May,  1833,  the  Lord  declared 
Himself  as  the  One  who  had  previously  come  into  the  world 
from  the  Father,  and  of  whom  John  had  borne  testimony  as 
the  Word ;  and  the  solemn  truth  is  reiterated  that  He,  Jesus 
Christ,  "was  in  the  beginning,  before  the  world  was",  and 
further,  that  He  was  the  Redeemer  who  "came  into  the 
world  because  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  in  him  was 
the  life  of  man  and  the  light  of  men."  Again,  He  is  referred 
to  as  "the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  came  and  dwelt  in  the 
flesh."  In  the  course  of  the  same  revelation  the  Lord  said : 
"And  now,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  was  in  the  beginning  with 


wB.   of  M.,   Ether  3:11-16. 


14  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 

the  Father  and  am  the  firstborn."*  On  an  earlier  occasion, 
as  the  modern  prophet  testifies,  he  and  an  associate  in  the 
priesthood  were  enlightened  by  the  Spirit  so  that  they  were 
able  to  see  and  understand  the  things  of  God — "Even  those 
things  which  were  from  the  beginning  before  the  world  was, 
which  were  ordained  of  the  Father,  through  his  Only  Begot- 
ten Son,  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  even  from  the 
beginning,  of  whom  we  bear  record,  and  the  record  which 
we  bear  is  the  fulness  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is 
the  Son,  whom  we  saw  and  with  whom  we  conversed  in  the 
heavenly  vision."^ 

The  testimony  of  scriptures  written  on  both  hemispheres, 
that  of  records  both  ancient  and  modern,  the  inspired  utter- 
ances of  prophets  and  apostles,  and  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Himself,  are  of  one  voice  in  proclaiming  the  preexistence  of 
the  Christ  and  His  ordination  as  the  chosen  Savior  and  Re- 
deemer of  mankind — in  the  beginning,  yea,  even  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  2. 

i.  Graded  Intelligences  in  the  Antemortal  State. — That  the 
spirits  of  men  existed  as  individual  intelligences,  of  varying  de- 
grees of  ability  and  power,  prior  to  the  inauguration  of  the  mor- 
tal state  upon  this  earth  and  even  prior  to  the  creation  of  the 
world  as  a  suitable  abode  for  human  beings,  is  shown  in  great 
plainness  through  a  divine  revelation  to  Abraham :  "Now  the 
Lord  had  shown  unto  me,  Abraham,  the  intelligences  that  were 
organized  before  the  world  was;-Vind  among  all  these  there  were 
many  of  the  noble  and  great  ones  ;  and  God  saw  these  souls  that 
they  were  good,  and  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  he  said: 
These  I  will  make  my  rulers;  for  he  stood  among  those  that  were 
spirits,  and  he  saw  that  they  were  good;  and  he  said  unto  me: 
Abraham,  thou  art  one  of  them;  thou  wast  chosen  before  thou 
wast  born."  (P.  of  G.  P.,  Abraham  3:22,  23.) 

That  both  Christ  and  Satan  were  among  those  exalted  intel- 
ligences, and  that  Christ  was  chosen  while  Satan  was  rejected  as 
the  future  Savior  of  mankind,  are  shown  by  the  portions  of  the 
revelation  immediately  following  that  above  quoted:  "And  there 
stood  one  among  them  that  was  like  unto  God,  and  he  said  unto 
those  who  were  with  him :  We  will  go  down,  for  there  is  space 
there,  and  we  will  take  of  these  materials,  and  we  wi^  make  an 

*Doc.  and  Cov.  93:1-17,  21. 
y  Doc.  and  Cov.  76:13,  14. 


NOTES.  15 

earth  whereon  these  may  dwell;  and  we  will  prove  them  herewith, 
to  see  if  they  will  do  all  things  whatsoever  the  Lord  their  God 
shall  command  them;  and  they  who  keep  their  first  estate 
shall  be  added  upon,  and  they  who  keep  not  their  first  estate 
shall  not  have  glory  in  the  same  kingdom  with  those  who  keep 
their  first  estate ;  and  they  who  keep  their  second  estate  shall 
have  glory  added  upon  their  heads  forever  and  ever.  And  the 
Lord  said:  Whom  shall  I  send?  And  one  answered  like  unto 
the  Son  of  Man :  Here  am  I,  send  me.  And  another  answered 
and  said :  Here  am  I,  send  me.  And  the  Lord  said :  I  will  send 
the  first.  And  the  second  was  angry,  and  kept  not  his  first  estate; 
and,  at  that  day,  rriany  followed  after  him"  (verses  24-28). 

2.  The  Primeval  Council  in  the  Heavens. — "It  is  definitely 
stated  in  the  Book  of  Genesis  that  God  said,  'Let  us  make  man  in 
our  image,  after  our  likeness ;'  and  again,  after  Adam  had  taken 
of  the  forbidden  fruit  the  Lord  said,  'Behold,  the  man  has  be- 
come as  one  of  us  ;'  and  the  inference  is  direct  that  in  all  that  re- 
lated to  the  work  of  the  creation  of  the  world  there  was  a  con- 
sultation ;  and  though  God  spake  as  it  is  recorded  in  the  Bible, 
yet  it  is  evident  He  counseled  with  others.  The  scriptures  tell  us 
there  are  'Gods  many  and  Lords  many.  But  to  us  there  is  but 
one  God,  the  Father'  (i  Cor.  8:5).  And  for  this  reason,  though 
there  were  others  engaged  in  the  creation  of  the  worlds,  it  is 
given  to  us  in  the  Bible  in  the  shape  that  it  is ;  for  the  fulness  of 
these  truths  is  only  revealed  to  highly  favored  persons  for  certain 
reasons  known  to  God ;  as  we  are  told  in  the  scriptures :  'The 
secret 'of  the  Lord  is  with  thqm  that  fear  him;  and  he  will  show 
them  his  covenant.' — Psalms  25:14. 

"It  is  consistent  to  believe  that  at  this  Council  in  the  heavens 
the  plan  that  should  be  adopted  in  relation  to  the  sons  of  God 
who  were  then  spirits,  and  had  not  yet  obtained  tabernacles,  was 
duly  considered.  For,  in  view  of  the  creation  of  the  world  and 
the  placing  of  men  upon  it,  whereby  it  would  be  possible  for 
them  to  obtain  tabernacles,  and  in  those  tabernacles  obey  laws  of 
life,  and  with  them  again  be  exalted  among  the  Gods,  we  are  told 
that  at  that  time,  'the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons 
of  God  shouted  for  joy.'  The  ^estion  then  arose,  how,  and  upon 
what  principle,  should  the  salvation,  exaltation  and  eternal  glory 
of  God's  sons  be  brought  about?  It  is  evident  that  at  that  Council 
certain  plans  had  been  proposed  and  discussed,  and  that  after  a 
full  discussion  of  those  principles,  and  the  declaration  of  the 
Father's  will  pertaining  to  His  design,  Lucifer  came  before  the 
Father  with  a  plan  of  his  own,  saying,  'Behold  [here  am]  I ;  send 
me,  I  will  be  thy  son,  and  I  will  redeem  all  mankind,  that  one 
soul  shall  not  be  lost,  and  surely  I  will  do  it;  wherefore,  give  me 
thine  honor.'  But  Jesus,  on  hearing  this  statement  made  by 
Lucifer,  said,  'Father,  thy  will  be  done,  and  the  glory  be  thine 
forever.'  From  these  remarks  made  by  the  well  beloved  Son,  we 
should  naturally  infer  that  in  the  discussion  of  this  subject  the 
Father  had  made  known  His  will  and  developed  His  plan  and 
design  pertaining  to  these  matters,  and  all  that  His  well  beloved 
Son  wanted  to  do  was  to  carry  out  the  will  of  His  Father,  as  it 
would  appear  had  been  before  expressed.  He  also  wished  the 


16  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    2. 

glory  to  be  given  to  His  Father,  who,  as  God  the  Father,  and 
the  originator  and  designer  of  the  plan,  had  a  right  to  all  the 
honor  and  glory.  But  Lucifer  wanted  to  introduce  a  plan  con- 
trary to  the  will  of  his  Father,  and  then  wanted  His  honor,  and 
said :  'I  will  save  every  soul  of  man,  wherefore  give  me  thine 
honor.'  He  wanted  to  go  contrary  to  the  will  of  his  Father,  and 
presumptuously  sought  to  deprive  man  of  his  free  agency,  thus 
making  him  a  serf,  and  placing  him  in  a  position  in  which  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  obtain  that  exaltation  which  God  designed 
should  be  man's,  through  obedience  to  the  law  which  He  had 
suggested ;  and  again,  Lucifer  wanted  the  honor  and  power  of  his 
Father,  to  enable  him  to  carry  out  principles'  which  were  con- 
trary to  the  Father's  wish.' — John  Taylor — Mediation  and  Atone- 
ment, pp.  93,  94. 

3.  The  Jaredites. — "Of  the  two  nations  whose  histories  con- 
stitute the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  first  in  order  of  time  consisted 
of  the  people  of  Jared,  who  followed  their  leader  from  the  Tower 
of  Babel  at  the  time  of  the  confusion  of  tongues.  Their  history 
was  written  on  twenty-four  plates  of  gold  by  Ether,  the  last  of 
their  prophets,  who,  foreseeing  the  destruction  of  his  people  be- 
cause of  their  wickedness,  hid  away  the  historical  plates.  They 
were  afterward  found,  B.  C.  123,  by  an  expedition  sent  out  by 
King  Limhi,  a  Nephite  ruler.  The  record  engraved  on  these 
plates  was  subsequently  abridged  by  Moroni,  and  the  condensed 
account  was  attached  by  him  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  record ;  it 
appears  in  the  modern  translation  under  the  name  of  the  Book  of 
Ether. 

"The  first  and  chief  prophet  of  the  Jaredites  is  not  men- 
tioned by  name  in  the  record  as  we  have  it ;  he  is  known  only  as 
the  brother  of  Jared.  Of  the  people,  we  learn  that,  amid  the  con- 
fusion of  Babel,  Jared  and  his  brother  importuned  the  Lord  that 
He  would  spare  them  and  their  associates  from  the  impending 
disruption.  Their  prayer  was  heard,  and  the  Lord  led  them  with 
a  considerable  company,  who,  like  themselves,  were  ^  free  from 
the  taint  of  idolatry,  away  from  their  homes,  promising  to  con- 
duct them  to  a  land  choice  abo^  all  other  lands.  Their  course 
of  travel  is  not  given  with  exa^iess ;  we  learn  only  that  they 
reached  the  ocean,  and  there  constructed  eight  vessels,  called 
barges,  in  which  they  set  out  upon  the  waters.  These  vessels 
were  small  and  dark  within;  but  the  Lord  made  luminous  certain 
stones,  which  gave  light  to  the  imprisoned  voyagers.  After  a 
passage  of  three  hundred  and  forty-four  days,  the  colony  landed 
on  the  western  shore  of  North  America,  probably  at  a  place 
south  of  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  north  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama. 

"Here  they  became  a  flourishing  nation ;  but,  giving  way  in 
time  to  internal  dissensions,  they  divided  into  factions,  which 
warred  with  one  another  until  the  people  were  totally  destroyed. 
This  destruction,  which  occurred  near  the  hill  Raman,  afterward 
known  among  the  Nephites  as  Cumorah,  probably  took  place  at 
about  the  time  of  Lehi's  landing  in  South  America — 590  B.  C."' — 
The  author,  Articles  of  Faith,  xiv:  10-12. 


THE    NEED    OF    A    REDEEMER.  17 


CHAPTER   3. 
THE  NEED  OF  A  REDEEMER. 

We  have  heretofore  shown  that  the  entire  human  race 
existed  as  spirit-beings  in  the  primeval  world,  and  that  for 
the  purpose  of  making  possible  to  them  the  experiences  of 
mortality  this  earth  was  created.  They  were  endowed  with 
the  powers  of  agency  or  choice  while  yet  but  spirits ;  and 
the  divine  plan  provided  that  they  be  free-born  in  the  flesh, 
heirs  to  the  inalienable  birthright  of  liberty  to  choose  and  to 
act  for  themselves  in  mortality.  It  is  undeniably  essential 
to  the  eternal  progression  of  God's  children  that  they  be  sub- 
jected to  the  influences  of  both  good  and  evil,  that  they  be 
tried  and  tested  and  proved  withal,  "to  see  if  they  will  do 
all  things  whatsoever  the  Lord  their  God  shall  command 
them."a  Free  agency  is  an  indispensable  element  of  such  a 
test. 

The  Eternal  Father  well  understood  the  diverse  natures 
and  varied  capacities  of  His  spirit-offspring ;  and  His  infinite 
foreknowledge  made  plain  to  Him,  even  in  the  beginning, 
that  in  the  school  of  life  some  of  His  children  would  succeed 
and  others  would  fail ;  some  would  be  faithful,  others  false ; 
some  would  choose  the  g6wl,  others  the  evil ;  some  would 
seek  the  way  of  life  while  others  would  elect  to  follow  the 
road  to  destruction.  He  further  foresaw  that  death  would 
enter  the  world,  and  that  the  possession  of  bodies  by  His 
children  would  be  of  but  brief  individual  duration.  He  saw 
that  His  commandments  would  be  disobeyed  and  His  law 
violated ;  and  that  men,  shut  out  from  His  presence  and  left 
to  themselves,  would  sink  rather  than  rise,  would  retrograde 
rather  than  advance,  and  would  be  lost  to  the  heavens.  It 


a  P.  of  G.  P.,  Abraham  3:25.  For  a  fuller  treatment  of  man's  Free 
Agency,  see  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  iii:l-10,  and  the  numerous 
references  there  given. 


18  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

was  necessary  that  a  means  of  redemption  be  provided, 
whereby  erring  man  might  make  amends,  and  by  compliance 
with  established  law  achieve  salvation  and  eventual  exalta- 
tion in  the  eternal  worlds.  The  power  of  death  was  to  be 
overcome,  so  that,  though  men  would  of  necessity  die,  they 
would  live  anew,  their  spirits  clothed  with  immortalized 
bodies  over  which  death  could  not  again  prevail. 

Let  not  ignorance  and  thoughtlessness  lead  us  into  the 
error  of  assuming  that  the  Father's  foreknowledge  as  to  what 
would  be,  under  given  conditions,  determined  that  such  must 
be.  It  was  not  His  design  that  the  souls  of  mankind  be  lost ; 
on  the  contrary  it  was  and  is  His  work  and  glory,  "to  bring 
to  pass  the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man."&  Neverthe- 
less He  saw  the  evil  into  which  His  children  would  assuredly 
fall ;  and  with  infinite  love  and  mercy  did  He  ordain  means 
of  averting  the  dire  effect,  provided  the  transgressor  would 
elect  to  avail  himself  thereof  .c  The  offer  of  the  firstborn  Son 
to  establish  through  His  own  ministry  among  men  the  gospel 
of  salvation,  and  to  sacrifice  Himself,  through  labor,  humilia- 
tion and  suffering  even  unto  death,  was  accepted  and  made 
the  foreordained  plan  of  man's  redemption  from  death,  of  his 
eventual  salvation  from  the  effects  of  sin,  and  of  his  possible 
exaltation  through  righteous  achievement. 

In  accordance  with  the  plan  adopted  in  the  council  of  the 
Gods,  man  was  created  as  an  errftbdied  spirit ;  his  tabernacle 
of  flesh  was  composed  of  the  elements  of  earth.**  He  was 
given  commandment  and  law,  and  was  free  to  obey  or  dis- 
obey— with  the  just  and  inevitable  condition  that  he  should 
enjoy  or  suffer  the  natural  results  of  his  choice/  Adam, 
the  first  man^  placed  upon  the  earth  in  pursuance  of  the 

&  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  1:39;  compare  6:59.     Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 

c  Note   2,    end   of   chapter. 

rfGen.  1:26,  27;  2:7;  compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  2:26,  27;  3:7;  Abraham 
4:26-28;  5:7. 

<?Gen.  1:28-31;  2:16,  17;  compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  2:28-31;  3:16,  17; 
Abraham  4:28-31;  5:12,  13. 

/Gen.  2:8;  compare  statement  in  verse  5 — that  prior  to  that  time  there 
was  "not  a  man  to  till  the  ground";  see  also  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  3:7;  Abra- 
ham 1:3;  and  B.  of  M.,  1  Nephi  5:11. 


THE    NEED  OF   A   REDEEMER.  19 

established  plan,  and  Eve  who  was  given  unto  him  as  com- 
panion and  associate,  indispensable  to  him  in  the  appointed 
mission  of  peopling  the  earth,  disobeyed  the  express  com- 
mandment of  God  and  so  brought  about  the  "fall  of  man", 
whereby  the  mortal  state,  of  which  death  is  an  essential  ele- 
ment, was  inaugurated.^  It  is  not  proposed  to  consider  here 
at  length  the  doctrine  of  the  fall ;  for  the  present  argument 
it  is  sufficient  to  establish  the  fact  of  the  momentous  occur- 
rence and  its  portentous  consequences.7*  The  woman  was 
deceived,  and  in  direct  violation  of  counsel  and  command- 
ment partook  of  the  food  that  had  been  forbidden,  as  a  result 
of  which  act  her  body  became  degenerate  and  subject  to 
death.  Adam  realized  the  disparity  that  had  been  brought 
between  him  and  his  companion,  and  with  some  measure  of 
understanding  followed  her  course,  thus  becoming  her  part- 
ner in  bodily  degeneracy.  Note  in  this  matter  the  words  of 
Paul  the  apostle:  "Adam  was  not  deceived,  but  the  woman 
being  deceived  was  in  the  transgression."1' 

The  man  and  the  woman  had  now  become  mortal; 
through  indulgence  in  food  unsuited  to  their  nature  and 
condition  and  against  which  they  had  been  specifically 
warned,  and  as  the  inevitable  result  of  their  disobeying  the 
divine  law  and  commandment,  they  became  liable  to  the 
physical  ailments  and  bodily  frailties  to  which  mankind  has 
since  been  the  natural  heir.{.  Those  bodies,  which  before  the 
fall  had  been  perfect  in  form  and  function,  were  now  sub- 
jects for  eventual  dissolution  or  death.  The  arch-tempter 
through  whose  sophistries,  half-truths  and  infamous  false- 
hoods, Eve  had  been  beguiled,  was  none  other  than  Satan,  or 
Lucifer,  that  rebellious  and  fallen  "son  of  the  morning", 
whose  proposal  involving  the  destruction  of  man's  liberty 
had  been  rejected  in  the  council  of  the  heavens,  and  who  had 
been  "cast  out  into  the  earth",  he  and  all  his  angels  as  un- 

g  Gen.  chap.  3;  compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  chap.  4. 
fcSee  "Articles   of   Faith,"   iii:21-32. 
tl   Tim.    2:14;    see   also   2    Cor.    11:3. 
/Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


20  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

embodied  spirits,  never  to  be  tabernacled  in  bodies  of  their 
own.fe  As  an  act  of  diabolic  reprisal  following  his  rejection 
in  the  council,  his  defeat  by  Michael  and  the  heavenly  hosts, 
and  his  ignominious  expulsion  from  heaven,  Satan  planned 
to  destroy  the  bodies  in  which  the  faithful  spirits  —  those  who 
had  kept  their  first  estate  —  would  be  born  ;  and  his  beguile- 
ment  of  Eve  was  but  an  early  stage  of  that  infernal  scheme. 

Death  has  come  to  be  the  universal  heritage  ;  it  may  claim 
its  victim  in  infancy  or  youth,  in  the  period  of  life's  prime, 
or  its  summons  may  be  deferred  until  the  snows  of  age  have 
gathered  upon  the  hoary  head  ;  it  may  befall  as  the  result  of 
accident  or  disease,  by  violence,  or  as  we  say,  through  natural 
causes  ;  but  come  it  must,  as  Satan  well  knows  ;  and  in  this 
knowledge  is  his  present  though  but  temporary  triumph.  But 
the  purposes  of  God,  as  they  ever  have  been  and  ever  shall 
be,  are  infinitely  superior  to  the  deepest  designs  of  men  or 
devils;  and  the  Satanic  machinations  to  make  death  inevit- 
able, perpetual  and  supreme  were  provided  against  even  be- 
fore the  first  man  had  been  created  in  the  flesh.  The  atone- 
ment to  be  wrought  by  Jesus  the  Christ  was  ordained  to 
overcome  death  and  to  provide  a  means  of  ransom  from  the 
power  of  Satan. 

As  the  penalty  incident  to  the  fall  came  upon  the  race 
through  an  individual  act,  it  would  be  manifestly  unjust,  and 
therefore  impossible  as  part  of  the  divine  purpose,  to  make 
all  men  suffer  the  results  thereof  without  provision  for  de- 
liverance^ Moreover,  since  by  the  transgression  of  one  man 
sin  came  into  the  world  and  death  was  entailed  upon  all,  it  is 
consistent  with  reason  that  the  atonement  thus  made  neces- 
sary should  be  wrought  by  one.m  "Wherefore,  as  by  one 
man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin;  and  so 
death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned  :  .  f  .  . 
icrefore  as  by  the  offence  of  one  judgment  came  upon  all 


page    7. 
/  Note    4,    end    of    chapter. 
m  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


THE    NEED   OF   A   REDEEMER.  21 

men  to  condemnation;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one 
the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life."" 
So  taught  the  apostle  Paul ;  and,  further :  "For  since  by  man 
came  death,  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made 
alive."0 

The  atonement  was  plainly  to  be  a  vicarious  sacrifice, 
voluntary  and  love-inspired  on  the  Savior's  part,  universal  in 
its  application  to  mankind  so  far  as  men  shall  accept  the 
means  of  deliverance  thus  placed  within  their  reach.  For 
such  a  mission  only  one  who  was  without  sin  could  be  eligi- 
ble. Even  the  altar  victims  of  ancient  Israel  offered  as  a  pro- 
visional propitiation  for  the  offenses  of  the  people  under  the 
Mosaic  law  had  to 'be  clean  and  devoid  of  spot  or  blemish; 
otherwise  they  were  unacceptable  and  the  attempt  to  offer 
them  was  sacrilege/  Jesus  Christ  was  the  only  Being  suited 
to  the  requirements  of  the  great  sacrifice : 

1 — As  the  one  and  only  sinless  Man  ; 

2 — As  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father  and  therefore  the 
only  Being  born  to  earth  possessing  in  their  fulness  the 
attributes  of  both  Godhood  and  manhood ; 

3 — As  the  One  who  had  been  chosen  in  the  heavens  and 
foreordained  to  this  service. 

What  other  man  has  been  without  sin,  and  therefore 
wholly  exempt  from  the  dominion  of  Satan,  and  to  whom 
death,  the  wage  of  sin,  is  not  naturally  due?  Had  Jesus 
Christ  met  death  as  other  men  have  done — the  result  of  the 
power  that  Satan  has  gained  over  them  through  their  sins — 
His  death  would  have  been  but  an  individual  experience, 
expiatory  in  no  degree  of  any  faults  or  offenses  but  His  own. 
Christ's  absolute  sinlessness  made  Him  eligible,  His  humility 
and  willingness  rendered  Him  acceptable  to  the  Father,  as 

nRom.   5:12,   18. 
ol  Cor.   15:21,  22. 

/>Lev.  22:20;  Deut.  15:21:  17:1:  Mai.  1:8,  14;  compare  Heb.  9:14;  1  Peter 
1:19. 


22  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

the  atoning  sacrifice  whereby  propitiation  could  be  made  for 
the  sins  of  all  men. 

What  other  man  has  lived  with  power  to  withstand 
death,  over  whom  death  could  not  prevail  except  through 
his  own  submission?  Yet  Jesus  Christ  could  not  be  slain 
until  His  "hour  had  come",  and  that,  the  hour  in  which  He 
voluntarily  surrendered  His  life,  and  permitted  His  own 
decease  through  an  act  of  will.  Born  of  a  mortal  mother  He 
inherited  the  capacity  to  die;  begotten  by  an  immortal  Sire 
He  possessed  as  a  heritage  the  power  to  withstand  death 
indefinitely.  He  literally  gave  up  His  life;  to  this  effect  is 
His  own  affirmation:  "Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me, 
because  I  lay  down  my  life,  that  I  might  take  it  again.  No 
man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I  have 
power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again. "« 
And  further :  "For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself  ;  so  hath 
he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  himself  "r  Only  such  a 
One  could  conquer  death ;  in  none  but  Jesus  the  Christ  was 
realized  this  requisite  condition  of  a  Redeemer  of  the  world. 

What  other  man  has  come  to  earth  with  such  appoint- 
ment, clothed  with  the  authority  of  such  f oreordination  ? 
The  atoning  mission  of  Jesus  Christ  was  no  self-assumption. 
True,  He  had  offered  Himself  when  the  call  was  made  in  the 
heavens ;  true,  He  had  been  accepted,  and  in  due  time  came  to 
earth  to  carry  into  effect  the  terms  of  that  acceptance;  but 
He  was  chosen  by  One  greater  than  Himself.  The  burden 
of  His  confession  of  authority  was  ever  to  the  effect  that  He 
operated  under  the  direction  of  the  Father,  as  witness  these 
words :  "I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  mine  own 
will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."J  "My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work."'  "I 
can  of  mine  own  self  do  nothing :  as  I  hear,  I  judge :  and  my 

q  John  10:17-18. 
fjohn  5:26. 
f  John  6:38. 
*John  4:34, 


THE   NEED  OF  A  REDEEMER.  23 

judgment  is  just ;  because  I  seek  not  mine  own  will  but  the 
will  of  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me."w 

Through  the  atonement  accomplished  by  Jesus  Christ — a 
redeeming  service,  vicariously  rendered  in  behalf  of  man- 
kind, all  of  whom  have  become  estranged  from  God  by  the 
effects  of  sin  both  inherited  and  individually  incurred — the 
way  is  opened  for  a  reconciliation  whereby  man  may  come 
again  into  communion  with  God,  and  be  made  fit  to  dwell 
anew  and  forever  in  the  presence  of  his  Eternal  Father.  This 
basal  thought  is  admirably  implied  in  our  English  word, 
"atonement,"  which,  as  its  syllables  attest,  is  at-one-ment, 
"denoting  reconciliation,  or  the  bringing  into  agreement  of 
those  who  have  been  estranged. 'v  The  effect  of  the  atone- 
ment may  be  conveniently  considered  as  twofold : 

i — The  universal  redemption  of  the  human  race  from 
death  invoked  by  the  fall  of  our  first  parents ;  and, 

2 — Salvation,  whereby  means  of  relief  from  the  results  of 
individual  sin  are  provided. 

The  victory  over  death  was  made  manifest  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  crucified  Christ ;  He  was  the  first  to  pass  from 
death  to  immortality  and  so  is  justly  known  as  "the  first 
fruits  of  them  that  slept. "w  That  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  so  inaugurated  is  to  be  extended  to  every  one  who  has 
or  shall  have  lived  is  proved  by  an  abundance  of  scriptural 
evidence.  Following  our  Lord's  resurrection,  others  who 
had  slept  in  the  tomb  arose  and  were  seen  of  many,  not  as 
spirit-apparitions  but  as  resurrected  beings  possessing  im- 
mortalized bodies :  "And  the  graves  were  opened ;  and  many 
bodies  of  the  saints  which  slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the 
graves  after  his  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and 
appeared  unto  many."* 

Those  who  thus  early  came  forth  are  spoken  of  as  "the 

u  John  5:30;  see  also  verse  19;  also  Matt.  26:42;  compare  Doc.  and  Cov. 
19:2;  20:24. 

v  New    Standard    Dictionary    under    "propitiation." 
w\  Cor.   15:20;   see  also  Acts  26:23;   Col.   1:18;   Rev.   1:5. 
*Matt.  27:52,  53. 


24  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

saints" ;  and  other  scriptures  confirm  the  fact  that  only  the 
righteous  shall  be  brought  forth  in  the  earlier  stages  of  the 
resurrection  yet  to  be  consummated;  but  that  all  the  dead 
shall  in  turn  resume  bodies  of  flesh  and  bones  is  placed  be- 
yond doubt  by  the  revealed  word.  The  Savior's  direct  affir- 
mation ought  to  be  conclusive :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear 
the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God :  and  they  that  hear  shall  live. 
.  .  .  .  Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in 
the  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and 
shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  life ;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  damnation."^  The  doctrine  of  a  universal  resur- 
rection was  taught  by  the  apostles  of  old,*  as  also  by  the 
Nephite  prophets ;°  and  the  same  is  confirmed  by  revelation 
incident  to  the  present  dispensation. b  Even  the  heathen  who 
have  not  known  God  shall  be  brought  forth  from  their 
graves ;  and,  inasmuch  as  they  have  lived  and  died  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  saving  law,  a  means  of  making  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion known  unto  them  is  provided.  "And  then  shall  the 
heathen  nations  be  redeemed,  and  they  that  knew  no  law  shall 
have  part  in  the  first  resurrection. "c 

Jacob,  a  Nephite  prophet,  taught  the  universality  of  the 
resurrection,  and  set  forth  the  absolute  need  of  a  Redeemer, 
without  whom  the  purposes  of  God  in  the  creation  of  man 
would  be  rendered  futile.  His  words  constitute  a  concise 
and  forceful  summary  of  revealed  truth  directly  bearing 
upon  our  present  subject : 

"For  as  death  hath  passed  upon  all  men,  to  fulfil  the 
merciful  plan  of  the  great  Creator,  there  must  needs  be  a 

y  John  5:25,  28,  29.  A  modern  scripture  attesting  the  same  truth 
reads:  "They  who  have  done  good  in  the  resurrection  of  the  just;  and 
they  who  have  done  evil  in  the  resurrection  of  the  unjust."— Doc.  and 
Cov.  76:17. 

s  For    instances    see    Acts    24:15;    Rev.    20:12,    13. 

a  For  instances  see  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  9:6,  12,  13,  21,  22;  Helaman 
14:15-17;  Mosiah  15:20-24;  Alma  40:2-16;  Mormon  9:13,  14. 

fcFor   instances    see   Doc.    and   Cov.    18:11,    12;   45:44,    45;   88:95-98. 

cDoc.  and  Cov.  45:54. 


THE   NEED  OF  A  REDEEMER.  25 

power  of  resurrection,  and  the  resurrection  must  needs  come 
unto  man  by  reason  of  the  fall ;  and  the  fall  came  by  reason 
of  transgression ;  and  because  man  became  fallen,  they  were 
cut  off  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord ;  wherefore  it  must 
needs  be  an  infinite  atonement ;  save  it  should  be  an  infinite 
atonement,  this  corruption  could  not  put  on  incorruption. 
Wherefore,  the  first  judgment  which  came  upon  man,  must 
needs  have  remained  to  an  endless  duration.  And  if  so,  this 
flesh  must  have  laid  down  to  rot  and  to  crumble  to  its  mother 
earth,  to  rise  no  more.  O  the  wisdom  of  God !  his  mercy 
and  grace!  For  behold,  if  the  flesh  should  rise  no  more, 
our  spirits  must  become  subject  to  that  angel  who  fell  from 
before  the  presence  of  the  eternal  God,  and  became  the  devil, 
to  rise  no  more.  And  our  spirits  must  have  become  like  unto 
him,  and  we  become  devils,  angels  to  a  devil,  to  be  shut  out 
from  the  presence  of  our  God,  and  to  remain  with  the  father 
of  lies,  in  misery,  like  unto  himself ;  yea,  to  that  being  who 
beguiled  our  first  parents ;  who  transformeth  himself  nigh 
unto  an  angel  of  light,  and  stirreth  up  the  children  of  men 
unto  secret  combinations  of  murder,  and  all  manner  of  secret 
works  of  darkness.  O  how  great  the  goodness  of  our  God, 
who  prepareth  a  way  for  our  escape  from  the  grasp  of  this 
awful  monster;  yea,  that  monster,  death  and  hell,  which  I 
call  the  death  of  the  body,  and  also  the  death  of  the  spirit. 
And  because  of  the  way  of  deliverance  of  our  God,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel,  this  death,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  which  is 
the  temporal,  shall  deliver  up  its  dead ;  which  death  is  the 
grave.  And  this  death  of  which  I  have  spoken,  which  is 
the  spiritual  death,  shall  deliver  up  its  dead ;  which  spiritual 
death  is  hell ;  wherefore,  death  and  hell  must  deliver  up  their 
dead,  and  hell  must  deliver  up  its  captive  spirits,  and  the 
grave  must  deliver  up  its  captive  bodies,  and  the  bodies  and 
the  spirits  of  men  will  be  restored  one  to  the  other ;  and  it  is 
by  the  power  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 
O  how  great  the  plan  of  our  God!  For  on  the  other  hand, 
the  paradise  of  God  must  deliver. up  the  spirits  of  the  right- 
eous, and  the  grave  deliver  up  the  body  of  the  righteous ; 
and  the  spirit  and  the  body  is  restored  to  itself  again,  and 
all  men  become  incorruptible,  and  immortal,  and  they  are 
living  souls,  having  a  perfect  knowledge  like  unto  us  in  the 
flesh ;  save  it  be  that  our  knowledge  shall  be  perfect. "d 

d  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  9:6-13;  read  the  entire  chapter. 


26  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

The  application  of  the  atonement  to  individual  trangres- 
sion,  whereby  the  sinner  may  obtain  absolution  through  com- 
pliance with  the  laws  and  ordinances  embodied  in  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  is  conclusively  attested  by  scripture.  Since 
forgiveness  of  sins  can  be  secured  in  none  other  way,  there 
being  either  in  heaven  or  earth  no  name  save  that  of  Jesus 
Christ  whereby  salvation  shall  come  unto  the  children  of 
men/  every  soul  stands  in  need  of  the  Savior's  mediation, 
since  all  are  sinners.  "For  all  have  sinned  and  come  short 
of  the  glory  of  God",  said  Paul  of  old/  and  John  the  apostle 
added  his  testimony  in  these  words :  "If  we  say  that  we  have 
no  sin  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us."*7 

Who  shall  question  the  justice  of  God,  which  denies  sal- 
vation to  all  who  will  not  comply  with  the  prescribed  condi- 
tions on  which  alone  it  is  declared  obtainable  ?  Christ  is  "the 
author  of  eternal  salvation  unto  all  them  that  obey  him",*1 
and  God  "will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds : 
to  them  who  by  patient  continuance  in  well  doing  seek  for 
glory  and  honor  and  immortality,  eternal  life ;  but  unto  them 
that  are  contentious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  un- 
righteousness, indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  an- 
guish, upon  every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil."1 

Such  then  is  the  need  of  a  Redeemer,  for  without  Him 
mankind  would  forever  remain  in  a  fallen  state,  and  as  to 
hope  of  eternal  progression  would  be  inevitably  lost.'  The 
mortal  probation  is  provided  as  an  opportunity  for  advance- 
ment; but  so  great  are  the  difficulties  and  the  dangers,  so 
strong  is  the  influence  of  evil  in  the  world,  and  so  weak  is 
man  in  resistance  thereto,  that  without  the  aid  of  a  power 
above  that  of  humanity  no  soul  would  find  its  way  back  to 

e  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  6:52;  compare  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  25:20;  Mosiah 
3:17;  5:8;  Doc.  and  Cov.  76:1. 

/Rom.   3:23;    see  also  verse  9;   Gal.  3:22. 

g  1  John   1 :8. 

fcHeb.   5:9. 

t'Rom.    2:6-9. 

j  No  special  treatment  relating  to  the  Fall,  the  Atonement,  or  the 
Resurrection  has  been  either  attempted  or  intended  in  this  chapter.  For 
such  the  student  is  referred  to  doctrinal  works  dealing  with  these 
subjects.  See  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  lectures  iii,  iv,  and  xxi. 


THE    NEED   OF   A   REDEEMER.  27 

God  from  whom  it  came.  The  need  of  a  Redeemer  lies  in 
the  inability  of  man  to  raise  himself  from  the  temporal  to  the 
spiritual  plane,  from  the  lower  kingdom  to  the  higher.  In 
this  conception  we  are  not  without  analogies  in  the  natural 
world.  We  recognize  a  fundamental  distinction  between 
inanimate  and  living  matter,  between  the  inorganic  and  the 
organic,  between  the  lifeless  mineral  on  the  one  hand  and 
the  living  plant  or  animal  on  the  other.  Within  the  limita- 
tions of  its  order  the  dead  mineral  grows  by  accretion  of 
substance,  and  may  attain  a  relatively  perfect  condition  of 
structure  and  form  as  is  seen  in  the  crystal.  But  mineral 
matter,  though  acted  upon  favorably  by  the  forces  of  nature 
— light,  heat,  electric  energy  and  others — can  never  become 
a  living  organism;  nor  can  the  dead  elements,  through  any 
process  of  chemical  combination  dissociated  from  life,  enter 
into  the  tissues  of  the  plant  as  essential  parts  thereof.  But 
the  plant,  which  is  of  a  higher  order,  sends  its  rootlets  into 
the  earth,  spreads  its  leaves  in  the  atmosphere,  and  through 
these  organs  absorbs  the  solutions  of  the  soil,  inspires  the 
gases  of  the  air,  and  from  such  lifeless  materials  weaves  the 
tissue  of  its  wondrous  structure.  No  mineral  particle,  no 
dead  chemical  substance  has  ever  been  made  a  constituent 
of  organic  tissue  except  through  the.  agency  of  life.  We 
may,  perhaps  with  profit,  carry  the  analogy  a  step  farther. 
The  plant  is  unable  to  advance  its  own  tissue  to  the  animal 
plane.  Though  it  be  the  recognized  order  of  nature  that 
the  "animal  kingdom"  is  dependent  upon  the  "vegetable 
kingdom"  for  its  sustenance,  the  substance  of  the  plant  may 
become  part  of  the  animal  organism  only  as  the  latter 
reaches  down  from  its  higher  plane  and  by  its  own  vital 
action  incorporates  the  vegetable  compounds  with  itself.  In 
turn,  animal  matter  can  never  become,  even  transitorily,  part 
of  a  human  body,  except  as  the  living  man  assimilates  it, 
and  by  the  vital  processes  of  his  own  existence  lifts,  for  the 
time  being,  the  substance  of  the  animal  that  supplied  him 


28  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3. 

food  to  the  higher  plane  of  his  own  existence.  The  com- 
parison herein  employed  is  admittedly  defective  if  carried 
beyond  reasonable  limits  of  application;  for  the  raising  of 
mineral  matter  to  the  plane  of  the  plant,  vegetable  tissue  to 
the  level  of  the  animal,  and  the  elevation  of  either  to  the 
human  plane,  is  but  a  temporary  change;  with  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  higher  tissues  the  material  thereof  falls  again  to 
the  level  of  the  inanimate  and  the  dead.  But, "as  a  means  of 
illustration  the  analogy  may  not  be  wholly  without  value. 

So,  for  the  advancement  of  man  from  his  present  fallen 
and  relatively  degenerate  state  to  the  higher  condition  of 
spiritual  life,  a  power  above  his  own  must  cooperate. 
Through  the  operation  of  the  laws  obtaining  in  the  higher 
kingdom  man  may  be  reached  and  lifted ;  himself  he  cannot 
save  by  his  own  unaided  effort.^  A  Redeemer  and  Savior 
of  mankind  is  beyond  all  question  essential  to  the  realization 
of  the  plan  of  the  Eternal  Father,  "to  bring  to  pass  the 
immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man"  ;l  and  that  Redeemer 
and'  Savior  is  Jesus  the  Christ,  beside  whom  there  is  and 
can  be  none  other. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  3. 

i.  God's  Foreknowledge  Not  a  Determining  Cause. — "Re- 
specting the  foreknowledge  of  God,  let  it  not  be  said  that  divine 
omniscience  is  of  itself  a  determining  cause  whereby  events  are 
inevitably  brought  to  pass.  A  mortal  father,  who  knows  the  weak- 
nesses and  frailties  of  his  son,  may  by  reason  of  that  knowledge 
sorrowfully  predict  the  calamities  and  sufferings  awaiting  his 
wayward  boy.  He  may  foresee  in  that  son's  future  a  forfeiture 
of  blessings  that  could  have  been  won,  loss  of  position,  self- 
respect,  reputation  and  honor ;  even  the  dark  shadows  of  a  felon's 
cell  and  the  night  of  a  drunkard's  grave  may  appear  in  the  sad- 
dening visions  of  that  fond  father's  soul ;  yet,  convinced  by  ex- 
perience of  the  impossibility  of  bringing  about  that  son's  reform, 
he  foresees  the  dread  developments  of  the  future,  and  he  finds 
but  sorrow  and  anguish  in  his  knowledge.  Can  it  be  said  that 
the  father's  foreknowledge  is  a  cause  of  the  son's  sinful  life? 


k  A  comparison  related  to  that  given  in  the  text  is  treated  at  length 
by  Henry  Drummond  in  his  essay,  "Biogenesis,"  which  the  reader  may 
study  with  profit. 

IP.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  1:39. 


NOTES.  29 

The  son,  perchance,  has  reached  his  maturity;  he  is  the  master  of 
his  own  destiny;  a  free  agent  unto  himself.  The  father  is  power- 
less to  control  by  force  or  to  direct  by  arbitrary  command ;  and, 
while  he  would  gladly  make  any  effort  or  sacrifice  to  save  his  son 
from  the  fate  impending,  he  fears  for  what  seems  to  be  an  awful 
certainty.  But  surely  that  thoughtful,  prayerful,  loving  parent 
does  not,  because  of  his  knowledge,  contribute  to  the  soil's^  way- 
wardness. To  reason  otherwise  would  be  to  say  that  a  neglect- 
ful father,  who  takes  not  the  trouble  to  study  the  nature  and 
character  of  his  son,  who  shuts  his  eyes  to  sinful  tendencies,  and 
rests  in  careless  indifference  as  to  the  probable  future,  will  by  his 
very  heartlessness  be  benefitting  his  child,  because  his  lack 
of  forethought  cannot  operate  as  a  contributory  cause  to  dere- 
liction. 

"Our  Heavenly  Father  has  a  full  knowledge  of  the  nature 
and  disposition  of  each  of  His  children,  a  knowledge  gained  by 
long  observation  and  experience  in  the  past  eternity  of  our  pri- 
meval childhood;  a  knowledge  compared  with  which  that  gained 
by  earthly  parents  through  mortal  experience  with  their  children 
is  infinitesimally  small.  By  reason  of  that  surpassing  knowledge, 
God  reads  the  future  of  child  and  children,  of  men  individually 
and  of  men  collectively  as  communities  and  nations;  He  knows 
what  each  will  do  under  given  conditions,  and  sees  the  end  from 
the  beginning.  His  foreknowledge  is  based  on  intelligence  and 
reason.  He  foresees  the  future  as  a  state  which  naturally 
and  surely  will  be;  not  as  one  which  must  be  because  He 
has  arbitrarily  willed  that  it  shall  be." — From  the  author's  Great 
Apostasy,  pp.  19,  20. 

2.  Man  Free  to  Choose  for  Himself.— "The  Father  of  souls 
has    endowed    His    children    with    the    divine    birthright    of    free 
agency;    He    does    not    and    will    not    control    them   by    arbitrary 
force;  He  impels  no  man  toward  sin;  He  compels  none  to  right- 
eousness.    Unto  man  has  been  given  freedom  to  act  for  himself; 
and,   associated   with   this   independence,   is   the    fact  of   strict  re- 
sponsibility   and    the    assurance    of    individual    accountability.      In 
the  judgment  with  which   we  shall  be  judged,  all  the  conditions 
and  circumstances  of  our  lives   shall  be  considered.     The  inborn 
tendencies    due    to    heredity,    the    effect    of    environment    whether 
conducive    to    good    or    evil,    the    wholesome    teachings    of   youth, 
or    the    absence    of    good    instruction — these    and    all    other    con- 
tributory elements   must  be   taken   into   account '  in   the   rendering 
of  a  just  verdict  as  to  the  soul's  guilt  or  innocence.     Neverthe- 
less, the  divine  wisdom  makes  plain  what  will  .be  the  result  with 
given    conditions    operating    on    known    natures    and    dispositions 
of   men,   while   every   individual   is    free   to   choose   good   or   evil 
within  the  limits  of  the  many  conditions  existing  and  operative." 
— Great  Apostasy,  p.  21 ;  see  also  Articles  of  Faith,  Hi  :i,  2. 

3.  The  Fall  a  Process  of  Physical  Degeneracy. — A  modern 
revelation  given  to  the  Church  in   1833    (Doc.  and  Cov.   Sec.  89), 
prescribes  rules   for  right  living,  particularly  as   regards  the  uses 
of   stimulants,   narcotics,   and   foods   unsuited   to   the  body.     Con- 
cerning the  physical  causes  by  which  the  fall  was  brought  about, 


30  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.   3. 

and  the  close  relation  between  those  causes  and  current  viola- 
tions of  the  Word  of  Wisdom  embodied  in  the  revelation  referred 
to  above,  the  following  is  in  point.  "This,  [the  Word  of  Wis- 
dom] like  other  revelations  that  have  come  in  the  present  dis- 
pensation, is  not  wholly  new.  It  is  as  old  as  the  human  race. 
The  principle  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom  was  revealed  unto  Adam. 
All  the  essentials  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom  were  made  known 
unto  him  in  his  immortal  state,  before  he  had  taken  into  his  body 
those  things  that  made  of  it  a  thing  of  earth.  He  was  warned 
against  that  very  practise.  He  was  not  told  to  treat  his  body 
as  something  to  be  tortured.  He  was  not  told  to  look  upon  it  as 
the  fakir  of  India  has  come  to  look  upon  his  body,  or  professes 
to  look  upon  it,  as  a  thing  to  be  utterly  contemned ;  but  he  was 
told  that  he  must  not  take  into  that  body  certain  things  which 
were  there  at  hand.  He  was  warned  that,  if  he  did,  his  body 
would  lose  the  power  which  it  then  held  of  living  for  ever,  and 
that  he  would  become  subject  to  death.  It  was  pointed  out  to 
him,  as  it  has  been  pointed  out  to  you,  that  there  are  many  good 
fruits  to  be  plucked,  to  be  eaten,  to  be  enjoyed.  We  believe  in 
enjoying  good  food.  We  think  that  these  good  things  are  given 
us  of  God.  We  believe  in  getting  all  the  enjoyment  out  of  eat- 
ing that  we  can ;  and,  therefore,  we  should  avoid  gluttony,  and 
we  should  avoid  extremes  in  all  our  habits  of  eating;  and  as  was 
told  unto  Adam,  so  is  it  told  unto  us :  Touch  not  these  things ; 
for  in  the  day  that  thou  doest  it  thy  life  shall  be  shortened  and 
thou  shalt  die. 

"Here  let  me  say  that  therein  consisted  the  fall — the  eating 
of  things  unfit,  the  taking  into  the  body  of  the  things  that  made 
of  that  body  a  thing  of  earth :  and  I  take  this  occasion  to  raise 
my  voice  against  the  false  interpretation  of  scripture,  which  has 
been  adopted  by  certain  people,  and  is  current  in  their  minds, 
and  is  referred  to  in  a  hushed  and  half-secret  way,  that  the  fall 
of  man  consisted  in  some  offense  against  the  laws  of  chastity 
and  of  virtue.  Such  a  doctrine  is  an  abomination.  What  right 
have  we  to  turn  the  scriptures  from  their  proper  sense  and  mean- 
ing? What  right  have  we  to  declare  that  God  meant  not  what 
He  said?  The  fall  was  a  natural  process,  resulting  through  the 
incorporation  into  the  bodies  of  our  first  parents  of  the  things 
that  came  from  food  unfit,  through  the  violation  of  the  command 
of  God  regarding  what  they  should  eat.  Don't  go  around  whis- 
pering that  the  fall  consisted  in  the  mother  of  the  race  losing 
her  chastity  and  her  virtue.  It  is  not  true;  the  human  race  is 
not  born  of  fornication.  These  bodies  that  are  given  unto  us  are 
given  in  the  way  that  God  has  provided.  Let  it  not  be  said  that 
the  patriarch  of  the  race,  who  stood  with  the  gods  before  he 
came  here  upon  the  earth,  and  his  equally  royal  consort,  were 
guilty  of  any  such  foul  offense.  The  adoption  of  that  belief  has 
led  many  to  excuse  departures  from  the  path  of  chastity  and 
the  path  of  virtue,  by  saying  that  it  is  the  sin  of  the  race,  that 
it  is  as  old  as  Adam.  It  was  not  introduced  by  Adam.  It  was 
not  committed  by  Eve.  It  was  the  introduction  of  the  devil  and 
came  in  order  that  he  might  sow  the  seeds  of  early  death  in  the 
bodies  of  men  and  women,  that  the  race  should  degenerate  as  it 


NOTES.  31 

has  degenerated  whenever  the  laws  of  virtue  and  of  chastity  have 
been  transgressed. 

"Our  first  parents  were  pure  and  noble,  and  when  we  pass 
behind  the  veil  we  shall  perhaps  learn  something  of  their  high 
estate,  more  than  we  know  now.  But  be  it  known  that  they 
were  pure;  they  were  noble.  It  is  true  that  they  disobeyed  the 
law  of  God,  in  eating  things  they  were  told  not  to  eat ;  but  who 
amongst  you  can  rise  up  and  condemn?" — From  an  address  by 
the  author  at  the  Eighty-fourth  Semiannual  Conference  of  the 
Church,  Oct.  6,  1913 ;  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Con- 
ference, pp.  118,  119. 

4.  Christ  Wrought  Redemption  from  the  Fall. — 'The  Savior 
thus   becomes   master   of   the   situation — the   debt  is   paid,   the   re- 
demption  made,   the   covenant    fulfilled,   justice    satisfied,   the    will 
of  God  done,  and  all  power  is  now  given  into  the  hands  of  the 
Son   of    God — the   power   of   the    resurrection,   the   power   of    the 
redemption,     the     power     of     salvation,     the     power     to     enact 
laws      for     the      carrying     out      and      accomplishment     of      this 
design.       Hence    life    and    immortality   are    brought   to    light,   the 
gospel    is    introduced,    and    He    becomes    the    author    of    eternal 
life    and    exaltation.     He   is    the    Redeemer,    the    Resurrector,    the 
vSavior   of   man   and  the   world;    and   He   has    appointed   the    law 
of  the  gospel  as  the  medium  which  must  be  complied  with  in  this 
world  or  the  next,  as  He  complied  with  His  Father's  law;  hence 
'he  that  believeth  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall 
be    damned.'      The    plan,    the    arrangement,    the    agreement,    the 
covenant  was  made,  entered  into  and  accepted  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world;  it  was  prefigured  by  sacrifices,  and  was  car- 
ried  out   and  consummated   on   the   cross.     Hence   being   the   me- 
diator between   God  and  man,  He  becomes   by  right  the   dictator 
and  director  on  earth  and  in  heaven   for  the  living  and   for  the 
dead,  for  the  past,  the  present  and  the  future,  pertaining  to  man 
as  associated  with  this  earth  or  the  heavens,  in  time  or  eternity, 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  the  Apostle  and  High-Priest  of  our 
profession,  the  Lord  and  Giver  of  life." — John  Taylor,  Mediation 
and  Atonement,  p.   171. 

5.  Redemption  from  the  Effect  of  the  Fall. — "  'Mormonism' 
accepts  the  doctrine  of  the  fall,  and  the  account  of  the  transgres- 
sion in  Eden,  as  set  forth  in  Genesis ;  but  it  affirms  that  none  but 
Adam   is   or   shall  be   answerable   for   Adam's    disobedience ;    that 
mankind    in   general    are    absolutely    absolved    from    responsibility 
for  that  'original   sin/  and  that  each   shall   account   for  his  own 
transgressions   alone;   that  the   fall   was    foreknown   of   God,   that 
it  was  turned  to  good  effect  by  which  the  necessary  condition  of 
mortality  should  be  inaugurated;  and  that  a  Redeemer  was  pro- 
vided before  the  world  was ;  that  general  salvation,  in  the  sense 
of  redemption  from  the  effects  of  the  fall,  comes  to  all  without 
their  seeking  it;  but  that  individual  salvation  or  rescue  from  the 
effects  of  personal  sins  is  to  be  acquired  by  each  for  himself  by 
faith  and  good  works  through  the  redemption  wrought  by  Jesus 
Christ." — From  the  author's  Story  and  Philosophy  of  'Mormonism/ 

4>.  III. 


JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  4. 


CHAPTER  4. 
THE  ANTEMORTAL  GODSHIP  OF  CHRIST. 

It  now  becomes  our  purpose  to  inquire  as  to  the  position 
and  status  of  Jesus  the  Christ  in  the  antemortal  world,  from 
the  period  of  the  solemn  council  in  heaven,  in  which  He 
was  chosen  to  be  the  future  Savior  and  Redeemer  of  man- 
kind, to  the  time  at  which  He  was  born  in  the  flesh. 

We  claim  scriptural  authority  for  the  assertion  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  and  is  God  the  Creator,  the  God  who  revealed 
Himself  to  Adam,  Enoch,  and  all  the  antediluvial  patriarchs 
and  prophets  down  to  Noah ;  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob ;  the  God  of  Israel  as  a  united  people,  and  the  God  of 
Ephraim  and  Judah  after  the  disruption  of  the  Hebrew 
nation ;  the  God  who  made  Himself  known  to  the  prophets 
from  Moses  to  Malachi;  the  God  of  the  Old  Testament 
record ;  and  the  God  of  the  Nephites.  We  affirm  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  and  is  Jehovah,  the  Eternal  One. 

The  scriptures  specify  three  personages  in  the  Godhead; 
(i)  God  the  Eternal  Father,  (2)  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and 
(3)  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  constitute  the  Holy  Trinity, 
comprizing  three  physically  separate  and  distinct  individuals, 
who  together  constitute  the  presiding  council  of  the  heavens.0 
At  least  two  of  these  appear  as  directing  participants  in  the 
work  of  creation ;  this  fact  is  instanced  by  the  plurality  ex- 
pressed in  Genesis :  "And  God  said,  L,et  us  make  man  in  our 
image,  after  our  likeness";  and  later,  in  the  course  of  con- 
sultation concerning  Adam's  act  of  transgression,  "the  Lord 
God  said,  Behold,  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us."&  From 
the  words  of  Moses,  as  revealed  anew  in  the  present  dis- 

a  See  "God  and  the  Godhead/'  in  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  lec- 
ture ii. 

6  Gen.   1:26;   and  3:22. 


JESUS   CHRIST — THE   CREATOR.  33 

pensation,  we  learn  more  fully  of  the  Gods  who  were  actively 
engaged  in  the  creation  of  this  earth:  "And  I,  God,  said 
unto  mine  Only  Begotten,  which  was  with  me  from  the  be- 
ginning :  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness." 
Then,  further,  with  regard  to  the  condition  of  Adam  after 
the  fall:  "I,  the  Lord  God,  said  unto  mine  Only  Begotten: 
Behold,  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us."c  In  the  account  of 
the  creation  recorded  by  Abraham,  "the  Gods"  are  repeat- 
edly mentioned.** 

As  heretofore  shown  in  another  connection,  the  Father 
operated  in  the  work  of  creation  through  the  Son,  who 
thus  became  the  executive  through  whom  the  will,  command- 
ment, or  word  of  the  Father  was  put  into  effect.  It  is  with 
incisive  appropriateness  therefore,  that  the  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
is  designated  by  the  apostle  John  as  the  Word ;  or  as  de- 
clared by  the  Father  "the  word  of  my  power"/  The  part 
taken  by  Jesus  Christ  in  this  creation,  a  part  so  prominent  as 
to  justify  our  calling  Him  the  Creator,  is  set  forth  in  many 
scriptures.  The  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  refers  in 
this  wise  distinctively  to  the  Father  and  the  Son  as  separate 
though  associated  Beings :  "God,  who  at  sundry  times  and 
in  divers  manners  spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the 
prophets,  hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son, 
whom  he  hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also 
he  made  the  worlds. "/  Paul  is  even  more  explicit  in 
his  letter  to  the  Colossians,  wherein,  speaking  of  Jesus  the 
Son,  he  says :  "For  by  him  were  all  things  created,  that  are 
in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers: 
all  things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him :  and  he  is  be- 
fore all  things,  and  by  him  all  things  consist."*7  And  here 
let  be  repeated  the  testimony  of  John,  that  by  the  Word, 

cP.   of  G.   P.,   Moses  2:26;   and  4:28. 

d  P.    of   G.    P.,   Abraham,    chaps.    4   and   5. 

*See  page  10;  John  1:1;  and  P.   of  G.   P.,  Moses  1:32. 

/Heb.  1:1,  2;  see  also  1  Cor.  8:6. 

?Colos.   1:16,   17. 


34  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    4. 

who  was  with  God,  and  who  was  God  even  in  the  beginning, 
all  things  were  made;  "and  without  him  was  not  anything 
made  that  was  made."'* 

That  the  Christ  who  was  to  come  was  in  reality  God  the 
Creator  was  revealed  in  plainness  to  the  prophets  on  the 
western  hemisphere.  Samuel,  the  converted  Lamanite,  in 
preaching  to  the  unbelieving  Nephites  justified  his  testimony 
as  follows :  "And  also  that  ye  might  know  of  the  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Father  of  heaven  and  of 
earth,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  from  the  beginning ;  and 
that  ye  might  know  of  the  signs  of  his  coming,  to  the  intent 
that  ye  might  believe  on  his  name."1' 

To  these  citations  of  ancient  scripture  may  most  properly 
be  added  the  personal  testimony  of  the  Lord  Jesus  after  He 
had  become  a  resurrected  Being.  In  His  visitation  to  the 
Nephites  He  thus  proclaimed  Himself :  "Behold,  I  am  Jesus 
Christ  the  Son  of  God.  I  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
and  all  things  that  in  them  are.  I  was  with  the  Father  from 
the  beginning.  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me ; 
and  in  me  hath  the  Father  glorified  his  name."''  To  the 
Nephites,  who  failed  to  comprehend  the  relation  between  the 
gospel  declared  unto  them  by  the  Resurrected  Lord,  and  the 
Mosaic  law  which  they  held  traditionally  to  be  in  force,  and 
who  marveled  at  His  saying  that  old  things  had  passed  away, 
He  explained  in  this  wise :  "Behold  I  say  unto  you,  that  the 
law  is  fulfilled  that  was  given  unto  Moses.  Behold,  I  am  he 
that  gave  the  law,  and  I  am  he  who  covenanted  with  my 
people  Israel :  therefore,  the  law  in  me  is  fulfilled,  for  I  have 
come  to  fulfil  the  law ;  therefore  it  hath  an  end."* 

Through  revelation  in  the  present  or  last  dispensation 
the  voice  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth, 
has  been  heard  anew :  "Hearken,  O  ye  people  of  my  church 


/tjohn    1:1-3. 

t'B.    of   M.,    Helaman   14:12;    see   also   Mosiah  3:8;    4:2;   Alma    11:39. 


/B.   of  M.,   3   Nephi   9:15. 
ftB.   of  M.,   3   Nephi   15:4,   5. 


DIVINE    TITLES    OF  JESUS    CHRIST.  35 

to  whom  the  kingdom  has  been  given — hearken  ye  and  give 
ear  to  him  who  laid  the  foundation-  of  the  earth,  who  made 
the  heavens  and  all  the  hosts  thereof,  and  by  whom  all  things 
were  made  which  live,  and  move,  and  have  a  being."'  And 
again,  "Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
who  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth ;  a  light  which  cannot 
be  hid  in  darkness.""* 

The  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  is  indicated  by  the  specific 
names  and  titles  authoritatively  applied  to  Him.  According 
to  man's  judgment  there  may  be  but  little  importance  at- 
tached to  names ;  but  in  the  nomenclature  of  the  Gods  every 
name  is  a  title  of  power  or  station.  God  is  righteously 
zealous  of  the  sanctity  of  His  own  name"  and  of  names  given 
by  His  appointment.  In  the  case  of  children  of  promise 
names  have  been  prescribed  before  birth ;  this  is  true  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  and  of  the  Baptist,  John,  who  was  sent  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  the  Christ.  Names  of  persons  have  been 
changed  by  divine  direction,  when  not  sufficiently  definite  as 
titles  denoting  the  particular  service  to  which  the  bearers 
were  called,  or  the  special  blessings  conferred  upon  them.0 

Jesus  is  the  individual  name  of  the  Savior,  and  as  thus 
spelled  is  of  Greek  derivation ;  its  Hebrew  equivalent  was 
Yehoshua  or  Yeshua,  or,  as  we  render  it  in  English,  Joshua. 
In  the  original  the  name  was  well  understood  as  meaning 
"Help  of  Jehovah",  or  "Savior".  Though  as  common  an 
appellation  as  John  or  Henry  or  Charles  today,  the  name  was 
nevertheless  divinely  prescribed,  as  already  stated.  Thus, 
unto  Joseph,  the  espoused  husband  of  the  Virgin,  the  angel 
said,  "And  thou  shalt  call  his  name  JESUS:  for  he  shall 
save  his  people  from  their  sins."*' 

Christ  is  a  sacred  title,  and  not  an  ordinary  appellation 
or  common  name ;  it  is  of  Greek  derivation,  and  in  meaning 

/Doc.    and    Cov.    45:1. 

mDoc.    and    Cov.    14:9;    see    also    29:1.    31;    76:24. 

n  Exo.   20:7;   Lev.    19:12;   Deut.   5:11. 

o  Note   1,    end    of   chapter. 

/>Matt.    1:21;    see    also    verses    23,    25;    Luke    1:31. 


36  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   4. 

is  identical  with  its  Hebrew  equivalent  Messiah  or  Messias, 
signifying  the  Anointed  One.v  Other  titles,  each  possessing 
a  definite  meaning,  such  as  Emmanuel,  Savior,  Redeemer, 
Only  Begotten  Son,  Lord,  Son  of  God,  Son  of  Man,  and 
many  more,  are  of  scriptural  occurrence ;  the  fact  of  main 
present  importance  to  us  is  that  these  several  titles  are  ex- 
pressive of  our  Lord's  divine  origin  and  Godship.  As  seen, 
the  essential  names  or  titles  of  Jesus  the  Christ  were  made 
known  before  His  birth,  and  were  revealed  to  prophets  who 
preceded  Him  in  the  mortal  state/ 

Jehovah  is  the  Anglicized  rendering  of  the  Hebrew, 
Yahveh  or  Jahveh,  signifying  the  Self-existent  One,  or  The 
Eternal.  This  name  is  generally  rendered  in  our  English 
version  of  the  Old  Testament  as  LORD,  printed  in  cap- 
itals.* The  Hebrew,  Ehyeh,  signifying  /  Am,  is  related  in 
meaning  and  through  derivation  with  the  term  Yahveh  or 
Jehovah;  and  herein  lies  the  significance  of  this  name  by 
which  the  Lord  revealed  Himself  to  Moses  when  the  latter 
received  the  commission  to  go  into  Egypt  and  deliver  the 
children  of  Israel  from  bondage :  "Moses  said  unto  God, 
Behold,  when  I  come  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  shall 
say  unto  them,  The  God  of  your  fathers  hath  sent  me  unto 
you ;  and  they  shall  say  to  me,  What  is  his  name  ?  what  shall 
I  say  unto  them?  And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  AM  THAT 
I  AM  :  and  he  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  children  of 
Israel,  I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you."'  In  the  succeeding 
verse  the  Lord  declares  Himself  to  be  "the  God  of  Abraham, 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob."  While  Moses  was  in 
Egypt,  the  Lord  further  revealed  Himself,  saying  "I  am  the 
LORD:  and  I  appeared  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto 


gjohn  1:41;  4:25. 

rLuke  1:31;  2:21;  Matt.  1:21,  25;  see  also  verse  23  and  compare  Isa. 
7:14;  Luke  2:11.  See  further  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  6:51,  57;  7:20;  8:24.  B.  of  M., 
1  Nephi  10:4;  2  Nephi  10:3;  Mosiah  3:8. 

s  The  name  appears  thus  in  Gen.  2:5;  see  also  Exo.  6:2-4;  and  read  for 
comparison  Gen.  17:1;  35:11. 

t  Exo.  3:13,  14;  compare  with  respect  to  the  fact  of  eternal  duration  ex- 
pressed in  this  name,  Isa.  44:6;  John  8:58;  Colos.  1:17;  Heb.  13:8;  Rev.  1:4; 
see  also  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  1:3  and  the  references  there  given. 


JESUS   CHRIST   IS   JEHOVAH.  37 

Jacob,  by  the  name  of  God  Almighty,  but  by  my  name 
JEHOVAH  was  I  not  known  to  them.""  The  central  fact 
connoted  by  this  name,  /  Am,  or  Jehovah,  the  two  having 
essentially  the  same  meaning,  is  that  of  existence  or  duration 
that  shall  have  no  end,  and  which,  judged  by  all  human 
standards  of  reckoning,  could  have  had  no  beginning ;  the 
name  is  related  to  such  other  titles  as  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
first  and  the  last.* 

Jesus,  when  once  assailed  with  question  and  criticism 
from  certain  Jews  who  regarded  their  Abrahamic  lineage  as 
an  assurance  of  divine  preferment,  met  their  abusive  words 
with  the  declaration :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Before 
Abraham  was,  I  am".w  The  true  significance  of  this  saying 
would  be  more  plainly  expressed  were  the  sentence  punctu- 
ated and  pointed  as  follows :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
Before  Abraham,  was  I  AM  ;"  which  means  the  same  as  had 
He  said — Before  Abraham,  was  I,  Jehovah.  The  captious 
Jews  were  so  offended  at  hearing  Him  use  a  name  which, 
through  an  erroneous  rendering  of  an  earlier  scripture,* 
they  held  was  not  to  be  uttered  on  pain  of  death,  that  they 
immediately  took  up  stones  with  the  intent  of  killing  Him. 
The  Jews  regarded  Jehovah  as  an  ineffable  name,  not  to  be 
spoken ;  they  substituted  for  it  the  sacred,  though  to  them 
the  not-forbidden  name,  Adonal,  signifying  Lord.  The 
original  of  the  terms  Lord  and  God  as  they  appear  in  the 
Old  Testament,  was  either  Yahveh  or  Adonal;  and  the  divine 
Being  designated  by  these  sacred  names  was,  as  shown  by 
the  scriptures  cited,  Jesus  the  Christ.  John,  evangelist  and 
apostle,  positively  identifies  Jesus  Christ  with  Adonai,  or  the 
Lord  who  spoke  through  the  voice  of  Isaiah,^  and  with 
Jehovah  who  spoke  through  Zechariah/ 


«  Exo.   6:2,  3.     Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

vRev.   1:11,    17;   2:8;   22:13;   compare   Isa.   41:4;   44:6;   48:12. 

a/John    8:58. 

x  Lev.    24:16.     Note    3,    end    of    chapter. 

ylsa.    6:8-11;    and    compare    John    12:40,    41. 

jgZech.  12:10;  compare  John  19:37. 


38  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   4. 

The  name  Elohim  is  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  He- 
brew texts  of  the  Old  Testament,  though  it  is  not  found  in 
our  English  versions.  In  form  the  word  is  a  Hebrew  plural 
noun ;°  but  it  connotes  the  plurality  of  excellence  or  in- 
tensity, rather  than  distinctively  of  number.  It  is  expressive 
of  supreme  or  absolute  exaltation  and  power.  Elohim,  as 
understood  and  used  in  the  restored  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
s  the  name-title  of  God  the  Eternal  Father,  whose  firstborn 
Son  in  the  spirit  is  Jehovah — the  Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh, 
Jesus  Christ. 

Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  in  solemn  testimony  to  the  Jews 
declared  Himself  the  /  Am  or  Jehovah,  who  was  God  before 
Abraham  lived  on  earth,  was  the  same  Being  who  is  repeat- 
edly proclaimed  as  the  God  who  made  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob;  the  God  who  led  Israel  from  the 
bondage  of  Egypt  to  the  freedom  of  the  promised  land,  the 
one  and  only  God  known  by  direct  and  personal  revelation  to 
the  Hebrew  prophets  in  general. 

The  identity  of  Jesus  Christ  with  the  Jehovah  of  the 
Israelites  was  well  understood  by  the  Nephite  prophets,  and 
the  truth  of  their  teachings  was  confirmed  by  the  risen  Lord 
who  manifested  Himself  unto  them  shortly  after  His  ascen- 
sion from  the  midst  of  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem.  This  is 
the  record :  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Lord  spake  unto 
them  saying,  Arise  and  come  forth  unto  me,  that  ye  may 
thrust  your  hands  into  my  side,  and  also  that  ye  may  feel  the 
prints  of  the  nails  in  my  hands  and  in  my  feet,  that  ye  may 
know  that  I  am  the  God  of  Israel,  and  the  God  of  the  whole 
earth,  and  have  been  slain  for  the  sins  of  the  world."6 

It  would  appear  unnecessary  to  cite  at  greater  length  in 
substantiating  our  affirmation  that  Jesus  Christ  was  God 
even  before  He  assumed  a  body  of  flesh.  During  that  ante- 


oThe   singular,    "Eloah,"   appears   only    in   poetic   usage. 

&B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  11:13,  14;  also  1  Nephi  17:40  and  observe  from 
verse  30  that  the  Redeemer  is  here  spoken  of  as  the  God  who  delivered 
Israel.  See  further  Mosiah  7:19. 


ANNOUNCEMENTS    OF   JESUS    CHRIST    BY    THE    FATHER.    39 

mortal  period  there  was  essential  difference  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  in  that  the  former  had  already  passed 
through  the  experiences  of  mortal  life,  including  death  and 
resurrection,  and  was  therefore  a  Being  possessed  of  a  per- 
fect, immortalized  body  of  flesh  and  bones,  while  the  Son 
was  yet  unembodied.  Through  His  death  and  subsequent 
resurrection  Jesus  the  Christ  is  today  a  Being  like  unto  the 
Father  in  all  essential  characteristics. 

A  general  consideration  of  scriptural  evidence  leads  to 
the  conclusion  that  God  the  Eternal  Father  has  manifested 
Himself  to  earthly  prophets  or  revelators  on  very  few  occa- 
sions, and  then  principally  to  attest  the  divine  authority  of 
His  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  As  before  shown,  the  Son  was  the 
active  executive  in  the  work  of  creation ;  throughout  the 
creative  scenes  the  Father  appears  mostly  in  a  directing  or 
consulting  capacity.  Unto  Adam,  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham 
and  Moses  the  Father  revealed  Himself,  attesting  the  God- 
ship  of  the  Christ,  and  the  fact  that  the  Son  was  the  chosen 
Savior  of  mankinds  On  the  occasion  of  the  baptism  of 
Jesus,  the  Father's  voice  was  heard,  saying,  "This  is  my 
beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased"  \d  and  at  the  trans- 
figuration a  similar  testimony  was  given  by  the  Father/  On 
an  occasion  yet  later,  while  Jesus  prayed  in  anguish  of  soul, 
submitting  Himself  that  the  Father's  purposes  be  fulfilled 
and  the  Father's  name  glorified,  "Then  came  there  a  voice 
from  heaven,  saying,  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify 
it  again."/  The  resurrected  and  glorified  Christ  was  an- 
nounced by  the  Father  to  the  Nephites  on  the  western 
hemisphere,  in  these  words :  "Behold  my  beloved  Son,  in 
whom  I  am  well  pleased,  in  whom  I  have  glorified  my  name  : 
hear  ye  him."^  From  the  time  of  the  occurrence  last  noted, 

cP.    of  G.   P.,   Moses   1:6,   31-33;   2:1;   4:2,    3;   6:57;    compare   7:35,    39,   47, 
53-59;    8:16,    19,   23,    24;    Abraham   3:22-28.      See    chapter    5    herein. 
JMatt.    3:17;    also    Mark    1:11;    Luke   3:22. 
<?Matt.   17:5;   Luke  9:35. 
/John  12:28. 
gE.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  11:7. 


40  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.  4. 

the  voice  of  the  Father  was  not  heard  again  among  men,  so 
far  as  the  scriptures  aver,  until  the  spring  of  1820,  when 
both  the  Father  and  the  Son  ministered  unto  the  prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  the  Father  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son, 
hear  him  \"h  These  are  the  instances  of  record  in  which  the 
Eternal  Father  has  been  manifest  in  personal  utterance  or 
other  revelation  to  man  apart  from  the  Son.  God  the 
Creator,  the  Jehovah  of  Israel,  the  Savior  and  Redeemer  of 
all  nations,  kindreds  and  tongues,  are  the  same,  and  He  is 
Jesus  the  Christ. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  4. 

i.  Names  Given  of  God. — The  significance  of  names  when 
given  of  God  finds  illustration  in  many  scriptural  instances.  The 
following  are  examples:  "Jesus"  meaning  Savior  (Matt.  1:21; 
Luke  1:31);  "John,"  signifying  Jehovah's  gift,  specifically  applied 
to  the  Baptist,  who  was  sent  to  earth  to  prepare  the  way  for 
Jehovah's  coming  in  the  flesh  (Luke  1:13);  "Ishmael,"  signifying 
God  shall  hear  him  (Gen.  16:11)  ;  "Isaac,"  meaning  laughter  (Gen. 
17:19,  compare  18:10-15).  As  instances  of  names  changed  by 
divine  authority  to  express  added  blessings,  or  special  callings, 
consider  the  following :  "Abram,"  which  connoted  nobility  or 
exaltation  and  as  usually  rendered,  father  of  elevation,  was  changed 
to  "Abraham,"  father  of  a  multitude  which  expressed  the  reason 
for  the  change  as  given  at  the  time  thereof,  "for  a  father  of  many 
nations  have  I  made  thee"  (Gen.  17:5).  "Sarai,"  the  name  of 
Abraham's  wife,  and  of  uncertain  distinctive  meaning,  was  sub- 
stituted by  "Sarah"  which  signified  the  princess  (Gen  17:15). 
"Jacob/'  a  name  given  to  the  son  of  Isaac  with  reference  to  a 
circumstance  attending  his  birth,  and  signifying  a  supplanter,  was 
superseded  by  "Israel'  meaning  a  soldier  of  Gad,  a  prince  of  God; 
as  expressed  in  the  words  effecting  the  change,  "Thy  name  shall 
be  called  no  more  Jacob,  but  Israel,  for  as  a  prince  hast  thou 
power  with  God  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed."  (Gen.  32:28; 
compare  35:9,  10.)  "Simon,"  meaning  a  hearer,  the  name  of  the 
man  who  became  the  chief  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  changed 
by  the  Lord  to  "Cephas"  (Aramaic)  or  "Peter"  (Greek)  meaning 
a  rock  (John  1:42;  Matt.  16:18;  Luke  6:14).  On  James  and  John 
the  sons  of  Zebedee.  the  Lord  conferred  the  name  or  title  "Boan- 
erges" meaning  sons  of  thunder  (Mark  3:17). 

The  following  is  an  instructive  excerpt :  "Name  in  the  scrip- 
tures not  only  =  that  by  which  a  person  is  designated,  but  fre- 
quently —  all  that  is  known  to  belong  tQ  the  person  having  this 
designation,  and  the  person  himself.  Thus  'the  name  of  God'  or 
'of  Jehovah/  etc.,  indicates  His  authority  (Deut.  18:20;  Matt. 

h  P.  of  G.  P..  Joseph  Smith  2:17. 


NOTES.  41 

21:9,  etc.),  His  dignity  and  glory  (Isa.  48:9,  etc.),  His  protection 
and  favor  (Prov.  18:10,  etc.),  His  character  (Exo.  34:5,  14,  com- 
pare 6,  7,  etc.),  His  divine  attributes  in  general  (Matt.  6:9,  etc.), 
etc.  The  Lord  is  said  to  set  or  put  His  name  where  the  revela- 
tion or  manifestation  of  His  perfections  is  made  (Deut.  12:5, 
14:24,  etc.).  To  believe  in  or  on  the  name  of  Christ  is  to  receive 
and  treat  Him  in  accordance  with  the  revelation  which  the  scrip- 
tures make  of  Him  (John  1:12;  2:23),  etc." — Smith's  Comprehen- 
sive Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article  "Name." 

2.  Jesus  Christ,  the  God  of  Israel. — "That  Jesus  Christ  was 
the    same    Being    who    called    Abraham    from    his    native    country, 
who   led   Israel  out  of   the   land   of    Egypt   with   mighty   miracles 
and  wonders,  who  made  known  to  them  His  law  amid  the  thun- 
derings   of    Sinai,    who   delivered   them    from   their   enemies,    who 
chastened  them  for  their  disobedience,  who  inspired  their  proph- 
ets, and  whose  glory  filled   Solomon's  temple,  is   evident   from  all 
the  inspired  writings,  and  in  none  more  so  than  in  the  Bible. 

"His  lamentation  over  Jerusalem  evidences  that,  in  His  hu- 
manity, He  had  not  forgotten  His  former  exalted  position:  "O 
Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest 
them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 

thy    children    together, and    ye    would    not!"    (Matt. 

23:37).  It  was  this  Creator  of  the  world,  this  mighty  Ruler,  this 
Controller  of  the  destinies  of  the  human  family,  who,  in  His  last 
moments,  cried  out  in  the  agon}''  of  His  soul,  'My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?'"  (Mark  15:34.) — From  Compendium 
of  the  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  by  Franklin  D.  Richards  and  James 
A.  Little. 

3.  "Jehovah"   a   Name    Not   Uttered   by   the   Jews. — Long 
prior  to  the  time  of  Christ,  certain  schools  among  the  Jews,  ever 
intent   on    the   observance    of    the   letter    of    the   law,    though   not 
without   disregard  of   its   spirit,   had   taught  that  the  mere   utter- 
ance of  the  name  of   God  was  blasphemous,  and  that  the  sin  of 
so   doing  constituted   a  capital   offense.     This   extreme   conception 
arose    from    the    accepted    though    uninspired    interpretation    of 
Lev.  24:16,  "And  he  that  blasphemeth  the  name  of  the  Lord,  he 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death,   and   all  the  congregation  shall  cer- 
tainly stone  him :  as  well  the  stranger,  as  he  that  is  born  in  the 
land,   when  he  blasphemeth   the   name   of   the   Lord,   shall  be  put 
to   death."     We   take  the   following   from    Smith's    Comprehensive 
Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article  "Jehovah" :     "The  true  pronuncia- 
tion of  this  name,    [Yehovah]    by  which   God  was   known   to  the 
Hebrews,  has  been  entirely  lost,  the  Jews  themselves  scrupulously 
avoiding  every  mention  of  it,  and  substituting  in  >  its  stead  one  or 
other  of  the  words  with  whose  proper  vowel-points  it  may  hap- 
pen to  be  written   [Adonai,  Lord,  or  Elohim,  God] 

According  to  Jewish  tradition  it  was  pronounced  but  once  a  year 
by  the  high  priest  on  the  day  of  atonement  when  he  entered  the 
Holy  of  Holies ;  but  on  this  point  there  is  some  doubt." 


42  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 


CHAPTER    5. 
EARTHLY  ADVENT  OF  THE  CHRIST  PREDICTED. 

The  coming  of  Christ  to  earth  to  tabernacle  in  the  flesh 
was  no  unexpected  or  unheralded  event.  For  centuries 
prior  to  the  great  occurrence  the  Jews  had  professed  to  be 
looking  for  the  advent  of  their  King ;  and,  in  the  appointed 
ceremonials  of  worship  as  in  private  devotions,  the  coming 
ot  the  promised  Messiah  was  prominent  as  a  matter  of  the 
supplication  of  Israel  to  Jehovah.  True,  there  was  much 
diversity  in  lay  opinion  and  in  rabbinical  exposition  as  to  the 
time  and  manner  of  His  appearing ;  but  the  certainty  thereof 
was  fundamentally  established  in  the  beliefs  and  hopes  of  the 
Hebrew  nation. 

The  records  known  to  us  as  the  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment together  with  other  inspired  writings  once  regarded 
as  authentic  but  excluded  from  later  compilations  as  not 
strictly  canonical,  were  current  among  the  Hebrews  at  and 
long  before  the  time  of  Christ's  birth.  These  scriptures  had 
their  beginning  in  the  proclamation  of  the  law  through 
Moses,a  who  wrote  the  same,  and  delivered  the  writing  into 
the  official  custody  of  the  priests  with  an  express  command 
that  it  be  read  in  the  assemblies  of  the  people  at  stated  times. 
To  these  earlier  writings  were  added  the  utterances  of  di- 
vinely commissioned  prophets,  the  records  of  appointed  his- 
torians, and  the  songs  of  inspired  poets,  as  the  centuries 
passed ;  so  that  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's  ministry  the  Jews 
possessed  a  great  accumulation  of  writings  accepted  and 
revered  by  them  as  authoritative. b  These  records  are  rich 

oDeut.    31:9,    24-26;    compare    17:18-20. 
&  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xiii:7-10. 


CHRIST'S  ADVENT  REVEALED  TO  ADAM.  43 

in  prediction  and  promise  respecting  the  earthly  advent  of 
the  Messiah,  as  are  other  scriptures  to  which  the  Israel  of 
old  had  not  access. 

Adam,  the  patriarch  of  the  race,  rejoiced  in  the  assur- 
ance of  the  Savior's  appointed  ministry,  through  the  accept- 
ance of  which,  he,  the  transgressor,  might  gain  redemption. 
Brief  mention  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  the  author  of  which 
is  Jesus  Christ,  appears  in  the  promise  given  of  God  follow- 
ing the  fall — that  though  the  devil,  represented  by  the  ser- 
pent in  Eden,  should  have  power  to  bruise  the  heel  of 
Adam's  posterity,  through  the  seed  of  the  woman  should 
come  the  power  to  bruise  the  adversary's  head.c  It  is  sig- 
nificant that  this  assurance  of  eventual  victory  over  sin  and 
its  inevitable  effect,  death,  both  of  which  were  introduced  to 
earth  through  Satan  the  arch-enemy  of  mankind,  was  to  be 
realized  through  the  offspring  of  woman ;  the  promise  was 
not  made  specifically  to  the  man,  nor  to  the  pair.  The  only 
instance  of  offspring  from  woman  dissociated  from  mortal 
fatherhood  is  the  birth  of  Jesus  the  Christ,  who  was  the 
earthly  Son  of  a  mortal  mother,  begotten  by  an  immortal 
Father.  He  is  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Eternal  Father  in 
the  flesh,  and  was  born  of  woman. 

Through  scriptures  other  than  those  embodied  in  the 
Old  Testament  we  learn  with  greater  fulness  of  the  revela- 
tions of  God  to  Adam  respecting  the  coming  of  the  Re- 
deemer. As  a  natural  and  inevitable  result  of  his  diso- 
bedience, Adam  had  forfeited  the  high  privilege  he  once 
enjoyed — that  of  holding  direct  and  personal  association 
with  his  God ;  nevertheless  in  his  fallen  state  he  was  visited 
by  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  who  revealed  unto  him  the  plan 
of  redemption :  "And  after  many  days  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  Adam,  saying:  Why  dost  thou  offer 
sacrifices  unto  the  Lord  ?  And  Adam  said  unto  him :  I 
know  not,  save  the  Lord  commanded  me.  And  then  the 

cGen.    3:15;    compare    Heb.   2:14;    Rev.    12:9;    20:3. 


44  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

angel  spake,  saying:  This  thing  is  a  similitude  of  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  which  is  full  of 
grace  and  truth.  Wherefore,  thou  shalt  do  all  that  thou 
doest  in  the  name  of  the  Son,  and  thou  shalt  repent  and  call 
upon  God  in  the  name  of  the  Son  for  evermore.  And  in 
that  day  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  Adam,  which  beareth 
record  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  saying:  I  am  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Father  from  the  beginning,  henceforth  and 
for  ever,  that  as  thou  hast  fallen  thou  mayest  be  redeemed, 
and  all  mankind,  even  as  many  as  will."d 

The  Lord's  revelation  to  Adam  making  known  the  or- 
dained plan  whereby  the  Son  of  God  was  to  take  upon 
Himself  flesh  in  the  meridian  of  time,  and  become  the  Re- 
deemer of  the  world,  was  attested  by  Enoch,  son  of  Jared 
and  father  of  Methuselah.  From  the  words  of  Enoch  we 
learn  that  to  him  as  to  his  great  progenitor,  Adam,  the  very 
name  by  which  the  Savior  would  be  known  among  men  was 
revealed — "which  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  name  which  shall 
be  given  under  heaven,  whereby  salvation  shall  come  unto 
the  children  of  men."*  The  recorded  covenant  of  God  with 
Abraham,  and  the  reiteration  and  confirmation  thereof  with 
Isaac  and  in  turn  with  Jacob — that  through  their  posterity 
should  all  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed — presaged  the 
birth  of  the  Redeemer  through  that  chosen  lineage/  Its 
fulfilment  is  the  blessed  heritage  of  the  ages. 

In  pronouncing  his  patriarchal  blessing  upon  the  head 
of  Judah,  Jacob  prophesied!  "The  sceptre  shall  not  depart 
from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until 
Shiloh  come;  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  peo- 
ple be."*7  That  by  Shiloh  is  meant  the  Christ  is  evidenced 
by  the  fulfilment  of  the  conditions  set  forth  in  the  predic- 


dP.    of   G.    P.,    Moses    5:6-9.     Note    1,    ena    of    chapter. 
e,  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  6:52;  study  paragraphs  50-56;  see  also  Gen.  5-18,  21- 
24;  Jude  14. 

/Gen.   12:3;   18:18;  22:18;  26:4;  28:14;   compare  Acts  3:25;   Gal.   3:8. 
<7Gen.   49:10. 


CHRIST'S  ADVENT  PREFIGURED  BY  SACRIFICE.          45 

tion,  in  the  state  of  the  Jewish  nation  at  the  time  of  our 
Lord's  birth.*1 

Moses  proclaimed  the  coming  of  a  great  Prophet  in 
Israel,  whose  ministry  was  to  be  of  such  importance  that  all 
men  who  would  not  accept  Him  would  be  under  condemna- 
tion ;  and  that  this  prediction  had  sole  reference  to  Jesus 
Christ  is  conclusively  shown  by  later  scriptures.  Thus  spake 
the  L,ord  unto  Moses:  "I  will  raise  them  up  a  Prophet 
from  among  their  brethren,  like  unto  thee,  and  will  put  my 
words  in  his  mouth;  and  he  shall  speak  unto  them  all  that 
I  shall  command  him.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  who- 
soever will  not  hearken  unto  my  words  which  he  shall  speak 
in  my  name,  I  will  require  it  of  him."1'  The  system  of  sac- 
rifice expressly  enjoined  in  the  Mosaic  code  was  essentially 
a  prototype  of  the  sacrificial  death  to  be  accomplished  by  the 
Savior  on  Calvary.  The  blood  of  countless  altar  victims, 
slain  by  Israel's  priests  in  the  course  of  prescribed  ritual, 
ran  throughout  the  centuries  from  Moses  to  Christ  as  a 
prophetic  flood  in  similitude  of  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God 
appointed  to  be  shed  as  an  expiatory  sacrifice  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  race.  But,  as  already  shown,  the  institution  of 
bloody  sacrifice  as  a  type  of  the  future  death  of  Jesus  Christ 
dates  from  the  beginning  of  human  history ;  since  the  offer- 
ing of  animal  sacrifices  through  the  shedding  of  blood  was 
required  of  Adam,  to  whom  the  significance  of  the  ordi- 
nance, as  "a  similitude  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten 
of  the  Father",  was  expressly  defined.' 

The  paschal  lamb,  slain  for  every  Israelitish  household  at 
the  annually  recurring  feast  of  the  Passover,  was  a  particular 
type  of  the  Lamb  of  God  who  in  due  time  would  be  slain  for 
the  sins  of  the  world.  The  crucifixion  of  Christ  was  effected 
at  the  Passover  season ;  and  the  consummation  of  the  su- 


h  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

»  Deut.   18:15-19;   compare  John   1:45;  Acts  3:22;  7:37;   see  also  a   specific 
confirmation    by    our   Lord    after   His    resurrection,    3   Nephi   20:23. 
/Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


46  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

preme  Sacrifice,  of  which  the  paschal  lambs  had  been  but 
lesser  prototypes,  led  Paul  the  apostle  to  affirm  in  later 
times :  "For  even  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us."0 

Job  in  the  day  of  dire  affliction  rejoiced  in  his  testimony 
of  the  coming  Messiah,  and  declared  with  prophetic  convic- 
tion: "I  know  that  my  redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth."*'  The  songs  of 
David  the  psalmist  abound  in  oft-recurring  allusion  to  the 
earthly  life  of  Christ,  many  circumstances  of  which  are  de- 
scribed in  detail,  and,  as  to  these,  corroboration  of  the  utter- 
ances is  found  in  New  Testament  scriptures.7 

Isaiah,  whose  prophetic  office  was  honored  by  the  per- 
sonal testimony  of  Christ  and  the  apostles,  manifested  in 
numerous  passages  the  burden  of  his  conviction  relating  to 
the  great  event  of  the  Savior's  advent  and  ministry  on 
earth.  With  the  forcefulness  of  direct  revelation  he  told  of 
the  Virgin's  divine  maternity,  whereof  Immanuel  should  be 
born,  and  his  prediction  was  reiterated  by  the  angel  of  the 
Lord,  over  seven  centuries  later."1  Looking  down  through 
the  ages  the  prophet  saw  the  accomplishment  of  the  divine 
purposes  as  if  already  achieved,  and  sang  in  triumph :  "For 
unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given :  and  the  gov- 
ernment shall  be  upon  his  shoulder :  and  his  name  shall  be 
called  Wonderful,  Counselor,  The  mighty  God,  The  ever- 
lasting Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace.  Of  the  increase  of 
his  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end,  upon  the 
throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  kingdom,  to  order  it,  and  to 


a  I  Cor.  5:7.  For  references  to  Christ  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  see  John 
1:29,  36;  1  Peter  1:19;  Rev.  chaps.  5,  6,  7,  12,  13,  14,  15,  17,  19,  21,  22;  also 
B.  of  M.,  1  Nephi  10:10,  and  chaps.  11,  12,  13,  14;  2  Nephi  31:4,  5,  6;  33:14; 
Alma  7:14;  Mormon  9:2,  3;  Doc.  and  Cov.  58:11;  132:19. 

k  Job.    19:25;    see  also   verses   26-27. 

/Instances:  Psalm  2:7;  compare  Acts  13:33;  Heb.  1:5;  5:5.  Psa.  16:10; 
compare  Acts  13:34-37;  Psa.  22:18;  compare  Matt.  27:35;  Mark  15:24;  Luke 
23:34;  John  15:24.  Psa.  41:9;  compare  John  13:18.  Psa.  69:9  and  21;  com- 
pare Matt.  27:34,  48;  Mark  15:23;  Tohn  19:29;  and  John  2:17.  Psa.  110:1  and 
4;  compare  Matt.  22:44;  Mark  12:35-37;  Luke  20:41-44;  and  Heb.  5:6.  Psa. 
118:22,  23;  compare  Matt.  21:42;  Mark  12:10;  Luke  20:17;  Acts  4:11;  Eph. 
2:20;  1  Peter  2:4;  7.  The  following  are  known  specifically  as  Messianic 
Psalms:  2,  21,  22,  45,  67,  69,  89,  96,  110,  132;  in  them  the  psalmist  extols  in 
poetic  measure  the  excellencies  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  certainty  o{  His 
coming. 

mlsa.    7:14;    compare    Matt.    l;2J-2,3., 


OLD  TESTAMENT  PREDICTIONS   OF  CHRIST.  47 

establish  it  with  judgment  and  with  justice  from  henceforth 
even  forever. "n 

Immediately  prior  to  its  fulfilment,  the  blessed  promise 
was  repeated  by  Gabriel,  sent  from  the  presence  of  God  to 
the  chosen  Virgin  of  Nazareth.0  As  made  known  to  the 
prophet  and  by  him  proclaimed,  the  coming  Lord  was  the 
living  Branch. that  should  spring  from  the  undying  root 
typified  in  the  family  ot  Jesse  f  the  foundation  Stone  insur- 
ing the  stability  of  Zion;s  the  Shepherd  of  the  house  of 
Israel;  the  Light  of  the  world,  to  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew; 
the  Leader  and  Commander  of  His  people/  The  same  in- 
spired voice  predicted  the  forerunner  who  should  cry  in  the 
wilderness,  "Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight 
in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God."w 

Isaiah  was  permitted  to  read  the  scroll  of  futurity  as  to 
many  distinguishing  conditions  to  attend  the  Messiah's  lowly 
life  and  atoning  death.  In  Him  the  prophet  saw  One  who 
would  be  despized  and  rejected  of  men,  a  Man  of  sorrows, 
acquainted  with  grief,  One  to  be  wounded  and  bruised  for 
the  transgressions  of  the  race,  on  whom  would  be  laid  the 
iniquity  of  us  all — a  patient  and  willing  Sacrifice,  silent  under 
afBiction,  as  a  lamb  brought  to  the  slaughter.  The  Lord's 
dying  with  sinners,  and  His  burial  in  the  tomb  of  the  wealthy 
were  likewise  declared  with  prophetic  certainty. b 

Unto  Jeremiah  came  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  terms  of 
plainness,  declaring  the  sure  advent  of  the  King  by  whom 
the  safety  of  both  Judah  and  Israel  should  be  assured  ?  the 

nlsa.  9:6,  7. 

oLuke    1:26-33. 

p  Isa.  11:1  and  10;  compare  Rom.  15:12;  Rev.  5:5;  22:16;  see  also  Jer. 
23 :5,  6. 

qlsa.  28:16;  compare  Psa.  118:22;  Matt.  21:42;  Acts  4:11;  Rom.  9:33; 
10:11;  Eph.  2:20;  1  Peter  2:6-8. 

rlsa.  40:9-11;  compare  John  10:11,  14;  Heb.  13:20;  1  Peter  2:25;  5:4;  see 
also  Ezek.  34:23. 

.ylsa.  42:1;  see  also  9:2;  49:6;  60:3;  compare  Matt.  4:14-16;  Luke  2:32; 
Acts  13:47;  26:18;  Eph.  5:8,  14. 

t  Isa.  55:4;  compare  John  18:37. 

ttlsa.   40:3;    compare   Matt.   3:3;    Mark   1:3;   Luke   3:4;   John   1:23. 

&  Isa.    53;    study    the    entire    chapter;    compare    Acts    8:32-35. 

z/Jer.  23:5,  6;   see  also  33:14-16. 


48  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   5. 

Prince  of  the  House  of  David,  through  whom  the  divine 
promise  to  the  son  of  Jesse  should  be  realized.™  Under  the 
same  spirit  prophesied  Ezekiel/  Hosea,y  and  Micah.2  Zec- 
hariah  broke  off  in  the  midst  of  fateful  prediction  to  voice 
the  glad  song  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  as  he  beheld  in 
vision  the  simple  pageantry  of  the  King's  triumphal  entry 
into  the  city  of  David.0  Then  the  prophet  bewailed  the 
grief  of  the  conscience-smitten  nation,  by  whom,  as  was 
foreseen,  the  Savior  of  humankind  would  be  pierced,  even 
unto  death  ;b  and  showed  that,  when  subdued  by  contrition 
His  own  people  would  ask,  "What  are  these  wounds  in 
thy  hands  ?",  the  Lord  would  answer :  "Those  with  which  I 
was  wounded  in  the  house  of  my  friends. "c  The  very  price 
to  be  paid  for  the  betrayal  of  the  Christ  to  His  death  was 
foretold  as  in  parable.** 

The  fact,  that  these  predictions  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophets  had  reference  to  Jesus  Christ  and  to  Him  only,  is 
put  beyond  question  by  the  attestation  of  the  resurrected 
Lord.  To  the  assembled  apostles  He  said :  "These  are  the 
words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while  I  was  yet  with  you, 
that  all  things  must  be  fulfilled,  which  were  written  in  the 
law  of  Moses,  and  in  the  prophets,  and  in  the  psalms,  con- 
cerning me.  Then  opened  he  their  understanding,  that 
they  might  understand  the  scriptures,  and  said  unto  them, 
Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and 
to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day.'v 

John  the  Baptist,  whose  ministry  immediately  preceded 
that  of  the  Christ,  proclaimed  the  coming  of  One  mightier 
than  himself,  One  who  should  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  specifically  identified  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  that  One, 

w  Jer.    30-9 

*Ezek.    34:23;   37:24,   25. 

y  Hos.    11:11;   compare   Matt.   2:15. 

s  Mic.   5:2;   compare   Matt.   2:6;   John   7:42. 

a  Zech.   9:9;    compare   Matt.    21:4-9. 

&Zech.    12:10;    compare    John    19:37. 

cZech.    13:6. 

d  Zech.    11:12,    13;    compare    Matt.    26:15;    27:3-10. 

<?Luke   24:44,    46;    see    also   verses    25-27. 


BOOK   OF    MORMON    PREDICTIONS   OF   CHRIST.  49 

the  Son  of  God,  the  Lamb  who  should  assume  the  burden  of 
the  world's  sins/ 

The  predictions  thus  far  cited  as  relating  to  the  life,  min- 
istry, and  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  are  the  utterances  of 
prophets  who,  excepting  Adam  and  Enoch,  lived  and  died 
on  the  eastern  hemisphere.  All  save  John  the  Baptist  are 
of  Old  Testament  record,  and  he,  a  contemporary  of  the 
Christ  in  mortality,  figures  in  the  early  chapters  of  the  Gos- 
pels. It  is  important  to  know  that  the  scriptures  of  the 
western  hemisphere  are  likewise  explicit  in  the  declaration 
of  the  great  truth  that  the  Son  of  God  would  be  born  in 
the  flesh.  The  Book  of  Mormon  contains  a  history  of  a 
colony  of' Israelites,  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  who  left  Jeru- 
salem 600  B.  C.,  during  the  reign  of  Zedekiah,  king  of 
Judah,  on  the  eve  of  the  subjugation  of  Judea  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar and  the  inauguration  of  the  Babylonian  captivity. 
This  colony  was  led  by  divine  guidance  to  the  American 
continent,  whereon  they  developed  into  a  numerous  and 
mighty  people;  though,  divided  by  dissension,  they  formed 
two  opposing  nations  known  respectively  as  Nephites  and 
Lamanites.  The  former  cultivated  the  arts  of  industry  and 
refinement,  and  preserved  a  record  embodying  both  history 
and  scripture,  while  the  latter  became  degenerate  and  de- 
based. The  Nephites  suffered  extinction  about  400  A.  D., 
but  the  Lamanites  lived  on  in  their  degraded  course,  and 
are  today  extant  upon  the  land  as  the  American  Indians.*7 

The  Nephite  annals  from  the  beginning  thereof  down  to 
the  time  of  our  Lord's  birth  abound  in  prediction  and  prom- 
ise of  the  Christ ;  and  this  chronicle  is  followed  by  a  record 
of  the  actual  visitation  of  the  resurrected  Savior  to  the 
Nephites,  and  the  establishment  of  His  Church  among  them. 
Unto  Lehi,  the  leader  of  the  colony,  the  Lord  revealed  the 
time,  place,  and  manner  of  Christ's  then  future  advent, 

/Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:8;  Luke  3:16;  John  1:15;  26,  27,  29-36;  see  also  Acts 
1:5,  8;  11:16;  19:4. 

g  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


50  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

together  with  many  important  facts  of  His  ministry,  and 
the  preparatory  work  of  John  the  forerunner.  This  revela- 
tion was  given  while  the  company  was  journeying  in  the 
wilderness  of  Arabia,  prior  to  their  crossing  the  great 
waters.  The  prophecy  is  thus  written  by  Nephi,  a  son  of 
Lehi  and  his  successor  in  the  prophetic  calling :  "Yea,  even 
six  hundred  years  from  the  time  that  my  father  left  Jeru- 
salem, a  prophet  would  the  Lord  God  raise  up  among  the 
Jews ;  even  a  Messiah ;  or,  in  other  words,  a  Saviour  of  the 
world.  And  he  also  spake  concerning  the  prophets,  how 
great  a  number  had  testified  of  these  things  concerning  the 
Messiah,  of  whom  he  had  spoken,  or  this  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  Wherefore  all  mankind  were  in  a  lost 'and  in  a 
fallen  state,  and  ever  would  be,  save  they  should  rely  on  this 
Redeemer.  And  he  spake  also  concerning  a  prophet  who 
should  come  before  the  Messiah,  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord;  yea,  even  he  should  go  forth  and  cry  in  the  wilder- 
ness, Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  and  make  his  paths 
straight ;  for  there  standeth  one  among  you  whom  ye  know 
not ;  and  he  is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoe's  lachet  I  am  not 
worthy  to  unloose.  And  much  spake  my  father  concerning 
this  thing.  And  my  father  said  he  should  baptize  in  Betha- 
bary,  beyond  Jordan;  and  he  also  said  he  should  baptize 
with  water ;  even  that  he  should  baptize  the  Messiah  with 
water.  And  after  he  had  baptized  the  Messiah  with  water, 
he  should  behold  and  bear  record,  that  he  had  baptized  the 
Lamb  of  God,  who  should  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world. 
And  it  came  to  pass. after  my  father  had  spoken  these  words, 
he  spake  unto  my  brethren  concerning  the  gospel  which 
should  be  preached  among  the  Jews;  and  also  concerning 
the  dwindling  of  the  Jews  in  unbelief.  And  after  they  had 
slain  the  Messiah,  who  should  come,  and  after  he  had  been 
slain,  he  should  rise  from  the  dead,  and  should  make  him- 
self manifest,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  unto  the  Gentiles."71 


AB.   of  M.,   1   Nephi   10:4-11. 


BOOK   OF    MORMON   PREDICTIONS   OF   CHRIST.  51 

At  a  later  time  Nephi  writes,  not  as  his  father's  scribe, 
but  as  a  prophet  and  revelator  voicing  the  word  of  God  as 
made  known  to  himself.  He  was  permitted  to  behold  in 
vision  and  to  declare  to  his  people  the  circumstances  of  the 
Messiah's  birth,  His  baptism  by  John  and  the  ministration 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  its  accompanying  sign  of  the  dove ; 
he  beheld  our  Lord  moving  as  a  Teacher  of  righteousness 
among  the  people,  healing  the  afflicted  and  rebuking  spirits 
of  evil ;  he  saw  and  bare  record  of  the  dread  scenes  of 
Calvary ;  he  beheld  and  predicted  the  calling  of  the  chosen 
Twelve,  the  apostles  of  the  Lamb,  for  so  these  were  desig- 
nated by  Him  who  vouchsafed  the  vision.  Moreover  he 
told  of  the  iniquity  of  the  Jews,  who  were  seen  in  contention 
with  the  apostles ;  and  thus  concludes  the  portentous  proph- 
ecy :  "And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  me  again, 
saying,  Thus  shall  be  the  destruction  of  all  nations,  kin- 
dreds, tongues,  and  people,  that  shall  fight  against  the 
twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb."1'  Soon  after  the  defection 
whereby  the  distinction  between  Nephites  and  Lamanites 
was  established,  Jacob,  a  brother  of  Nephi,  continued  in 
prophecy  of  the  assured  coming  of  the  Messiah,  specifically 
declaring  that  He  would  minister  at  Jerusalem  and  affirming 
the  necessity  of  His  atoning  death  as  the  ordained  means  of 
human  redemption.''  The  prophet  Abinadi,  in  his  fearless 
denunciation  of  sin  to  the  wicked  king  Noah,  preached  the 
Christ  who  was  to  come  ;k  and  righteous  Benjamin,  who  was 
at  once  prophet  and  king,  proclaimed  the  same  great  truth 
to  his  people  about  125  B.  C.  So  taught  Almal  in  his  in- 
spired admonition  to  his  wayward  son,  Corianton ;  and  so 
also  Amulekm  in  his  contention  with  Zeezrom.  So  pro- 
claimed the  Lamanite  prophet,  Samuel,  only  five  years  prior 

»B.   of  M.,   1  Nephi  chapters   11   and   12;    see   also   19:10. 
/  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  9:5,  6;  10:3.    See  also  Nephi's  prophecy  25:12-14;  and 
chap.    26. 

fcB.    of  M.,   Mosiah    13:33-35;    15:1-13. 
/B.    of   M.,    Alma   39:15;    40:1-3. 
wB.   of  M.,  Alma  11:31-44. 


52  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

to  the  actual  occurrence ;  furthermore  he  specified  the  signs 
by  which  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  Judea  would  be  made  known 
to  the  people  of  the  western  world.  Said  he:  "Behold,  I 
give  unto  you  a  sign ;  for  five  years  more  cometh,  and  be- 
hold, then  cometh  the  Son  of  God  to  redeem  all  those  who 
shall  believe  on  his  name.  And  behold,  this  will  I  give 
unto  you  for  a  sign  at  the  time  of  his  coming;  for  behold, 
there  shall  be  great  lights  in  heaven,  insomuch  that  in  the 
night  before  he  cometh  there  shall  be  no  darkness,  insomuch 
that  it  shall  appear  unto  man  as  if  it  was  day,  therefore  there 
shall  be  one  day  and  a  night,  and  a  day,  as  if  it  were  one 
day,  and  there  were  no  night;  and  this  shall  be  unto  you 
for  a  sign;  for  ye  shall  know  of  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and 
also  of  its  setting;  therefore  they  shall  know  of  a  surety 
that  there  shall  be  two  days  and  a  night ;  nevertheless  the 
night  shall  not  be  darkened ;  and  it  shall  be  the  night  before 
he  is  born.  And  behold  there  shall  a  new  star  arise,  such 
an  one  as  ye  never  have  beheld;  and  this  also  shall  be  a 
sign  unto  you.  And  behold  this  is  not  all,  there  shall  be 
many  signs  and  wonders  in  heaven."" 

Thus  the  scriptures  of  both  hemispheres  and  in  all  ages 
of  ante-meridian  time  bore  solemn  testimony  to  the  certainty 
of  Messiah's  advent ;  thus  the  holy  prophets  of  old  voiced 
the  word  of  revelation  predicting  the  coming  of  the  world's 
King  and  Lord,  through  whom  alone  is  salvation  provided, 
and  redemption  from  death  made  sure.  It  is  a  character- 
istic of  prophets  sent  of  God  that  they  possess  and  proclaim 
a  personal  assurance  of  the  Christ,  "for  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy."0  Not  a  word  of  inspired 
prophecy  relating  to  the  great  event  has  been  found  void. 
The  literal  fulfilment  of  the  predictions  is  ample  attestation 
of  their  origin  in  divine  revelation,  and  proof  conclusive  of 
the  divinity  of  Him  whose  coming  was  so  abundantly  fore- 
told. 


n  B.    of    M.,    Helaman    14:1-6;    compare    3    Nephi    1:4-21. 
cRev.     19:10. 


NOTES.  53 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  5. 

i.  The  Antiquity  of  Sacrifice  as  a  Prototype  of  Christ's 
Atoning  Death. — While  the  Biblical  record  expressly  attests  the 
offering  of  sacrifices  long  prior  to  Israel's  exodus  from  Egypt — 
e.  g.  by  Abel  and  by  Cain  (Gen.  4:3,  4)  ;  by  Noah  after  the  deluge 
(Gen.  8:20)  ;  by  Abraham  (Gen.  22:2,  13)  ;  by  Jacob  (Gen.  31:54; 
46:1)—  it  is  silent  concerning  the  divine  origin  of  sacrifice  as  a 
propitiatory  requirement  prefiguring  the  atoning  death  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  difficulty  of  determining  time  and  circumstance,  under 
which  the  offering  of  symbolical  sacrifices  originated  amongst 
mankind,  is  recognized  by  all  investigators  save  those  who 
admit  _  the  validity  of  modern  revelation.  The  necessity  of 
assuming  early  instruction  from  God  to  man  on  the  subject  has 
been  asserted  by  many  Biblical  scholars.  Thus,  the  writer  of 
the  article  "Sacrifice"  in  the  Cassell  Bible  Dictionary  says :  "The 
idea  of  sacrifice  is  prominent  throughout  the  scriptures,  and 
one  of  the  most  ancient  and  widely  recognized  in  the  rites  of 
religion  throughout  the  world.  There  is  also  a  remarkable  sim- 
ilarity in  the  developments  and  applications  of  the  idea.  On 
these  and  other  accounts  it  has  been  judiciously  inferred  that 
sacrifice  formed  an  element  in  the  primeval  worship  of  man ; 
and  that  its  universality  is  not  merely  an  indirect  argument  for 
the  unity  of  the  human  race,  but  an  illustration  and  confirmation 
of  the  first  inspired  pages  of  the  world's  history.  The_notion  of 
sacrifice  can  hardly  be  viewed  as  a  product  of  unassisted  human 
nature,  and  must  therefore  be  traced  to  a  higher  source  and  viewed 
as  a  divine  revelation  to  primitive  man." 

Smith's  Diet,  of  the  Bible  presents  the  following :  "In  trac- 
ing the  history  of  sacrifice  from  its  first  beginning  to  its  perfect 
development  in  the  Mosaic  ritual,  we  are  at  once  met  by  the 
long-disputed  question  as  to  the  origin  of  sacrifice,  whether  it 
arose  from  a  natural  instinct  of  man,  sanctioned  and  guided  by 
God,  or  was  the  subject  of  some  distinct  primeval  revelation. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  sacrifice  was  sanctioned  by  God's 
Law,  with  a  special,  typical  reference  to  the  Atonement  of  Christ; 
its  universal  prevalence,  independent  of,  and  often  opposed  to, 
man's  natural  reasonings  on  his  relation  to  God,  shows  it  to 
have  been  primeval,  and  deeply  rooted  in  the  instincts  of  hu- 
manity. Whether  it  was  first  enjoined  by  an  external  command, 
or  was  based  on  that  sense  of  sin  and  lost  communion  with  God, 
which  is  stamped  by  His  hand  on  the  heart  of  man — is  an  his- 
torical question,  perhaps  insoluble." 

The  difficulty  vanishes,  and  the  "historical  question"  as  to 
the  origin  of  sacrifice  is  definitely  solved  by  the  revelations  of 
God  in  the  current  dispensation,  whereby  parts  of  the  record  of 
Moses — not  contained  in  the  Bible — have  been  restored  to  human 
knowledge.  The  scripture  quoted  in  the  text  (pp.  43,  44)  makes 
clear  the  fact  that  the  offering  of  sacrifices  was  required  of  Adam 
after  his  transgression,  and  that  the  significance  of  the  divinely 
established  requirement  was  explained  in  fulness  to  the  patriarch 
of  the  race.  The  shedding  of  the  blood  of  animals  in  sacrifice 


54  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

to  God,  as  a  prototype  "of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten  of 
the  Father,"  dates  from  the  time  immediately  following  the  fall. 
Its  origin  is  based  on  a  specific  revelation  to  Adam.  See  P.  of 
G.  P.,  Moses  5  15-8. 

2.  Jacob's  Prophecy  Concerning  "Shiloh." — The  prediction 
of  the  patriarch  Jacob — that  the  sceptre  should  not  depart  from 
Judah  before  the  coming  of  Shiloh — has  given  rise  to  much 
disputation  among  Bible  students.  Some  insist  that  "Shiloh" 
is  the  name  of  a  place  and  not  that  of  a  person.  That  there  was 
a  place  known  by  that  name  is  beyond  question  (see  Josh.  18:1; 
19:51;  21  :2;  22:9;  i  Sam.  1:3;  Jer.  7:12);  but  the  name  occurring 
in  Gen.  49:10  is  plainly  that  of  a  person.  It  should  be  known 
that  the  use  of  the  word  in  the  King  James  or  authorized  version 
of  the  Bible  is  held  to  be  correct  by  many  eminent  authorities. 
Thus,  in  Dummelow's  Commentary  on  the  Holy  Bible,  we  read: 
"This  verse  has  always  been  regarded  by  both  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians as  a  remakarble  prophecy  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah. 
.  .  .  .  On  the  rendering  given  above,  the  whole  verse  fore- 
tells that  Judah  would  retain  authority  until  the  advent  of  the 
rightful  ruler,  the  Messiah,  to  whom  all  peoples  would  gather. 
And,  broadly  speaking,  it  may  be  said  that  the  last  traces  of 
Jewish  legislative  power  (as  vested  in  the  Sanhedrin)  did  not 
disappear  until  the  coming  of  Christ  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, from  which  time  His  kingdom  was  set  up  among  men." 

Adam  Clarke,  in  his  exhaustive  Bible  Commentary,  briefly 
analyzes  the  objections  urged  against  the  admissibility  of  this 
passage  as  applying  to  the  Messiah's  advent,  and  dismisses  them 
all  as  unfounded.  His  conclusion  as  to  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  is  thus  worded :  "Judah  shall  continue  a  distinct  tribe 
until  the  Messiah  shall  come ;  and  it  did  so ;  and  after  His  coming- 
it  was  confounded  with  the  others,  so  that  all  distinction  has  been 
ever  since  lost." 

Prof.  Douglas,  as  cited  in  Smith's  Dictionary,  "claims  that 
something  of  Judah's  sceptre  still  remained,  a  total  eclipse  being 
no  proof  that  the  day  is  at  an  end — that  the  proper  fulfilment 
of  the  prophecy  did  not  begin  till  David's  time,  and  is  consum- 
mated in  Christ  according  to  Luke  I  :$2,  33." 

The  accepted  meaning  of  the  word  by  derivation  is  "Peace- 
able," and  this  is  applicable  to  the  attributes  of  the  Christ,  who 
in  Isa.  9:6,  is  designated  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

Eusebius,  who  lived  between  260  and  339  A.  D.,  and  is 
known  in  ecclesiastical  history  as  Bishop  of  Csesarea,  wrote : 
"At  the  time  that  Herod  was  king,  who  was  the  first  foreigner 
that  reigned  over  the  Jewish  people,  the  prophecy  recorded  by 
Moses  received  its  fulfilment,  viz.  'That  a  prince  should  not  fail 
of  Judah,  nor  a  ruler  from  his  loins,  until  He  should  come  for 
whom  it  is  reserved,  the  expectation  of  nations.'"  (The  quoted 
passage  is  founded  on  the  Septuagint  rendering  of  Genesis 
49:10). 

Some  critics  have  held  that  in  Jacob's  use  of  the  word 
"Shiloh"  he  did  not  intend  it  as  a  name  or  proper  noun  at  all. 
The  writer  of  the  article  "Shiloh"  in  Cassell's  Bible  Dictionary 


NOTES.  55 

says:  "The  preponderance  of  evidence  is  in  favor  of  the  Mes- 
sianic interpretation,  but  opinions  are  very  divided  respecting  the 
retention  of  the  word  'Shiloh'  as  a  proper  name Not- 
withstanding all  the  objections  that  are  urged  against  it  being 
so  regarded,  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  rightly  con- 
sidered to  be  a  proper  name,  and  that  the  English  version 
represents  the  true  sense  of  the  passage.  We  recommend  those 
who  wish  to  enter  more  fully  into  a  question  which  cannot  well 
be  discussed  without  Hebrew  criticism,  to  the  excellent  notes 
upon  Gen.  49:10  in  the  'Commentary  on  the  Pentateuch'  by  Keil 
and  Delitzsch.  Here  the  text  is  thus  rendered :  'The  sceptre 
shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  the  ruler's  staff  from  between 
his  feet,  till  Shiloh  come,  and  the  willing  obedience  of  the  nations 
be  to  him.' 

"Notwithstanding  the  slight  put  upon  the  Messianic  in- 
terpretation by  some  writers,  even  those  from  whom  we  should 
scarcely  expect  it,  we  see  this  explanation  confirmed  and  not 
weakened  in  the  events  of  history.  The  text  is  not  taken  to 
mean  that  Judah  should  at  no  time  be  without  a  royal  ruler  of 
his  own,  but  that  the  regal  power  should  not  finally  cease  from 
Judah  until  Shiloh  had  come.  The  objections  founded  on  the 
Babylonian  captivity,  and  similar  intermissions,  are  of  no  force, 
because  it  is  the  complete  and  final  termination  which  is  pointed 
out,  and  that  only  happened  after  the  time  of  Christ."  See 
further  The  Book  of  Prophecy,  by  G.  Smith,  LL.D.,  p.  320.  See 
also  Compendium  of  the  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  by  Franklin  D. 
Richards  and  James  A.  Little,  article  "Christ's  First  Coming." 

3.  Nephites  and  Lamanites. — The  progenitors  of  the  Ne- 
phite  nation  were  led  from  Jerusalem,  600  B.  C.,  by  Lehi,  a  Jew- 
ish prophet  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh.  His  immediate  family,  at 
the  time  of  their  departure  from  Jerusalem,  comprized  his  wife 
Sariah,  and  their  sons,  Laman,  Lemuel,  Sam,  and  Nephi ;  at  a 
later  stage  .of  the  history,  daughters  are  mentioned,  but  whether 
any  of  these  were  born  before  the  family  exodus  we 
are  not  told.  Beside  his  own  family,  the  colony  of  Lehi  included 
Zoram,  and  Ishmael,  the  latter  an  Israelite  of  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim.  Ishmael,  with  his  family,  joined  Lehi  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  and  his  descendants  were  numbered  with  the  nation  of 
whom  we  are  speaking.  The  company  journeyed  somewhat  east 
of  south,  keeping  near  the  borders  of  the  Red  Sea ;  then,  chang- 
ing their  course  to  the  eastward,  crossed  the  peninsula  of  Arabia; 
and  there,  on  the  shores  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  built  and  provisioned 
a  vessel  in  which  they  committed  themselves  to  divine  care  upon 
the  waters.  Their  voyage  carried  them  eastward  across  the 
Indian  Ocean,  then  over  the  south  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  western 
coast  of  South  America,  whereon  they  landed  (590  B.  C.)  .  .  . 
The  people  established  themselves  on  what  to  them  was  the 
land  of  promise;  many  children  were  born,  and  in  the  course  of 
a  few  generations  a  numerous  posterity  held  possession  of  the 
land.  After  the  death  of  Lehi,  a  division  occurred,  some  of  the 
people  accepting  as  their  leader,  Nephi,  who  had  been  duly  ap- 
pointed to  the  prophetic  office ;  while  the  rest  proclaimed  Laman, 
the  eldest  of  Lehi's  sons,  as  their  chief.  Henceforth  the  divided 


56  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    5. 

people  were  known  as  Nephites  and  Lamanites  respectively.  At 
times  they  observed  toward  each  other  fairly  friendly  relations; 
but  generally  they  were  opposed,  the  Lamanites  manifesting  im- 
placable hatred  and  hostility  toward  their  Nephite  kindred. 
The  Nephites  advanced  in  the  arts  of  civilization,  built  large 
cities  and  established  prosperous  commonwealths ;  yet  they  often 
fell  into  transgression ;  and  the  Lord  chastened  them  by  allowing 
their  foes  to  become  victorious.  They  spread  northward,  occu- 
pying the  northern  part  of  South  America;  then,  crossing  the 
Isthmus,  they  extended  their  domain  over  the  southern,  central 
and  eastern  portions  of  what  is  now  the  United  States  of  America. 
The  Lamanites,  while  increasing  in  numbers,  fell  under  the  curse 
of  darkness ;  they  became  dark  in  skin  and  benighted  in  spirit, 
forgot  the  God  of  their  fathers,  lived  a  wild  nomadic  life,  and  de- 
generated into  the  fallen  state  in  which  the  American  Indians — 
their  lineal  descendants — were  found  by  those  who  rediscovered 
the  western  continent  in  later  times.  See  the  author's  Articles  of 
Faith  xiv:7,  8. 


THE    MERIDIAN    OF   TIME.  57 


CHAPTER   6. 
THE  MERIDIAN  OF  TIME. 

Unto  Moses,  with  whom  the  Lord  spake  "face  to  face, 
as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his  f  riend,"a  the  course  of  the  human 
race,  both  as  then  past  and  future,  was  made  known ;  and 
the  coming  of  the  Redeemer  was  recognized  by  him  as  the 
event  of  greatest  import  in  all  the  happenings  to  which  the 
earth  and  its  inhabitants  would  be  witness.  The  curse  of 
God  had  aforetime  fallen  upon  the  wicked,  and  upon  the 
earth  because  of  them,  "For  they  would  not  hearken  unto  his 
voice,  nor  believe  on  his  Only  Begotten  Son,  even  him  whom 
he  declared  should  come  in  the  meridian  of  time,  who  was 
prepared  from  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. "&  In  this 
scripture  appears  the  earliest  mention  of  the  expressive  and 
profoundly  significant  designation  of  the  period  in  which 
the  Christ  should  appear — the  meridian  of  time.  If  the  ex- 
pression be  regarded  as  figurative,  be  it  remembered  the 
figure  is  the  Lord's. 

The  term  "meridian",  as  commonly  used,  conveys  the 
thought  of  a  principal  division  of  time  or  space  ;c  thus  we 
speak  of  the  hours  before  the  daily  noon  as  ante-meridian 
(a.  m.)  and  those  after  noon  as  post-meridian  (p.  m.).  So 
the  years  and  the  centuries  of  human  history  are  divided  by 
the  great  event  of  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  years  pre- 
ceding that  epoch-making  occurrence  are  now  designated  as 
time  Before  Christ  (B.  C.)  ;  while  subsequent  years  are  each 


oExo.  33:11;  see  also  Numb.  12:8;  Deut.  34:10;  compare  P.  of  G.  P., 
Moses  1:2,  11,  31. 

b  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  5:57;  for  later  mention  of  the  "meridian  of  time," 
see  6:56-62;  and  7:46;  and  compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  20:26;  39:3. 

c  "Meridian: figuratively,  the  highest  point  or  culmin- 

ating-point  of  anything;  the  zenith;  as  the  meridian  of  life."— "New  Stand. 
Diet." 


58  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

specified  as  a  certain  Year  of  our  Lord,  or,  as  in  the  Latin 
tongue,  Anno  Domini  ( A.  D.) .  Thus  the  world's  chronology 
has  been  adjusted  and  systematized  with  reference  to  the 
time  of  the  Savior's  birth ;  and  this  method  of  reckoning  is 
in  use  among  all  Christian  nations.  It  is  instructive  to  note 
that  a  similar  system  was  adopted  by  the  isolated  branch  of 
the  house  of  Israel  that  had  been  brought  from  the  land  of 
Palestine  to  the  western  continent ;  for  from  the  appearance 
of  the  promised  sign  among  the  people  betokening  the  birth 
of  Him  who  had  been  so  abundantly  predicted  by  their 
prophets,  the  Nephite  reckoning  of  the  years,  starting  with 
the  departure  of  Lehi  and  his  colony  from  Jerusalem,  was 
superseded  by  the  annals  of  the  new  era.d 

The  occasion  of  the  Savior's  advent  was  preappointed ; 
and  the  time  thereof  was  specifically  revealed  through  au- 
thorized prophets  on  each  of  the  hemispheres.  The  long 
history  of  the  Israelitish  nation  had  unfolded  a  succession  of 
events  that  found  a  relative  culmination  in  the  earthly  mis- 
sion of  the  Messiah.  That  we  may  the  better  comprehend 
the  true  significance  of  the  Lord's  life  and  ministry  while  in 
the  flesh,  some  consideration  should  be  given  to  the  political, 
social,  and  religious  condition  of  the  people  amongst  whom 
He  appeared  and  with  whom  He  lived  and  died.  Such  con- 
sideration involves  at  least  a  brief  review  of  the  antecedent 
history  of  the  Hebrew  nation.  The  posterity  of  Abraham 
through  Isaac  and  Jacob  had  early  come  to  be  known  by  the 
title  in  which  they  took  undying  pride  and  found  inspiring 
promise,  Israelites,  or  the  children  of  Israel/  Collectively 
they  were  so  designated  throughout  the  dark  days  of  their 
bondage  in  Egypt  •/  so  during  the  four  decades  of  the  exodus 
and  the  return  to  the  land  of  promise,*7  and  on  through  the 
period  of  their  prosperity  as  a  mighty  people  under  the  ad- 


d  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  2:8;  compare  4  Nephi  1:1,  21;  Mormon  8;6;   Moroni 
10:1. 

e  Gen.   32:28;   35:10. 

/Exo.    1:1,    7;    9:6,    7;    12:3,    etc. 

0Exo.    12:35,    40;    13:19;    15:1;    Numb.    20:1,    19,    24,    etc. 


KINGDOMS    OF    ISRAEL    AND    JUDAH.  59 

ministration  of  the  judges,  and  as  a  united  monarchy  during 
the  successive  reigns  of  Saul,  David,  and  Solomon.71 

Immediately  following  the  death  of  Solomon,  about  975 
B.  C.  according  to  the  most  generally  accepted  chronology, 
the  nation  was  disrupted  by  revolt.  The  tribe  of  Judah, 
part  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  and  small  remnants  of  a  few 
other  tribes  remained  true  to  the  royal  succession,  and  ac- 
cepted Rehoboam,  son  of  Solomon,  as  their  king ;  while  the 
rest,  usually  spoken  of  as  the  Ten  Tribes,  broke  their  alle- 
giance to  the  house  of  David,  and  made  Jeroboam,  an 
Ephraimite,  their  king.  The  Ten  Tribes  retained  the  title 
Kingdom  of  Israel  though  also  known  as  Ephraim.*  Reho- 
boam and  his  adherents  were  distinctively  called  the  King- 
dom of  Judah.  For  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  the 
two  kingdoms  maintained  their  separate  autonomy;  then, 
about  722  or  721  B.  C.,  the  independent  status  of  the  King- 
dom of  Israel  was  destroyed,  and  the  captive  people  were 
transported  to  Assyria  by  Shalmanezer  and  others.  Subse- 
quently they  disappeared  so  completely  as  to  be  called  the 
Lost  Tribes.  The  Kingdom  of  Judah  was  recognized  as  a 
nation  for  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  longer ;  then, 
about  588  B.  C.,  it  was  brought  into  subjection  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, through  whom  the  Babylonian  captivity  was  inaug- 
urated. For  three  score  years  and  ten  Judah  was  kept  in 
exile  and  virtual  bondage,  in  consequence  of  their  transgres- 
sion as  had  been  predicted  through  Jeremiah/  Then  the 
Lord  softened  the  hearts  of  their  captors,  and  their  restora- 
tion was  begun  under  the  decree  of  Cyrus  the  Persian,  who 
had  subdued  the  Babylonian  kingdom.  The  Hebrew  people 
were  permitted  to  return  to  Judea,  and  to  enter  upon  the 
work  of  rebuilding  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.^ 


h  See  mention  throughout  the  books  of  Judges,  1  and  2  Samuel,  1  and  2 
Kings,  and  references  therein. 

tlsa.    11:13;    17:3;    Ezek.    37:16-22;    Hos.    4:17. 

/Jen   25:11,   12;    see   also  29:10. 

k  Ezra  1:1-4;  the  author,  "House  of  the  Lord,"  pp.  47-53;  also  "Articles 
of  Faith"  xvii;l-22. 


60  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

A  great  company  of  the  exiled  Hebrews  availed  them- 
selves of  this  opportunity  to  return  to  the  lands  of  their 
fathers,  though  many  elected  to  remain  in  the  country  of 
their  captivity,  preferring  Babylon  to  Israel.  The  "whole 
congregation"  of  the  Jews  who  returned  from  the  Baby- 
lonian exile  was  but  "forty  and  two  thousand  three  hundred 
and  three  score,  beside  their  servants  and  their  maids,  of 
whom  there  were  seven  thousand  three  hundred  thirty  and 
seven."  The  relatively  small  size  of  the  migrating  nation 
is  further  shown  by  the  register  of  their  beasts  of  burden.7 
While  those  who  did  return  strove  valiantly  to  reestablish 
themselves  as  the  house  of  David,  and  to  regain  some  meas- 
ure of  their  former  prestige  and  glory,  the  Jews  were  never 
again  a  truly  independent  people.  In  turn  they  were  preyed 
upon  by  Greece,  Egypt,  and  Syria ;  but  about  164-163  B.  C., 
the  people  threw  off,  in  part  at  least,  the  alien  yoke,  as  a 
result  of  the  patriotic  revolt  led  by  the  Maccabees,  the  most 
prominent  of  whom  was  Judas  Maccabeus.  The  temple 
service,  which  had  been  practically  abolished  through  the 
proscription  of  victorious  foes,  was  reestablished/"  In  the 
year  163  B.  C.,  the  sacred  structure  was  rededicated,  and  the 
joyful  occasion  was  thereafter  celebrated  in  annual  festival 
as  the  Feast  of  Dedication."  During  the  reign  of  the  Mac- 
cabees, however,  the  temple  fell  into  an  almost  ruinous  con- 
dition, more  as  a  result  of  the  inability  of  the  reduced  and 
impoverished  people  to  maintain  it  than  through  any  further 
decline  of  religious  zeal.  In  the  hope  of  insuring  a  greater 
measure  of  national  protection,  the  Jews  entered  into  an 
unequal  alliance  with  the  Romans  and  eventually  became 
tributary  to  them,  in  which  condition  the  Jewish  nation  con- 
tinued throughout  the  period  of  our  Lord's  ministry.  In  the 
meridian  of  time  Rome  was  virtually  mistress  of  the  world. 
When  Christ  was  born  Augustus  Caesar0  was  emperor  of 

/Ezra    2:64-67. 

m  "House  of  the  Lord,"  pp.  51-53. 

n  Josephus,  Ant.   xii:6  and  7;  2  Maccabees  2:19;    10:1-8;   also  John   10:22. 

oLuke  2:1. 


JEWISH    EXCLUSIVENESS.  61 

Rome,  and  the  Idumean,  Herod/  surnamed  the  Great,  was 
the  vassal  king  of  Judea. 

Some  semblance  of  national  autonomy  was  maintained  by 
the  Jews  under  Roman  dominion,  and  their  religious  cere- 
monials were  not  seriously  interfered  with.  The  established 
orders  in  the  priesthood  were  recognized,  and  the  official  acts 
of  the  national  council,  or  Sanhedrin,^  were  held  to  be  bind- 
ing by  Roman  law ;  though  the  judicial  powers  of  this  body 
did  not  extend  to  the  infliction  of  capital  punishment  with- 
out the  sanction  of  the  imperial  executive.  It  was  the  estab- 
lished policy  of  Rome  to  allow  to  her  tributary  and  vassal 
peoples  freedom  in  worship  so  long  as  the  mythological  dei- 
ties, dear  to  the  Romans,  were  not  maligned  nor  their  altars 
desecrated. 

Needless  to  say,  the  Jews  took  not  kindly  to  alien  dom- 
ination, though  for  many  generations  they  had  been  trained 
in  that  experience,  their  reduced  status  having  ranged  from 
nominal  vassalage  to  servile  bondage.  They  were  already 
largely  a  dispersed  people.  All  the  Jews  in  Palestine  at  the 
time  of  Christ's  birth  constituted  but  a  small  remnant  of  the 
great  Davidic  nation.  The  Ten  Tribes,  distinctively  the 
aforetime  kingdom  of  Israel,  had  then  long  been  lost  to  his- 
tory, and  the  people  of  Judah  had  been  widely  scattered 
among  the  nations. 

In  their  relations  with  other  peoples  the  Jews  generally 
endeavored  to  maintain  a  haughty  exclusiveness,  which 
brought  upon  them  Gentile  ridicule.  Under  Mosaic  law 
Israel  had  been  required  to  keep  apart  from  other  nations ; 
they  attached  supreme  importance  to  their  Abrahamic  lineage 
as  children  of  the  covenant,  "an  holy  people  unto  the  Lord," 
whom  He  had  chosen  "to  be  a  special  people  unto  himself, 
above  all  people  that  are  upon  the  face  of  the  earth"/  Judah 
had  experienced  the  woful  effects  of  dalliance  with  pagan 

pMatt.   2:1. 

q  Note    1,    end    of    chapter. 

rDeut.  7:6;  see  also  10:15;  Exo.  19:5,  6;  Psa.  135:4;  Isa.  41:8;  45:4; 
compare  1  Peter  2:9. 


62  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

nations,  and,  at  the  time  we  are  now  considering,  a  Jew  who 
permitted  himself  unnecessary  association  with  a  Gentile  be- 
came an  unclean  being  requiring  ceremonial  cleansing  to  free 
him  from  defilement.  Only  in  strict  isolation  did  the  leaders 
find  hope  of  insuring  the  perpetuity  of  the  nation. 

It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the  Jews  hated  all  other 
peoples  and  were  reciprocally  despised  and  contemned  by 
all  others.  They  manifested  especial  dislike  for  the  Samar- 
itans, perhaps  because  this  people  persisted  in  their  efforts 
to  establish  some  claim  of  racial  relationship.  These  Samari- 
itans  were  a  mixed  people,  and  were  looked  upon  by  the 
Jews  as  a  mongrel  lot,  unworthy  of  decent  respect.  When 
the  Ten  Tribes  were  led  into  captivity  by  the  king  of  Assyria, 
foreigners  were  sent  to  populate  Samaria/  These  inter- 
married with  such  Israelites  as  had  escaped  the  captivity ; 
and  some  modification  of  the  religion  of  Israel,  embodying 
at  least  the  profession  of  Jehovah  worship,  survived  in 
Samaria.  The  Samaritan  rituals  were  regarded  by  the  Jews 
as  unorthodox,  and  the  people  as  reprobate.  At  the  time  of 
Christ  the  enmity  between  Jew  and  Samaritan  was  so  intense 
that  travelers  between  Judea  and  Galilee  would  make  long 
detours  rather  than  pass  through  the  province  of  Samaria 
which  lay  between.  The  Jews  would  have  no  dealings  with 
the  Samaritans/ 

The  proud  feeling  of  self-sufficiency,  the  obsession  for 
exclusiveness  and  separation — so  distinctively  a  Jewish  trait 
at  that  time — was  inculcated  at  the  maternal  knee  and  em- 
phasized in  synagog  and  school.  The  Talmud,"  which  in 
codified  form  post-dates  the  time  of  Christ's  ministry,  en- 
joined all  Jews  against  reading  the  books  of  alien  nations, 
declaring  that  none  who  so  offended  could  consistently  hope 
for  Jehovah's  favor.*'  Josephus  gives  his  endorsement  to 


s2   Kings    17:24. 

*  John  4:9;  Luke  9:51-53.     Pages   172,   183  herein. 

« Note    2,     end    of    chapter. 

v  Bab.    Talmud,    Sanhedrin,    90. 


SCRIBES   AND   RABBIS.  63 

similar  injunction,  and  records  that  wisdom  among  the  Jews 
meant  only  familiarity  with  the  law  and  ability  to  discourse 
thereon.'"'  A  thorough  acquaintanceship  with  the  law  was 
demanded  as  strongly  as  other  studies  were  discountenanced. 
Thus  the  lines  between  learned  and  unlearned  came  to  be 
rigidly  drawn ;  and,  as  an  inevitable  consequence  those  who 
were  accounted  learned,  or  so  considered  themselves,  looked 
down  upon  their  unscholarly  fellows  as  a  class  distinct  and 
inferior.* 

Long  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  the  Jews  had  ceased  to 
be  a  united  people  even  in  matters  of  the  law,  though  the  law 
was  their  chief  reliance  as  a  means  of  maintaining  national 
solidarity.  As  early  as  four  score  years  after  the  return 
from  the  Babylonian  exile,  and  we  know  not  with  accuracy 
how  much  earlier,  there  had  come  to  be  recognized,  as  men 
having  authority,  certain  scholars  afterward  known  as 
scribes,  and  honored  as  rabbis^  or  teachers.  In  the  days  of 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah  these  specialists  in  the  law  constituted  a 
titled  class,  to  whom  deference  and  honor  were  paid.  Ezra 
is  designated  "the  priest,  the  scribe,  even  a  scribe  of  the 
words  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  of  his  statutes 
to  Israel"/  The  scribes  of  those  days  did  valuable  service 
under  Ezra,  and  later  under  Nehemiah,  in  compiling  the 
sacred  writings  then  extant;  and  in  Jewish  usage  those  ap- 
pointed as  guardians  and  expounders  of  the  law  came  to  be 
known  as  members  of  the  Great  Synagog,  or  Great  Assem- 
bly, concerning  which  we  have  little  information  through 
canonical  channels.  According  to  Talmudic  record,  the  or- 
ganization consisted  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  eminent 
scholars.  The  scope  of  their  labors,  according  to  the  ad- 
monition traditionally  perpetuated  by  themselves,  is  thus  ex- 
pressed :  Be  careful  in  judgment;  set  up  many  scholars,  and 


u/Josephus,    Ant.    xx,    11:2. 

x  Note  the  emphasis   given  to  this  distinction  in  John  7:45-49;   see  also 
9:34. 

y  Note  3,    end   of   chapter. 

g  Ezra  7:11;   see  also   verses  6,   10,   12. 


64  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

make  a  hedge  about  the  law.  They  followed  this  behest  by 
much  study  and  careful  consideration  of  all  traditional  de- 
tails in  administration ;  by  multiplying  scribes  and  rabbis 
unto  themselves;  and,  as  some  of  them  interpreted  the  re- 
quirement of  setting  up  many  scholars,  by  writing  many 
books  and  tractates ;  moreover,  they  made  a  fence  or  hedge 
about  the  law  by  adding  numerous  rules,  which  prescribed 
with  great  exactness  the  officially  established  proprieties  for 
every  occasion. 

Scribes  and  rabbis  were  exalted  to  the  highest  rank  in  the 
estimation  of  the  people,  higher  than  that  of  the  Levitical  or 
priestly  orders  ;  and  rabbinical  sayings  were  given  precedence 
over  the  utterances  of  the  prophets,  since  the  latter  were  re- 
garded as  but  messengers  or  spokesmen,  whereas  the  living 
scholars  were  of  themselves  sources  of  wisdom  and  author- 
ity. Such  secular  powers  as  Roman  suzerainty  permitted  the 
Jews  to  retain  were  vested  in  the  hierarchy,  whose  members 
were  able  thus  to  gather  unto  themselves  practically  all  of- 
ficial and  professional  honors.  As  a  natural  result  of  this 
condition,  there  was  practically  no  distinction  between  Jewish 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  law,  either  as  to  the  code  or  its  admin- 
istration. Rabbinism  comprized  as  an  essential  element  the 
doctrine  of  the  equal  authority  of  oral  rabbinical  tradition 
with  the  written  word  of  the  law.  The  aggrandizement  im- 
plied in  the  application  of  the  title  "Rabbi"  and  the  self-pride 
manifest  in  welcoming  such  adulation  were  especially  for- 
bidden by  the  Lord,  who  proclaimed  Himself  the  one  Mas- 
ter, and,  as  touching  the  interpretation  of  the  title  held  by 
some  as  "father",  Jesus  proclaimed  but  one  Father  and  He 
in  heaven :  "But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi :  for  one  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren.  And  call  no 
man  your  father  upon  the  earth :  for  one  is  your  Father, 
which  is  in  heaven.  Neither  be  ye  called  masters :  for  one  is 
your  Master,  even  Christ. "a 


cMatt.    23:8-10;    see   also  John    1:38;   3:2. 


PHARISEES   AND   SADDUCEES.  65 

The  scribes,  whether  so  named  or  designated  by  the  more 
distinguishing  appellation,  rabbis,  were  repeatedly  denounced 
by  Jesus,  because  of  the  dead  literalism  of  their  teachings, 
and  the  absence  of  the  spirit  of  righteousness  and  virile  mor- 
ality therefrom ;  and  in  such  denunciations  the  Pharisees  are 
often  coupled  with  the  scribes.  The  judgment  of  the  Christ 
upon  them  is  sufficiently  expressed  by  His  withering  impre- 
cation: "Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites !"& 

The  origin  of  the  Pharisees  is  not  fixed  by  undisputed 
authority  as  to  either  time  or  circumstance ;  though  it  is 
probable  that  the  sect  or  party  had  a  beginning  in  connection 
with  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian  captivity. 
New  ideas  and  added  conceptions  of  the  meaning  of  the  law 
were  promulgated  by  Jews  who  had  imbibed  of  the  spirit  of 
Babylon ;  and  the  resulting  innovations  were  accepted  by 
some  and  rejected  by  others.  The  name  "Pharisee"  does  not 
occur  in  the  Old  Testament,  nor  in  the  Apocrypha,  though 
it  is  probable  that  the  Assideans  mentioned  in  the  books  of 
the  Maccabeesc  were  the  original  Pharisees.  By  derivation 
the  name  expresses  the  thought  of  separatism ;  the  Pharisee, 
in  the  estimation  of  his  class,  was  distinctly  set  apart  from 
the  common  people,  to  whom  he  considered  himself  as  truly 
superior  as  the  Jews  regarded  themselves  in  contrast  with 
other  nations.  Pharisees  and  scribes  were  one  in  all  essen- 
tials of  profession,  and  rabbinism  was  specifically  their  doc- 
trine. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  Pharisees  are  often  mentioned 
as  in  opposition  to  the  Sadducees ;  and  such  were  the  rela- 
tions of  the  two  parties  that  it  becomes  a  simpler  matter  to 
contrast  one  with  the  other  than  to  consider  each  separately. 
The  Sadducees  came  into  existence  as  a  reactionary  organi- 

&  Matt.  23:13,  14,  15,  23,  etc.,  read  the  entire  chapter;  compare  Mark 
12:38-40;  Luke  20:46;  see  also  as  instances  of  special  denunciation  of  the 
Pharisees  Luke  11:37-44.  Note  also  that  the  lawyers,  who  were  profession- 
ally associated  with  the  scribes,  are  included  in  the  sweeping  criticism: 
verses  45-54.  See  pages  552-560  herein. 

cl   Maccabees   2:42;    7:13-17;    2   Maccabees    14:6. 


66  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

zation  during  the  second  century  B.  C.,  in  connection  with  an 
insurgent  movement  against  the  Maccabean  party.  Their 
platform  was  that  of  opposition  to  the  ever-increasing  mass 
of  traditional  lore,  with  which  the  law  was  not  merely  being 
fenced  or  hedged  about  for  safety,  but  under  which  it  was 
being  buried.  The  Sadducees  stood  for  the  sanctity  of  the 
law  as  written  and  preserved,  while  they  rejected  the  whole 
mass  of  rabbinical  precept  both  as  orally  transmitted  and  as 
collated  and  codified  in  the  records  of  the  scribes.  The 
Pharisees  formed  the  more  popular  party ;  the  Sadducees 
figured  as  the  aristocratic  minority.  At  the  time  of  Christ's 
birth  the  Pharisees  existed  as  an  organized  body  numbering 
over  six  thousand  men,  with  Jewish  women  very  generally 
on  their  side  in  sympathy  and  effort  \d  while  the  Sadducees 
were  so  small  a  faction  and  of  such  limited  power  that,  when 
they  were  placed  in  official  positions,  they  generally  followed 
the  policy  of  the  Pharisees  as  a  matter  of  incumbent  ex- 
pediency. The  Pharisees  were  the  Puritans  of  the  time,  un- 
flinching in  their  demand  for  compliance  with  the  traditional 
rules  as  well  as  the  original  law  of  Moses.  In  this  connec- 
tion note  Paul's  confession  of  faith  and  practise  when  ar- 
raigned before  Agrippa — "That  after  the  most  straitest  sect 
of  our  religion  I  lived  a  Pharisee. "e  The  Sadducees  prided 
themselves  on  strict  compliance  with  the  law,  as  they  con- 
strued it,  irrespective  of  all  scribes  or  rabbis.  The  Sadducees 
stood  for  the  temple  and  its  prescribed  ordinances,  the  Phar- 
isees for  the  synagog  and  its  rabbinical  teachings.  It  is 
difficult  to  decide  which  were  the  more  technical  if  we  judge 
each  party  by  the  standard  of  its  own  profession.  By  way  of 
illustration :  the  Sadducees  held  to  the  literal  and  full  exac- 
tion of  the  Mosaic  penalty — an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for 
a  tooth^ — while  the  Pharisees  contended  on  the  authority  of 
rabbinical  dictum,  that  the  wording  was  figurative,  and 


d  Josephus,    Antiquities,    xvii,    2:4. 

eActs   28:5;    see   also   23:6;    Philip.    3:5. 

/Exo.  21:23-35;   Lev.  24:20;   Deut.   19:21;   contrast   Matt.   5:38-41 


ESSENES    AND   OTHER    PARTIES.  6 

that  therefore  the  penalty  could  be  met  by  a  fine  in  money  or 
goods. 

Pharisees  and  Sadducees  differed  on  many  important  if 
not  fundamental  matters  of  belief  and  practise,  including  the 
preexistence  of  spirits,  the  reality  of  a  future  state  involving 
reward  and  punishment,  the  necessity  for  individual  self- 
denial,  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead  ;  in  each  of  which  the  Pharisees  stood  for  the  affirm- 
ative while  the  Sadducees  denied.*7  Josephus  avers — the 
doctrine  of  the  Sadducees  is  that  the  soul  and  body  perish 
together ;  the  law  is  all  that  they  are  concerned  to  observe.71 
They  were  "a  skeptical  school  of  aristocratic  traditionalists ; 
adhering  only  to  the  Mosaic  law."* 

Among  the  many  other  sects  and  parties  established  on 
the  ground  of  religious  or  political  differences,  or  both,  are 
the  Essenes,  the  Nazarites,  the  Herodians  and  the  Galileans. 
The  Essenes  were  characterized  by  professions  of  ultra- 
piety  ;  they  considered  even  the  strictness  of  Pharisaic  pro- 
fession as  weak  and  insufficient ;  they  guarded  membership 
in  their  order  by  severe  exactions  extending  through  a  first 
and  a  second  novitiate ;  they  were  forbidden  even  to  touch 
food  prepared  by  strangers ;  they  practised  strict  temperance 
and  rigid  self-denial,  indulged  in  hard  labor — preferably  that 
of  agriculture,  and  were  forbidden  to  trade  as  merchants,  to 
take  part  in  war,  or  to  own  or  employ  slaves.''  Nazarites  are 
not  named  in  the  New  Testament,  though  of  specific  record 
in  the  earlier  scriptures  \k  and  from  sources  other  than  scrip- 
tural we  learn  of  their  existence  at  and  after  the  time  of 
Christ.  The  Nazarite  was  one  of  either  sex  who  was  bound 
to  abstinence  and  sacrifice  by  a  voluntary  vow  for  special 
service  to  God;  the  period  of  the  vow  might  be  limited  or 


g  Note    4,    end    of    chapter. 

h  Josephus,   Antiquities   xviii,   1:4. 

i  "New  Stand.  Diet.,"  under  "Sadducees." 

j  Josephus,    Antiquities    xviii,    1:5. 

k  Numb.   6:2-21;  Judges   13:5,   7;   16:17;   Amos.   2:11,12. 


68  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

for  life.     While  the  Essenes  cultivated  an  ascetic  brother- 
hood, the  Nazarites  were  devoted  to  solitary  discipline. 

The  Herodians  constituted  a  politico-religious  party  who 
favored  the  plans  of  the  Herods  under  the  professed  belief 
that  through  that  dynasty  alone  could  the  status  of  the  Jew- 
ish people  be  maintained  and  a  reestablishment  of  the  nation 
be  secured.  We  find  mention  of  the  Herodians  laying  aside 
their  partisan  antipathies  and  acting  in  concert  with  the 
Pharisees  in  the  effort  to  convict  the  Lord  Jesus  and  bring 
Him  to  death.7  The  Galileans  or  people  of  Galilee  were  dis- 
tinguished from  their  fellow  Israelites  of  Judea  by  greater 
simplicity  and  less  ostentatious  devotion  in  matters  pertaining 
to  the  law.  They  were  opposed  to  innovations,  yet  were 
generally  more  liberal  or  less  bigoted  than  some  of  the  pro- 
fessedly devout  Judeans.  They  were  prominent  as  able  de- 
fenders in  the  wars  of  the  people,  and  won  for  themselves  a 
reputation  for  bravery  and  patriotism.  They  are  mentioned 
in  connection  with  certain  tragical  occurrences  during  our 
Lord's  lifetime."1 

The  authority  of  the  priesthood  was  outwardly  acknowl- 
edged by  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  Christ ;  and  the  appointed 
order  of  service  for  priest  and  Levite  was  duly  observed. 
During  the  reign  of  David,  the  descendants  of  Aaron,  who 
were  the  hereditary  priests  in  Israel,  had  been  divided  into 
twenty-four  courses,"  and  to  each  course  the  labors  of  the 
sanctuary  were  alloted  in  turn.  Representatives  of  but  four 
of  these  courses  returned  from  the  captivity,  but  from  these 
the  orders  were  reconstructed  on  the  original  plan.  In  the 
days  of  Herod  the  Great  the  temple  ceremonies  were  con- 
ducted with  great  display  and  outward  elaborateness,  as  an 
essential  matter  of  consistency  with  the  splendor  of  the 
structure,  which  surpassed  in  magnificence  all  earlier  sanc- 
tuaries.0 Priests  and  Levites,  therefore,  were  in  demand  for 


/Matt.   22:15,   16;   Mark   12:13. 

mLuke   13:1,   2;    see   also  John  4:45;   Mark   14:70;   Acts   2:7. 

n  1    Chron.    24:1-18. 

o  Note   5,    end    of    chapter. 


NOTES.  69 

continuous  service,  though  the  individuals  were  changed  at 
short  intervals  according  to  the  established  system.  In  the 
regard  of  the  people  the  priests  were  inferior  to  the  rabbis, 
and  the  scholarly  attainments  of  a  scribe  transcended  in 
honor  that  pertaining  to  ordination  in  the  priesthood.  The 
religion  of  the  time  was  a  matter  of  ceremony  and  formality, 
of  ritual  and  performance;  it  had  lost  the  very  spirit  of 
worship,  and  the  true  conception  of  the  relationship  between 
Israel  and  Israel's  God  was  but  a  dream  of  the  past. 

Such  in  brief  were  the  principal  features  of  the  world's 
condition,  and  particularly  as  concerns  the  Jewish  people, 
when  Jesus  the  Christ  was  born  in  the  meridian  of  time. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  6. 

i.  The  Sanhedrin. — This,  the  chief  court  or  high  council  pf 
the  Jews,  derives  its  name  from  the  Greek  sunedrion,  signifying 
"a  council."  In  English  it  is  sometimes  though  inaccurately 
written  "Sanhedrim."  The  Talmud  traces  the  origin  of  this 
body  to  the  calling  of  the  seventy  elders  whom  Moses  associated 
with  himself,  making  seventy-one  in  all,  to  administer  as  judges 
in  Israel  (Numb,  n  :i6,  17).  The  Sanhedrin  in  the  time  of 
Christ,  as  also  long  before,  comprized  seventy-one  members,  in- 
cluding the  high-priest  who  presided  in  the  assembly.  It  appears 
to  have  been  known  in  its  earlier  period  as  the  Senate,  and  was 
occasionally  so  designated  even  after  Christ's  death,  (Josephus, 
Antiquities  xii,  3:3;  compare  Acts  5:21);  the  name  "Sanhedrin" 
came  into  general  use  during  the  reign  of  Herod  the  Great;  but 
the  term  is  not  of  Biblical  usage ;  its  equivalent  in  the  New 
Testament  is  "council"  (Matt.  5:22;  10:17;  26:59)  though  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  same  term  is  applied  to  courts  of  lesser 
jurisdiction  than  that  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  to  local  tribunals. 
(Matt.  5:22;  10:17;  26:59;  Mark  13:9;  see  also  Acts  25:12.) 

The  following,  from  the  Standard  Bible  Dictionary,  is  in- 
structive :  "Those  qualified  to  be  members  were  in  general  of 
the  priestly  house  and  especially  of  the  Sadducean  nobility.  But 
from  the  days  of  Queen  Alexandra  (69-68  B.  C.)  onward,  there 
were  with  these  chief  priests  also  many  Pharisees  in  it  under 
the  name  of  scribes  and  elders.  These  three  classes  are  found 
combined  in  Matt.  27:41;  Mark  11:27;  14:43,  53;  15:1.  How  such 
members  were  appointed  is  not  entirely  clear.  The  aristocratic 
character  of  the  body  and  the  history  of  its  origin  forbid  the 
belief  that  it  was  by  election.  Its  nucleus  probably  consisted  of 
the  members  of  certain  ancient  families,  to  which,  however,  from 
time  to  time  others  were  added  by  the  secular  rulers.  The  pre- 
siding officer  was  the  high  priest,  who  at  first  exercized  in  it 


70  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    0. 

more  than  the  authority  of  a  member,  claiming  a  voice  equal  to 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  body.  But  after  the  reduction  of  the  high 
priesthood  from  a  hereditary  office  to  one  bestowed  by  the  po- 
litical ruler  according  to  his  pleasure,  and  the  frequent  changes 
in  the  office  introduced  by  the  new  system,  the  high  priest 
naturally  lost  his  prestige.  Instead  of  holding  in  his  hands  the 
'government  of  the  nation,'  he  came  to  be  but  one  of  many  to 
share  this  power ;  those  who  had  served  as  high  priests  being 
still  in  esteem  among  their  nation,  and  having  lost  their  office 
not  for  any  reason  that  could  be  considered  valid  by  the  relig- 
ious sense  of  the  community,  exerted  a  large  influence  over  the 
decisions  of  the  assembly.  In  the  New  Testament  they  are  re- 
garded as  the  rulers  (Matt.  26:59;  27:41;  Acts  4:5,  8;  Luke  23:13, 
35;  John  7:26),  and  Josephus'  testimony  supports  this  view.  The 
functions  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  religious  and  moral,  and  also 
political.  In  the  latter  capacity  they  furth'er  exercized  ad- 
ministrative as  well  as  judicial  functions.  As  a  religious  tribunal, 
the  Sanhedrin  wielded  a  potent  influence  over  the  whole  of  the 
Jewish  world  (Acts  9:2);  but  as  a  court  of  justice,  after  the 
division  of  the  country  upon  the  death  of  Herod,  its  jurisdiction 
was  limited  to  Judea.  Here,  however,  its  power  was  absolute 
even  to  the  passing  of  sentence  of  death  (Josephus,  Ant.  xiv, 
9:3,  4;  Matt.  26:3;  Acts  4:5;  6:12;  22:30),  although  it  had  no 
authority  to  carry  the  sentence  into  execution  except  as  approved 
and  ordered  by  the  representative  of  the  Roman  government. 
The  law  by  which  the  Sanhedrin  .governed  was  naturally  the 
Jewish,  and  in  the  execution  of  it  this  tribunal  had  a  police  of 
its  own,  and  made  arrests  at  its  discretion  (Matt.  26:47).  .  .  . 
.  .  .  While  the  general  authority  of  the  Sanhedrin  extended 
over  the  whole  of  Judea,  the  towns  in  the  country  had  local 
councils  of  their  own  (Matt.  5:22;  10:17;  Mark  13:0;  Josephus, 
B.  J.  ii,  14:1),  for  the  administration  of  local  affairs.  These 
were  constituted  of  elders  (Luke  7:3),  at  least  seven  in  number, 
(Josephus,  Ant.  iv,  8:14;  B.  J.  ii,  20:5),  and  in  some  of  the 
largest  towns  as  many  as  twenty-three.  What  the  relation  of 
these  to  the  central  council  in  Jerusalem  was  does  not  appear 

clearly Some    sort   of   mutual    recognition    existed 

among  them;  for  whenever  the  judges  of  the  local  court  could 
not  agree  it  seems  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  referring  their 
cases  to  the  Sanhedrin  in  Jerusalem.  (Josephus,  Ant.  iv,  18:14; 
Mishna,  Sanh.  11:2)." 

2.  Talmud. — "The  body  of  Jewish  civil  and  religious  law 
(and  discussion  directly  or  remotely  relating  thereto)  not  com- 
prized in  the  Pentateuch,  commonly  including  the  Mishna  and  the 
Gemara,  but  sometimes  limited  to  the  latter ;  written  in  Aramaic. 
It  exists  in  two  great  collections,  the  Palestinian  Talmud,  or 
Talmud  of  the  Land  of  Israel,  or  Talmud  of  the  West,  or,  more 
popularly,  Jerusalem  Talmud,  embodying  the  discussions  on  the 
Mishna  of  the  Palestinian  doctors  from  the  2d  to  the  middle  of 
the  5th  century;  and  the  Babylonian,  embodying  those  of  the 
Jewish  doctors  in  Babylonia,  from  about  190  to  the  7th  century." 
— New  Standard  Diet.  The  Mishna  comprizes  the  earlier  portions 
of  the  Talmud;  the  Gemara  is  made  up  of  later  writings  and  is 


NOTES.  71 

largely  an  exposition  of  the  Mishna.  An  edition  of  the  Baby- 
lonian Talmud  alone  (issued  at  Vienna  in  1682)  comprized 
twenty-four  tomes.  (Geikie.) 

3.  Rabbis. — The  title  Rabbi  is  equivalent  to  our  distinctive 
appellations  Doctor,  Master,  or  Teacher.  By  derivation  it  means 
Master  or  my  Master,  thus  connoting  dignity  and  rank  asso- 
ciated with  politeness  of  address.  A  definite  explanation  of  the 
term  is  given  by  John  (1:38),  and  the  same  meaning  attaches 
by  implication  to  its  use  as  recorded  by  Matthew  (23:8).  It 
was  applied  as  a  title  of  respect  to  Jesus  on  several  occasions 
(Matt.  23:7,  8;  26:25,  49;  Mark  9:5;  11:21;  14:45;  John  1:38,  49; 
3:2,  26;  4:31;  6:25;  9:2;  11:8).  The  title  was  of  comparatively 
recent  usage  in  the  time  of  Christ,  as  it  appears  to  have  first 
come  into  general  use  during  the  reign  of  Herod  the  Great, 
though  the  earlier  teachers,  of  the  class  without  the  name  of 
Rabbis,  were  generally  reverenced,  and  the  title  was  carried  back 
to  them  by  later  usage.  Rab  was  an  inferior  title  and  Rabban 
a  superior  one  to  Rabbi.  Rabboni  was  expressive  of  most  pro- 
found respect,  love  and  honor  (see  John  20:16).  At  the  time  of 
our  Lord's  ministry  the  Rabbis  were  held  in  high  esteem,  and 
rejoiced  in  the  afiflations  of  precedence  and  honor  among  men. 
They  were  almost  exclusively  of  the  powerful  Pharisaic  party. 

The  following  is  from  Geikie's  Life  and  Words  of  Christ, 
vol.  i,  chap.  26:  "If  the  most  important  figures  in  the  society  of 
Christ's  day  were  the  Pharisees,  it  was  because  they  were  the 
Rabbis  or  teachers  of  the  Law.  As  such  they  received  super- 
stitious honor,  which  was,  indeed,  the  great  motive,  with  many, 
to  court  the  title  or  join  the  party.  The  Rabbis  were  classed 
with  Moses,  the  patriarchs,  and  the  prophets,  and  claimed  equal 
reverence.  Jacob  and  Joseph  were  both  said  to  have  been 
Rabbis.  The  Targum  of  Jonathan  substitutes  Rabbis,  or  Scribes, 
for  the  word  'prophets'  where  it  occurs.  Josephus  speaks  of  the 
prophets  of  Saul's  day  as  Rabbis.  In  the  Jerusalem  Targum 

all  the  patriarchs  are  learned  Rabbis They  were 

to  be  dearer  to  Israel  than  father  or  mother — because  parents 
avail  only  in  this  world  [as  was  then  taught]  but  the  Rabbi 
forever.  They  were  set  above  kings,  for  is  it  not  written 
'Through  me  kings  reign'?  Their  entrance  into  a  house  brought 
a  blessing;  to  live  or  to  eat  with  them  was  the  highest  good  for- 
tune. .  .  .  The  Rabbis  went  even  further  than  this  in  exalt- 
ing their  order.  The  Mishna  declares  that  it  is  a  greater  crime 
to  speak  anything  to  their  discredit,  than  to  speak  against  the 

words  of  the  Law Yet  in  form,  the  Law  received 

boundless  honor.  Every  saying  of  the  Rabbis  had  to  be  based 
on  some  words  of  it,  which  were,  however,  explained  in  their 
own  way.  The  spirit  of  the  times,  the  wild  fanaticism  of  the 
people,  and  their  own  bias,  tended  alike  to  make  them  set  value 
only  on  ceremonies  and  worthless  externalisms,  to  the  utter  neg- 
lect of  the  spirit  of  the  sacred  writings.  Still  it  was  held  that 
the  Law  needed  no  confirmation,  while  the  words  of  the  Rabbis 
did.  So  far  as  the  Roman  authority  under  which  they  lived  left 
them  free,  the  Jews  willingly  put  all  power  in  the  hands  of  the 
Rabbis.  They  or  their  nominees  filled  every  office,  from  the 


72  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

highest  in  the  priesthood  to  the  lowest  in  the  community.  They 
were  the  casuists,  the  teachers,  the  priests,  the  judges,  the  mag- 
istrates, and  the  physicians  of  the  nation The 

central  and  dominant  characteristic  of  the  teaching  of  the  Rabbis 
was  the  certain  advent  of  a  great  national  Deliverer — the  Messiah 
or  Anointed  of  God,  or  in  the  Greek  translation  of  the  title,  the 
Christ.  In  no  other  nation  than  the  Jews  has  such  a  conception 

ever  taken  such  root  or  shown  such  vitality 

It  was  agreed  among  the  Rabbis  that  His  birthplace  must  be 
Bethlehem,  and  that  He  must  rise  from  the  tribe  of  Judah." 

Individual  rabbis  gathered  disciples  about  them,  and,  in- 
evitably, rivalry  became  manifest.  Rabbinical  schools  and  acad- 
emies were  established,  each  depending  for  its  popularity  on  the 
greatness  of  some  rabbi.  The  most  famous  of  these  insti- 
tutions in  the  time  of  Herod  I.  were  the  school  of  Hillel  and 
that  of  his  rival  Shammai.  Later,  tradition  invested  these  with 
the  title  "the  fathers  of  old."  It  appears  from  the  trifling  mat- 
ters over  which  the  followers  of  these  two  disagreed,  that  only 
by  opposition  could  either  maintain  a  distinguishing  status. 
Hillel  is  reputed  as  the  grandfather  of  Gamaliel,  the  rabbi  and 
doctor  of  the  law  at  whose  feet  Saul  of  Tarsus,  afterward  Paul 
the  apostle,  received  his  early  instruction  (Acts  22:3).  So  far 
as  we  have  historic  record  of  the  views,  principles  or  beliefs 
advocated  by  the  rival  schools  of  Hillel  and  Shammai,  it  appears 
that  the  former  stood  for  a  greater  degree  of  liberality  and  tol- 
erance, while  the  later  emphasized  a  strict  and  possibly  narrow 
interpretation  of  the  law  and  its  associated  traditions.  The  de- 
pendence of  the  rabbinical  schools  on  the  authority  of  tradition 
is  illustrated  by  an  incident  of  record  to  the  effect  that  even  the 
prestige  of  the  great  Hillel  did  not  insure  him  against  uproar 
when  once  he  spoke  without  citing  precedent ;  only  when  he 
added  that  so  had  his  masters  Abtalion  and  Shemajah  spoken 
did  the  tumult  subside. 

4.  Sadducean  Denial  of  the  Resurrection. — As  set  forth  in 
the  text,  the  Sadducees  formed  an  association  numerically  small 
as  compared  with  the  more  popular  and  influential  Pharisees. 
In  the  Gospels  the  Pharisees  are  of  frequent  mention,  and  very 
commonly  in  connection  with  the  scribes,  while  the  Sadducees 
are  less  frequently  named.  In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the 
Sadducees  appear  frequently  as  opponents  of  the  Church.  This 
condition  was  doubtless  due  to  the  prominence  given  the  resur- 
rection from  the  dead  among  the  themes  of  the  apostolic  preach- 
ing, the  Twelve  continually  bearing  testimony  to  the  actual 
resurrection  of  Christ.  Sadducean  doctrine  denied  the  actuality 
and  possibility  of  a  bodily  resurrection,  the  contention  resting 
mainly  on  the  ground  that  Moses,  who  was  regarded  as  the 
supreme  mortal  lawgiver  in  Israel,  and  the  chief  mouthpiece  of 
Jehovah,  had  written  nothing  concerning  life  after  death.  The 
following  is  taken  from  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article 
"Sadducees,"  as  touching  this  matter:  "The  denial  of  man's 
resurrection  after  death  followed  in  the  conception  of  the  Sad- 
ducees as  a  logical  conclusion  from  their  denial  that  Moses  had 
revealed  to  the  Israelites  the  Oral  Law.  For  on  a  point  so 


NOTES.  73 

momentous  as  a  second  life  beyond  the  grave,  no  religious  party 
among  the  Jews  would  have  deemed  themselves  bound  to  accept 
any  doctrine  as  an  article  of  faith,  unless  it  had  been  proclaimed 
by  Moses,  their  great  legislator;  and  it  is  certain  that  in  the 
written  Law  of  the  Pentateuch  there  is  a  total  absence  of  any 
assertion  by  Moses  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  This  fact 
is  presented  to  Christians  in  a  striking  manner  by  the  well- 
known  words  of  the  Pentateuch  which  are  quoted  by  Christ  in 
argument  with  the  Sadducees  on  this  subject  (Exo.  3:6,  16;  Mark 
12:26,27;  Matt.  22:31,  32;  Luke  20:37;.  It  cannot  be  doubted 
that  in  such  a  case  Christ  would  quote  to  His  powerful  adver- 
saries the  most  cogent  text  in  the  Law;  and  yet  the  text  actually 
quoted  does  not  do  more  than  suggest  an  inference  on  this  great 
doctrine.  It  is  true  that  passages  in  other  parts  of  the  Old 
Testament  express  a  belief  in  the  resurrection  (Isa.  26:19;  Dan. 
12:2;  Job  19:26;  and  in  some  of  the  Psalms)  ;  and  it  may  at  first 
sight  be  a  subject  of  surprize  that  the  Sadducees  were  not  con- 
vinced by  the  authority  of  those  passages.  But  although  the 
Sadducees  regarded  the  books  which  contained  those  passages  as 
sacred,  it  is  more  than  doubtful  whether  any  of  the  Jews  re- 
garded them  as  sacred  in  precisely  the  same  sense  as  the  written 
Law.  To  the  Jews  Moses  was  and  is  a  colossal  form,  preemi- 
nent in  authority  above  all  subsequent  prophets." 

5.  The  Temple  of  Herod. — "Herod's  purpose  in  the  great 
undertaking  [that  of  restoring  the  temple,  and  of  enlarging  it  on 
a  plan  of  unprecedented  magnificence]  was  that  of  aggrandizing 
himself  and  the  nation,  rather  than  the  rendering  of  homage  to 
Jehovah.  His  proposition  to  rebuild  or  restore  the  temple  on 
a  scale  of  increased  magnificence  was  regarded  with  suspicion 
and  received  with  disfavor  by  the  Jews,  who  feared  that  were  the 
ancient  edifice  demolished,  the  arbitrary  monarch  might  abandon 
his  plan  and  the  people  would  be  left  without  a  temple.  To  allay 
these  fears  the  king  proceeded  to  reconstruct  and  restore  the 
old  edifice,  part  by  part,  directing  the  work  so  that  at  no  time 
was  the  temple  service  seriously  interrupted.  So  little  of  the 
ancient  structure  was  allowed  to  stand,  however,  that  the  temple 
of  Herod  must  be  regarded  as  a  new  creation.  The  work  was 
begun  about  sixteen  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ;  and  while 
the  Holy  House  itself  was  practically  completed  within  a  year 
and  a  half,  this  part  of  the  labor  having  been  performed  by  a 
body  of  one  thousand  priests  specially  trained  for  the  purpose, 
the  temple  area  was  a  scene  of  uninterrupted  building  operations 
down  to  the  year  63  A.  D.  We  read  that  in  the  time  of  Christ's 
ministry  the  temple  had  been  forty-six  years  in  building;  and  at 
that  time  it  was  unfinished. 

"The  Biblical  record  gives  us  little  information  regarding 
this  the  last  and  the  greatest  of  ancient  temples ;  for  what  we 
know  concerning  it  we  are  indebted  mainly  to  Josephus,  with 
some  corroborative  testimony  found  in  the  Talmud.  In  all 
essentials  the  Holy  House,  or  Temple  proper,  was  similar  to  the 
two  earlier  houses  of  sanctuary,  though  externally  far  more 
elaborate  and  imposing  than  either;  but  in  the  matter  of  sur- 
rounding courts  and  associated  buildings,  the  Temple  of  Herod 


74  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    6. 

preeminently  excelled Yet  its  beauty  and  grandeur 

lay  in  architectural  excellence  rather  than  in  the  sanctity  of  its 
worship  or  in  the  manifestation  of  the  Divine  Presence  within 
its  walls.  Its  ritual  and  service  were  largely  man-prescribed; 
for  while  the  letter  of  the  Mosaic  Law  was  professedly  observed, 
the  law  had  been  supplemented  and  in  many  features  supplanted 
by  rule  and  priestly  prescription.  The  Jews  professed  to  con- 
sider it  holy,  and  by  them  it  was  proclaimed  as  the  House  of  the 
Lord.  Devoid  though  it  was  of  the  divine  accompaniments  of 
earlier  shrines  accepted  of  God,  and  denied  as  it  was  by  priestly 
arrogance  and  usurpation,  as  also  by  the  selfish  interest  of  traffic 
and  trade,  it  was  nevertheless  recognized  even  by  our  Lord  the 
Christ  as  His  Father's  House.  (Matt.  21:12;  compare  Mark 
11:15;  Luke  19:45.)  ....  For  thirty  or  more  years  after 
the  death  of  Christ,  the  Jews  continued  the  work  of  adding  to 
and  embellishing  the  temple  buildings.  The  elaborate  design 
conceived  and  projected  by  Herod  had  been  practically  com- 
pleted; the  temple  was  well-nigh  finished,  and,  as  soon  after* 
ward  appeared,  was  ready  for  destruction.  Its  fate  had  been 
definitely  foretold  by  the  Savior  Himself." — From  the  author's 
House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  54-61. 


ZACHARIAS    THE    PRIEST.  75 


CHAPTER   7. 

GABRIEL'S  ANNUNCIATION  OF  JOHN  AND  OF  JESUS. 

JOHN    THE   FORERUNNER. 

Associated  with  the  prophecies  of  the  birth  of  Christ  are 
predictions  concerning  one  who  should  precede  Him,  going 
before  to  prepare  the  way.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the 
annunciation  of  the  immediate  advent  of  the  forerunner  was 
speedily  followed  by  that  of  the  Messiah ;  nor  that  the  procla- 
mations were  made  by  the  same  heavenly  embassador — 
Gabriel,  sent  from  the  presence  of  God.a 

About  fifteen  months  prior  to  the  Savior's  birth,  Zacha- 
rias,  a  priest  of  the  Aaronic  order,  was  officiating  in  the 
functions  of  his  office  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  His  wife, 
Elisabeth,  was  also  of  a  priestly  family,  being  numbered 
among  the  descendants  of  Aaron.  The  couple  had  never 
been  blessed  with  children ;  and  at  the  time  of  which  we 
speak  they  were  both  well  stricken  in  years  and  had  sorrow- 
fully given  up  hope  of  posterity.  Zacharias  belonged  to  the 
course  of  priests  named  after  Abijah,  and  known  in  later 
time  as  the  course  of  Abia.  This  was  the  eighth  in  the 
order  of  the  twenty-four  courses  established  by  David  the 
king,  each  course  being  appointed  to  serve  in  turn  a  week  at 
the  sanctuary. b  It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  return 
of  the  people  from  Babylon  only  four  of  the  courses  were 
represented;  but  of  these  four  each  averaged  over  fourteen 
hundred  men.c 

During  his  week  of  service  each  priest  was  required  to 
maintain  scrupulously  a  state  of  ceremonial  cleanliness  of 

oLuke   1:19,    26;    see   also   Dan.    8:16;   9:21-33. 
b  Luke  1:5;  compare  1  Chron.  24:10. 
c  Ezra  2:36-39, 


76  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

person ;  he  had  to  abstain  from  wine,  and  from  food  except 
that  specifically  prescribed;  he  had  to  bathe  frequently;  he 
lived  within  the  temple  precincts  and  thus  was  cut  off  from 
family  association;  he  was  not  allowed  to  come  near  the 
dead,  nor  to  mourn  in  the  formal  manner  if  death  should  rob 
him  of  even  his  nearest  and  dearest  of  kin.  We  learn  that  the 
daily  selection  of  the  priest  who  should  enter  the  Holy 
Place,  and  there  burn  incense  on  the  golden  altar,  was  de- 
termined by  lot;d  and  furthermore  we  gather,  from  non- 
scriptural  history,  that  because  of  the  great  number  of 
priests  the  honor  of  so  officiating  seldom  fell  twice  to  the 
same  person. 

On  this  day  the  lot  had  fallen  to  Zacharias.  It  was  a 
very  solemn  occasion  in  the  life  of  the  humble  Judean 
priest — this  one  day  in  his  life  on  which  the  special  and  par- 
ticularly sacred  service  was  required  of  him.  Within  the 
Holy  Place  he  was  separated  by  the  veil  of  the  temple  only 
from  the  Oracle  or  Holy  of  Holies — the  inner  sanctuary  into 
which  none  but  the  high  priest  might  enter,  and  he  only  on 
the  Day  of  Atonement,  after  long  ceremonial  preparation.' 
The  place  and  the  time  were  conducive  to  the  highest  and 
most  reverential  feelings.  As  Zacharias  ministered  within 
the  Holy  Place,  the  people  without  bowed  themselves  in 
prayer,  watching  for  the  clouds  of  incense  smoke  to  appear 
above  the  great  partition  which  formed  the  barrier  between 
the  place  of  general  assembly  and  the  Holy  Place,  and  await- 
ing the  reappearance  of  the  priest  and  his  pronouncement  of 
the  benediction. 

Before  the  astonished  gaze  of  Zacharias,  at  this  supreme 
moment  of  his  priestly  service,  there  appeared,  standing  on 
the  right  of  the  golden  altar  of  incense,  an  angel  of  the  Lord. 
Many  generations  had  passed  in  Jewry  since  any  visible 
presence  other  than  mortal  had  been  manifest  within  the 

d  Luke  1:8,  9;   read  the  entire  chapter. 

e  Lev.  chap.  16;  Heb.  9:1-7;  see  also  "House  of  the  Lord,"  p.  59,  and 
compare  pp.  24  and  39. 


GABRIEL'S  ANNUNCIATION  TO  ZACHARIAS.  77 

temple,  either  in  the  Holy  Place  or  the  Holy  of  Holies ;  the 
people  regarded  personal  visitations  of  heavenly  beings  as 
occurrences  of  the  past;  they  had  come  almost  to  believe 
that  there  were  no  longer  prophets  in  Israel.  Nevertheless, 
there  was  always  a  feeling  of  anxiety,  akin  to  that  of  troubled 
expectancy,  whenever  a  priest  approached  the  inner  sanctu- 
ary, which  was  regarded  as  the  particular  abode  of  Jehovah 
should  He  ever  again  condeccend  to  visit  His  people.  In 
view  of  these  conditions  we  read  without  surprize  that  this 
angelic  presence  troubled  Zachr.rias  and  caused  fear  to  fall 
upon  him.  The  words  of  the  heavenly  visitant,  however, 
were  comforting  though  of  startling  import,  embodying  as 
they  did  the  unqualified  assurance  that  the  man's  prayers 
had  been  heard,  and  that  his  wife  should  bear  him  a  son, 
who  must  be  named  John/  The  promise  went  even  further, 
specifying  that  the  child  to  be  born  of  Elisabeth  would  be  a 
blessing  to  the  people;  many  would  rejoice  at  his  birth;  he 
would  be  great  in  the  sight  of  the  .Lord,  and  must  be  guarded 
against  wine  and  strong  drink  *  he  would  be  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  would  be  the  means  of  turning  many  souls  to 
God,  and  would  go  before  to  make  ready  a  people  prepared 
to  receive  the  Messiah. 

Doubtless  Zacharias  recognized  in  the  predicted  future 
of  the  yet  unborn  child,  the  great  forerunner,  of  whom  the 
prophets  had  told  and  the  psalmist  had  sung ;  but  that  such 
a  one  should  be  offspring  of  himself  and  his  aged  wife 
seemed  impossible  despite  the  angel's  promise.  The  man 
doubted,  and  asked  whereby  he  should  know  that  what  his 
visitant  had  spoken  was  true:  "And  the  angel  answering 
said  unto  him,  I  am  Gabriel,  that  stand  in  the  presence  of 
God ;  and  am  sent  to  speak  unto  thee,  and  to  shew  thee  these 
glad  tidings.  And,  behold,  thou  shalt  be  dumb,  and  not  able 


/  Page  40.  For  other  instances  of  children  promised  in  spite  of  barren- 
ness due  to  a-ge  or  other  causes,  see  Isaac  (Gen.  17:16,  17  and  21:1-3);  Sam- 
son, (Judges,  chap.  13);  Samuel  (1  Sam.  chap  1);  son  of  the  Shunammite 
(2  Kings  4:14-17). 

g  Note   1,   end   of   chapter. 


78  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

to  speak,  until  the  day  that  these  things  shall  be  performed, 
because  thou  believest  not  my  words,  which  shall  be  fulfilled 
in  their  season."'1  When  the  highly  blessed  though  sorely 
smitten  priest  at  length  came  from  within  and  appeared  be- 
fore the  expectant  congregation,  already  made  anxious  by 
his  delayed  return,  he  could  but  mutely  dismiss  the  assembly 
and  by  signs  indicate  that  he  had  seen  a  vision.  The  penalty 
for  doubt  was  already  operative  ;  Zacharias  was  dumb. 

In  due  time  the  child  was  born,  there  in  the  hill  country 
of  Judea*  where  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth  had  their  home  ; 
and,  on  the  eighth  day  following  the  birth  the  family  assem- 
bled in  accordance  with  custom  and  Mosaic  requirement,  to 
name  the  babe  in  connection  with  the  rite  of  circumcision.' 
All  suggestions  that  he  be  called  after  his  father  were  over- 
ruled by  Zacharias,  who  wrote  with  decisive  finality:  "His 
name  is  John."  Thereupon  the  dumb*  priest's  tongue  was 
loosed,  and  being  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  he  burst  forth 
in  prophecy,  praise  and  song;  his  inspired  utterances  have 
been  set  to  music  and  are  sung  in  worship  by  many  Christian 
congregations  as  the  Benedictus  : 

"Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  ;  for  he  hath  visited 
and  redeemed  his  people,  and  hath  raised  up  an  horn  of 
salvation  for  us  in  the  house  of  his  servant  David  ;  as  he 
spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  which  have  been 
since  the  world  began  :  that  we  should  be  saved  from  our 
enemies,  and  from  the  hand  of  all  that  hate  us  ;  to  perform 
the  mercy  promised  to  our  fathers,  and  to  remember  his  holy 
covenant  ;  the  oath  which  he  sware  to  our  father  Abraham, 
that  he  would  grant  unto  us,  that  we  being  delivered  out  of 
the  hand  of  our  enemies  might  serve  him  without  fear,  in 
holiness  and  righteousness  before  him,  all  the  days  of  our 
life.  And  thou,  child,  shalt  be  called  the  prophet  of  the 
Highest;  for  thou  shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to 
prepare  his  ways;  to  give  knowledge  of  salvation  unto  his 


1:19,    20. 

t  Luke     1:57;     compare     verse     39. 
/  Note    2,    end    of    chapter. 
k  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


WHAT    MANNER   OF   CHILD   SHALL   THIS   BE?  79 

people  by  the  remission  of  their  sins,  through  the  tender 
mercy  of  our  God;  whereby  the  dayspring  from  on  high 
hath  visited  us,  to  give  light  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness 
and  in  the  shadow  of  death,  to  guide  our  feet  into  the  way 
of  peace."  ; 

The  last  words  Zacharias  had  uttered  prior  to  the  inflic- 
tion of  dumbness  were  words  of  doubt  and  unbelief,  words  in 
which  he  had  called  for  a  sign  as  proof  of  authority  of  one 
who  came  from  the  presence  of  the  Almighty ;  the  words  with 
which  he  broke  his  long  silence  were  words  of  praise  unto 
God  in  whom  he  had  all  assurance,  words  that  were  as  a 
sign  to  all  who  heard,  and  the  fame  whereof  spread  through- 
out the  region. 

The  unusual  circumstances  attending  the  birth  of  John, 
notably  the  months  of  dumbness  passed  by  the  father  and 
his  sudden  recovery  of  speech  on  the  bestowal  of  the  fore- 
appointed  name,  caused  many  to  marvel  and  some  to  fear, 
as  they  asked :  "What  manner  of  child  shall  this  be !" 
When,  a  man  grown,  John  raised  his  voice  in  the  wilderness, 
again  in  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  the  people  questioned  as  to 
whether  he  was  not  the  Messiah.™  Of  his  life  between  in- 
fancy and  the  beginning  of  his  public  ministry,  a  period  of 
approximately  thirty  years,  we  have  of  record  but  a  single 
sentence :  "And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit, 
and  was  in  the  deserts  till  the  day  of  his  shewing  unto 
Israel."* 

THE   ANNUNCIATION    TO   THE  VIRGIN. 

Six  months  after  the  visitation  of  Gabriel  to  Zacharias, 
and  three  months  prior  to  the  birth  of  John,  the  same  heav- 
enly messenger  was  sent  to  a  young  woman  named  Mary, 
who  lived  at  Nazareth,  a  town  in  Galilee.  She  was  of  the 
lineage  of  David;  and  though  unmarried  was  betrothed 


/Luke  1:68-79. 

m  Luke    1:65,    66;    see   also   3:15. 

nLuke    1:80. 


80  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

or  espoused  to  a  man  named  Joseph,  who  also  was  of  royal 
descent  through  the  Davidic  line.  The  angel's  salutation, 
while  full  of  honor  and  blessing,  caused  Mary  to  wonder  and 
to  feel  troubled.  "Hail,  thou  that  art  highly  favoured,  the 
Lord  is  with  thee:  blessed  art  thou  among  women"  ;c  thus 
did  Gabriel  greet  the  virgin. 

In  common  with  other  daughters  of  Israel,  specifically 
those  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  and  of  known  descent  from 
David,  Mary  had  doubtless  contemplated,  with  holy  joy  and 
ecstasy,  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  through  the  royal  line ; 
she  knew  that  some  Jewish  maiden  was  yet  to  become  the 
mother  of  the  Christ.  Was  it  possible  that  the  angel's 
words  to  her  had  reference  to  this  supreme  expectation  and 
hope  of  the  nation?  She  had  little  time  to  turn  these  things 
in  her  mind,  for  the  angel  continued  :  "Fear  not,  Mary :  for 
thou  hast  found  favour  with  God.  And,  behold,  thou  shalt 
conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  bring  forth  a  son,  and  shalt  call 
his  name  JESUS.  He  shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the 
Son  of  the  Highest :  and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him 
the  throne  of  his  father  David :  and  he  shall  reign  over  the 
house  of  Jacob  for  ever ;  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be 
no  end."^ 

Even  yet  she  comprehended  but  in  part  the  import  of 
this  momentous  visitation.  Not  in  the  spirit  of  doubt  such 
as  had  prompted  Zacharias  to  ask  for  a  sign,  but  through  an 
earnest  desire  for  information  and  explanation,  Mary,  con- 
scious of  her  unmarried  status  and  sure  of  her  virgin  con- 
dition, asked:  "How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I  know  not  a 
man?"  The  answer  to  her  natural  and  simple  inquiry  was 
the  announcement  of  a  miracle  such  as  the  world  had  never 
known — not  a  miracle  in  the  sense  of  a  happening  contrary 
to  nature's  law,  nevertheless  a  miracle  through  the  operation 
of  higher  law,  such  as  the  human  mind  ordinarily  fails  to 
comprehend  or  regard  as  possible.  Mary  was  informed  that 

o  Luke     1 :28. 
/>Luke  1:30-33. 


THE   ONLY   BEGOTTEN    SON    OF   GOD.  81 

she  would  conceive  and  in  time  bring  forth  a  Son,  of  whom 
no  mortal  man  would  be  the  father : — "And  the  angel  an- 
swered and  said  unto  her,  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon 
thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee: 
therefore  also  that  holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee 
shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God."? 

Then  the  angel  told  her  of  the  blessed  condition  of  her 
cousin  Elisabeth,  who  had  been  barren ;  and  by  way  of  suf- 
ficient and  final  explanation  added :  "For  with  God  nothing 
shall  be  impossible."  With  gentle  submissiveness  and  hum- 
ble acceptance,  the  pure  young  virgin  replied :  "Behold  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord  ;  be  it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word." 

His  message  delivered,  Gabriel  departed,  leaving  the 
chosen  Virgin  of  Nazareth  to  ponder  over  her  wondrous 
experience.  Mary's  promised  Son  was  to  be  "The  Only 
Begotten"  of  the  Father  in  the  flesh ;  so  it  had  been  both 
positively  and  abundantly  predicted.  True,  the  event  was 
unprecedented;  true  also  it  has  never  been  paralleled;  but 
that  the  virgin  birth- would  be  unique  was  as  truly  essential 
to  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy  as  that  it  should  occur  at  all. 
That  Child  to  be  born  of  Mary  was  begotten  of  Elohim,  the 
Eternal  Father,  not  in  violation  of  natural  law  but  in 
accordance  with  a  higher  manifestation  thereof ;  and,  the 
offspring  from  that  association  of  supreme  sanctity,  celes- 
tial Sireship,  and  pure  though  mortal  maternity,  was  of  right 
to  be  called  the  "Son  of  the  Highest."  In  His  nature  would 
be  combined  the  powers  of  Godhood  with  the  capacity  and 
possibilities  of  mortality ;  and  this  through  the  ordinary  oper- 
ation of  the  fundamental  law  of  heredity,  declared  of  God, 
demonstrated  by  science,  and  admitted  by  philosophy,  that 
living  beings  shall  propagate — after  their  kind.  The  Child 
Jesus  was  to  inherit  the  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual  traits, 
tendencies,  and  powers  that  characterized  His  parents — one 
immortal  and  glorified — God,  the  other  human — woman. 

q  Luke   1:35;   see   also  preceding   verses,   31-33. 


82  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

Jesus  Christ  was  to  be  born  of  mortal  woman,  but  was 
not  directly  the  offspring  of  mortal  man,  except  so  far  as 
His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  both  man  and  woman.  In 
our  I^ord  alone  has  been  fulfilled  the  word  of  God  spoken  in 
relation  to  the  fall  of  Adam,  that  the  seed  of  the  woman 
should  have  power  to  overcome  Satan  by  bruising  the  ser- 
pent's head/ 

In  respect  to  place,  condition,  and  general  environment, 
Gabriel's  annunciation  to  Zacharias  offers  strong  contrast 
to  the  delivery  of  his  message  to  Mary.  The  prospective 
forerunner  of  the  Lord  was  announced  to  his  father  within 
the  magnificent  temple,  and  in  a  place  the  most  exclusively 
sacred  save  one  other  in  the  Holy  House,  under  the  light 
shed  from  the  golden  candlestick,  and  further  illumined  by 
the  glow  of  living  coals  on  the  altar  of  gold ;  the  Messiah 
was  announced  to  His  mother  in  a  small  town  far  from  the 
capital  and  the  temple,  most  probably  within  the  walls  of  a 
simple  Galilean  cottage. 

MARY'S  VISIT  TO  HER  COUSIN  EUSABETH. 

It  was  natural  that  Mary,  left  now  to  herself  with  a 
secret  in  her  soul,  holier,  greater,  and  more  thrilling  than 
any  ever  borne  before  or  since,  should  seek  companionship, 
and  that  of  some  one  of  her  own  sex,  in  whom  she  could  con- 
fide, from  whom  she  might  hope  to  derive  comfort  and  sup- 
port, and  to  whom  it  would  be  not  wrong  to  tell  what  at  that 
time  was  probably  known  to  no  mortal  save  herself.  Her 
heavenly  visitant  had  indeed  suggested  all  this  in  his  mention 
of  Elisabeth,  Mary's  cousin,  herself  a  subject  of  unusual 
blessing,  and  a  woman  through  whom  another  miracle  of 
God  had  been  wrought.  Mary  set  out  with  haste  from  Naz- 
areth for  the  hill  country  of  Judea,  on  a  journey  of  about  a 
hundred  miles  if  the  traditional  account  be  true  that  the  little 
town  of  Juttah  was  the  home  of  Zacharias.  There  was 

rPage   43;    and    Gen.   3:15. 


THE    MAGNIFICAT.  83 

/ 

mutual  joy  in  the  meeting  between  Mary  the  youthful  virgin, 
and  Elisabeth,  already  well  advanced  in  life.  From  what  of 
Gabriel's  words  her  husband  had  communicated,  Elisabeth 
must  have  known  that  the  approaching  birth  of  her  son  would 
soon  be  followed  by  that  of  the  Messiah,  and  that  therefore 
the  day  for  which  Israel  had  waited  and  prayed  through  the 
long  dark  centuries  was  about  to  dawn.  When  Mary's 
salutation  fell  upon  her  ears,  the  Holy  Ghost  bore  witness 
that  the  chosen  mother  of  the  IYord  stood  before  her  in  the 
person  of  her  cousin ;  and  as  she  experienced  the  physical 
thrill  incident  to  the  quickening  spirit  of  her  own  blessed 
conception,  she  returned  the  greeting  of  her  visitor  with 
reverence :  "Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  and  blessed  is 
the  fruit  of  thy  womb.  And  whence  is  this  to  me,  that  the 
mother  of  my  IvOrd  should  come  to  me?"*  Mary  responded 
with  that  glorious  hymn  of  praise,  since  adopted  in  the  mu- 
sical ritual  of  churches  as  the  Magnificat : 

"My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  hath  re- 
joiced in  God  my  Saviour.  For  he  hath  regarded  the  low 
estate  of  his  handmaiden :  for,  behold,  from  henceforth  all 
generations  shall  call  me  blessed.  For  he  that  is  mighty 
hath  done  to  me  great  things ;  and  holy  is  his  name.  And 
his  mercy  is  on  them  that  fear  him  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration. He  hath  shewed  strength  with  his  arm ;  he  hath 
scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination  of  their  hearts.  He 
hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats,  and  exalted  them 
of  low  degree.  He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things ; 
and  the  rich  he  hath  sent  empty  away.  He  hath  holpen  his 
servant  Israel,  in  remembrance  of  his  mercy ;  as  he  spake  to 
our  fathers,  to  Abraham,  and  to  his  seed  for  ever."* 

MARY   AND    JOSEPH. 

The  visit  lasted  about  three  months,  after  which  time 
Mary  returned  to  Nazareth.  The  real  embarrassment  of  her 
position  she  had  now  to  meet.  At  the  home  of  her  cousin 


s  Luke   1:42;    read  verses  39-56. 
fLuke    1:46-55. 


84  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

she  had  been  understood ;  her  condition  had  served  to  con- 
firm the  testimony  of  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth ;  but  how 
would  her  word  be  received  at  her  own  home?  And  espe- 
cially, how  would  she  be  regarded  by  her  espoused  hus- 
band?" Betrothal,  or  espousal,  in  that  time  was  in  some 
respects  as  binding  as  the  marriage  vow,  and  could  only  be 
set  aside  by  a  ceremonial  separation  akin  to  divorce ;  yet  an 
espousal  was  but  an  engagement  to  marry,  not  a  marriage. 
When  Joseph  greeted  his  promised  bride  after  her  three 
months'  absence,  he  was  greatly  distressed  over  the  indica- 
tions of  her  prospective  maternity.  Now  the  Jewish  law 
provided  for  the  annulment  of  a  betrothal  in  either  of  two 
ways — by  public  trial  and  judgment,  or  by  private  agreement 
attested  by  a  written  document  signed  in  the  presence  of 
witnesses.  Joseph  was  a  just  man,  a  strict  observer  of  the 
law,  yet  no  harsh  extremist ;  moreover  he  loved  Mary  and 
would  save  her  all  unnecessary  humiliation,  whatever  might 
be  his  own  sorrow  and  suffering.  For  Mary's  sake  he 
dreaded  the  thought  of  publicity ;  and  therefore  determined 
to  have  the  espousal  annulled  with  such  privacy  as  the  law 
allowed.  He  was  troubled  and  thought  much  of  his  duty  in 
the  matter,  when,  "behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared 
unto  him  in  a  dream,  saying,  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear 
not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife :  for  that  which  is  con- 
ceived in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  she  shall  bring 
forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  JESUS  :  for  he  shall 
save  his  people  from  their  sins."*' 

Great  was  Joseph's  relief  of  mind ;  and  great  his  joy  in 
the  realization  that  the  long  predicted  coming  of  the  Messiah 
was  at  hand;  the  words  of  the  prophets  would  be  fulfilled; 
a  virgin,  and  she  the  one  in  the  world  most  dear  to  him,  had 
conceived,  and  in  due  time  would  bring  forth  that  blessed 
Son,  Emmanuel,  which  name  by  interpretation  means  "God 


«  Note   4,    end   of   chapter. 
z>Matt.   1:20,   21;    read   18-25. 


THE  ROYAL  LINEAGE  OF  JESUS.  85 

with  us."w  The  angel's  salutation  was  significant;  "Joseph, 
thou  son  of  David,"  was  the  form  of  address  ;  and  the  use  of 
that  royal  title  must  have  meant  to  Joseph  that,  though  he 
was  of  kingly  lineage,  marriage  with  Mary  would  cast  no 
shadow  upon  his  family  status.  Joseph  waited  not;  to  in- 
sure Mary  all  possible  protection  and  establish  his  full  legal 
right  as  her  lawful  guardian  he  hastened  the  solemnization 
of  the  marriage,  and  "did  as  the  angel  of  the  L/ord  had  bid- 
den him,  and  took  unto  him  his  wife  :  and  knew  her  not  till 
she  had  brought  forth  her  firstborn  son  :  and  he  called  his 
name  JESUS/'* 

The  national  hope  of  a  Messiah  based  on  promise  and 
prophecy  had  become  confused  in  the  Jewish  mind,  through 
the  influence  of  rabbinism  with  its  many  vagaries,  and  its 
"private  interpretation"^  made  to  appear  authoritative  by  the 
artificially  sustained  prestige  of  the  expositors  ;  yet  certain 
conditions  had  been  emphasized  as  essential,  even  by  the 
rabbis,  and  by  these  essentials  would  be  judged  the  claim  of 
any  Jew  who  might  declare  himself  to  be  the  long  expected 
One.  It  was  beyond  question  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be 
born  within  the  tribe  of  Judah  and  through  the  line  of  de- 
scent from  David,  and,  being  of  David  He  must  of  necessity 
be  of  the  lineage  of  Abraham,  through  whose  posterity,  ac- 
cording to  the  covenant,  all  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  be 
blessed/ 

Two  genealogical  records  purporting  to  give  the  lineage 
of  Jesus  are  found  in  the  New  Testament,  one  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Matthew,  the  other  in  the  third  chapter  of  L,uke. 
These  records  present  several  apparent  discrepancies,  but 
such  have  been  satisfactorily  reconciled  by  the  research  of 
specialists  in  Jewish  genealogy.  No  detailed  analysis  of  the 
matter  will  be  attempted  here  ;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 


w  Matt.  1:22-23;  compare  Isa.  7:14;  see  also  9:6. 

*Matt.    1:24,    25. 

y  2    Peter    1:20. 

s  Gen.  12:3;  18:18;  22:18;  26:4;  compare  Acts  3:25;   Gal.  3:8. 


86  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

that  the  consensus  of  judgment  on  the  part  of  investigators 
is  that  Matthew's  account  is  that  of  the  royal  lineage,  estab- 
lishing the  order  of  sequence  among  the  legal  successors  to 
the  throne  of  David,  while  the  account  given  by  Luke  is  a 
personal  pedigree,  demonstrating  descent  from  David  with- 
out adherence  to  the  line  of  legal  succession  to  the  throne 
through  primogeniture  or  nearness  of  kin.a  Luke's  record 
is  regarded  by  many,  however,  as  the  pedigree  of  Mary, 
while  Matthew's  is  accepted  as  that  of  Joseph.  The  all  im- 
portant fact  to  be  remembered  is  that  the  Child  promised  by 
Gabriel  to  Mary,  the  virginal  bride  of  Joseph,  would  be  born 
in  the  royal  line.  A  personal  genealogy  of  Joseph  was 
essentially  that  of  Mary  also,  for  they  were  cousins.  Joseph 
is  named  as  son  of  Jacob  by  Matthew,  and  as  son  of  Heli  by 
Luke ;  but  Jacob  and  Heli  were  brothers,  and  it  appears  that 
one  of  the  two  was  the  father  of  Joseph  and  the  other  the 
father  of  Mary  and  therefore  father-in-law  to  Joseph.  That 
Mary  was  of  Davidic  descent  is  plainly  set  forth  in  many 
scriptures ;  for  since  Jesus  was  to  be  born  of  Mary,  yet  was 
not  begotten  by  Joseph,  who  was  the  reputed,  and,  according 
to  the  law  of  the  Jews,  the  legal,  father,  the  blood  of  David's 
posterity  was  given  to  the  body  of  Jesus  through  Mary  alone. 
Our  Lord,  though  repeatedly  addressed  as  Son  of  David, 
never  repudiated  the  title  but  accepted  it  as  rightly  applied 
to  Himself. b  Apostolic  testimony  stands  in  positive  asser- 
tion of  the  royal  heirship  of  Christ  through  earthly  lineage, 
as  witness  the  affirmation  of  Paul,  the  scholarly  Pharisee: 
"Concerning  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  which  was 
made  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh;"  and 
again :  "Remember  that  Jesus  Christ  of  the  seed  of  David 
was  raised  from  the  dead."c 

In   all   persecutions   waged   by    His   implacable   haters, 

a  Note   5,    end    of   chapter. 

&For  instances  see  Matt.  9:27;  15:22;  21:9;  20:30,  31,  with  which  coia- 
pare  Luke  18-38,  39. 

c  Rom.  1:3;  2  Tim.  2:8;  see  also  Acts  2;30;  13:23;  compare  Psa.  132:11; 
see  also  Luke  1:32. 


THE   RIGHTFUL   HEIR   TO  DAVH/S   THRONE.  8? 

in  all  the  false  accusations  brought  against  Him,  in  the 
specific  charges  of  sacrilege  and  blasphemy  based  on  His 
acknowledgment  of  the  Messiahship  as  His  own,  no  mention 
is  found  of  even  an  insinuation  that  He  could  not  be  the 
Christ  through  any  ineligibility  based  on  lineage.  Genealogy 
was  assiduously  cared  for  by  the  Jews  before,  during,  and 
after  the  time  of  Christ ;  indeed  their  national  history  was 
largely  genealogical  record ;  and  any  possibility  of  denying 
the  Christ  because  of  unattested  descent  would  have  been 
used  to  the  fullest  extent  by  insistent  Pharisee,  learned 
scribe,  haughty  rabbi,  and  aristocratic  Sadducee. 

At  the  time  of  the  Savior's  birth,  Israel  was  ruled  by 
alien  monarchs.  The  rights  of  the  royal  Davidic  family  were 
unrecognized;  and  the  ruler  of  the  Jews  was  an  appointee 
of  Rome.  Had  Judah  been  a  free  and  independent  nation, 
ruled  by  her  rightful  sovereign,  Joseph  the  carpenter  would 
have  been  her  crowned  king;  and  his  lawful  successor  to 
the  throne  would  have  been  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of 
the  Jews. 

Gabriel's  annunciation  to  Mary  was  that  of  the  Son  of 
David,  on  whose  coming  the  hope  of  Israel  rested  as  on  a 
sure  foundation.  The  One,  thus  announced,  was  Emmanuel, 
even  God  who  was  to  dwell  in  flesh  with  His  people,**  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world,  Jesus  the  Christ. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  7. 

i.  John  the  Baptist  Regarded  as  a  Nazarite. — The  instruc- 
tion of  the  angel  Gabriel  to  Zacharias,  that  the  promised  son, 
John,  was  to  "drink  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink,"  and  the  adult 
life  of  John  as  a  dweller  in  the  desert,  together  with  his  habit  of 
wearing  rough  garb,  have  led  commentators  and  Biblical  spe- 
cialists to  assume  that  he  was  a  "Nazarite  for  life."  It  is  to  be 
remembered,  however,  that  nowhere '  in  scripture  extant  is  John 
the  Baptist  definitely  called  a  Nazarite.  A  Nazarite,  the  name 
signifying  consecrated  or  separated,  was  one,  who  by  personal 
vow  or  by  that  made  for  him  by  his  parents,  was  set  apart  to 
some  special  labor  or  course  of  life  involving  self  denial.  (See 
page  67).  Smith's  Comp.  Diet,  of  the  Bible  says:  "There  is  no 

dMatt.  1.23. 


88  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

i 

notice  in  the  Pentateuch  of  Nazarites  for  life;  but  the  regula- 
tions for  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite  of  days  are  given  (Numb.  6:1-2). 
The  Nazarite,  during  the  term  of  his  consecration,  was  bound  to 
abstain  from  wine,  grapes,  and  every  production  of  the  vine, 
and  from  every  kind  of  intoxicating  drink.  He  was  forbidden  to 
cut  the  hair  of  his  head,  or  to  approach  any  dead  body,  even 
that  of  his  nearest  relation."  The  sole  instance  of  a  Nazarite 
for  life  named  in  the  scriptures  is  that  of  Samson,  whose  mother 
was  required  to  put  herself  under  Nazarite  observances  prior  to 
his  birth,  and  the  child  was  to  be  a  Nazarite  to  God  from  his 
birth  (Judges  13:3-7,  14).  In  the  strictness  of  his  life,  John  the 
Baptist  is  to  be  credited  with  all  the  personal  discipline  required 
of  Nazarites  whether  he  was  under  voluntary  or  parental  vows 
or  was  not  so  bound. 

2.  Circumcision,    while  not    exclusively   a    Hebrew    or    an 
Israelitish  practise,  was  made  a  definite  requirement  through  the 
revelations  of  God  to  Abraham,  as  the  sign  of  the  covenant  be- 
tween  Jehovah   and   the   patriarch.      (Gen.    17:9-14.)      This    cove- 
nant  was   made   to   include   the   establishment   of   Abraham's   pos- 
terity as  a  great  nation,  and  provided  that  through  his  descend- 
ants  should  all  nations   of  the  earth  be  blessed    (Gen.   22:18) — a 
promise    which    has    been    proved    to    mean    that    through    that 
lineage   should   the   Messiah   be  born.     Circumcision   was   a  bind- 
ing condition;  and  its  practise  therefore  became  a  national  char- 
acteristic.     Every   male   was   to   be    circumcized   eight   days    after 
birth   (Gen.  17:12;  Lev.  12:3).     This  requirement  as  to  age  came 
to  be  so  rigidly  enforced,  that  even  if  the  eighth  day  fell  on  a 
Sabbath  the  rite  had  to  be  performed  on  that  day  (John  7:22,  23). 
All  male  slaves  had  to  be  circumcized   (Gen.   17:12,  13)   and  even 
strangers   who  sojourned   with  the   Hebrews   and   desired  to   par- 
take  of   the   Passover   with   them   had   to    submit   to   the   require- 
ment (Exo.  12:48).     From  the  Standard  Bible  Dictionary  we  take 
the   following:     "The  ceremony  indicated   the  casting  off  of  un- 
cleanness    as    a    preparation    for    entrance    into    the    privileges    of 
membership  in   Israel.     In  the  New  Testament,   with  its  transfer 
of    emphasis    from    the    external    and    formal    to    the    inner    and 
spiritual    side    of    things,    it    was    first    declared    unnecessary    for 
Gentile   converts    to   the   gospel   to   be   circumcized    (Acts    15:28), 
and  afterward  the  rite  was  set  aside  even  by  Jewish  Christians." 
It  became  customary  to  name  a  child  at  the  time  it  was  circum- 
cized, as  is  instanced  in  the  case  of  John,  son  of  Zacharias   (Luke 
i:59). 

3.  Zacharias'    Affliction. — The    sign    for    which    Zacharias 
asked  was  thus  given  by  the  angel:     "Behold,  thou  shalt  be  dumb, 
and  not  able   to   speak,   until  the   day  that  these  things   shall   be 
performed,  because  thou  believest  not  my  words,  which   shall  be 
fulfilled  in  their  season."     (Luke  1:20.)     From  the  account  of  the 
circumcision  and  naming  of  the  boy,  John,  it  is  held  by  some  that 
the  afflicted   father  was  also  deaf,  as  the  company  "made  signs" 
to  him  as  to  how  he  would  have  his  son  named  (verse  62). 

4.  Jewish   Betrothal. — The  vow  of  espousal,   or   betrothal, 
has   always  been   regarded   as   sacred   and   binding   in   Jewish   law. 
In  a  manner  it  was  as  binding  as  a  marriage  ceremony,  though 


NOTES.  89 

it  carried  none  of  the  particular  rights  of  marriage.  The  follow- 
ing succinct  statements  are  taken  from  Geikie's  Life  and  Words 
of  Christ,  vol.  I.  p.  99:  "Among  the  Jews  of  Mary's  day  it  was 
even  more  of  an  actual  engagement  [than  it  later  came  to  be]. 
The  betrothal  was  formally  made  with  rejoicings  in  the  house 
of  the  bride  under  a  tent  or  slight  canopy  raised  for  the  purpose. 
It  was  called  the  'making  sacred'  as  the  bride  thenceforth  was 
sacred  to  her  husband  in  the  strictest  sense.  To  make  it  legal, 
the  bridegroom  gave  his  betrothed  a  piece  of  money,  or  the 
worth  of  it,  before  witnesses,  with  the  words,  'Lo,  thou  art  be- 
trothed unto  me/  or  by  a  formal  writing  in  which  similar  words 
and  the  maiden's  name  were  given,  and  this  in  the  same  way  was 
handed  to  her  before  witnesses." 

5.  Genealogies  of  Joseph  and  Mary. — "It  is  now  almost  cer- 
tain that  the  genealogies  in  both  Gospels  are  genealogies  of 
Joseph,  which  if  we  may  rely  on  early  traditions  of  their  con- 
sanguinity involve  genealogies  of  Mary  also.  The  Davidic  de- 
scent of  Mary  is  implied  in  Acts  2 130 ;  13 123 ;  Rom.  i  13 ;  Luke 
1 132,  etc.  St.  Matthew  gives  the  legal  descent  of  Joseph  through 
the  elder  and  regal  line,  as  heir  to  the  throne  of  David ;  St.  Luke 
gives  the  natural  descent.  Thus,  the  real  father  of  Salathiel  was 
heir  of  the  house  of  Nathan,  but  the  childless  Jeconiah  (Jer. 
22:30)  was  the  last  lineal  representative  of  the  elder  kingly  line. 
The  omission  of  some  obscure  names  and  the  symmetrical  ar- 
rangement into  tesseradecads  were  common  Jewish  customs. 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  after  the  labors  of  Mill  (On  the 
Mythical  Interpretation  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  147-217)  and  Lord  A.  C. 
Hervey  (On  the  Genealogies  of  Our  Lord,  1853)  scarcely  a  single 
difficulty  remains  in  reconciling  the  apparent  divergencies.  And 
thus  in  this  as  in  so  many  other  instances,  the  very  discrepancies 
which  appear  to  be  most  irreconcilable,  and  most  fatal  to  the 
historic  accuracy  of  the  four  evangelists,  turn  out,  on  closer  and 
more  patient  investigation,  to  be  fresh  proofs  that  they  are  not 
only  entirely  independent,  but  also  entirely  trustworthy." — 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  p.  27,  note. 

The  writer  of  the  article  "Genealogy  of  Jesus  Christ"  in 
Smith's  Bible  Diet,  says :  "The  New  Testament  gives  us  the 
genealogy  of  but  one  person,  pur  Savior  (Matt,  i;  Luke  3).  .  . 
.  .  .  The  following  propositions  will  explain  the  true  con- 
struction of  these  genealogies  (so  Lord  A.  C.  Hervey)  :  i.  They 
are  both  the  genealogies  of  Joseph,  i.e.  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the 
reputed  and  legal  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary.  2.  The  genealogy 
of  Matthew  is,  as  Grotius  asserted,  Joseph's  genealogy  as  legal 
successor  to  the  throne  of  David.  That  of  Luke  is  Joseph's  pri- 
vate genealogy,  exhibiting  his  real  birth,  as  David's  son,  and 
thus  showing  why  he  was  heir  to  Solomon's  crown.  The  simple 
principle  that  one  evangelist  exhibits  that  genealogy  which  con- 
tained the  successive  heirs  to  David's  and  Solomon's  throne, 
while  the  other  exhibits  the  paternal  stem  of  him  who  was  'the 
heir,  explains  all  the  anomalies  of  the  two  pedigrees,  their  agree- 
ments as  well  as  their  discrepancies,  and  the  circumstance  of 
their  being  two  at  all.  3.  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  was  prob- 


90  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    7. 

ably  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  first  cousin  to  Joseph  her  hus- 
band." 

A  valuable  contribution  to  the  literature  of  this  subject  ap- 
pears in  the  Journal  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Victoria  Institute, 
or  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  1912,  vol.  44,  pp.  9-36,  as 
an  article,  "The  Genealogies  of  our  Lord,"  by  Mrs.  A.  S.  Lewis, 
and  discussion  thereof  by  many  scholars  of  acknowledged  ability. 
The  author,  Mrs.  Lewis,  is  an  authority  on  Syriac  manuscripts, 
and  is  one  of  the  two  women  who,  in  1892,  discovered  in  the 
library  of  St.  Catherine's  monastery  on  Mount  Sinai,  the  Syriac 
palimpsest  MS.  of  the  four  Gospels.  The  gifted  author  holds 
that  Matthew's  account  attests  the  royal  pedigree  of  Joseph, 
and  that  Luke's  genealogical  table  proves  the  equally  royal 
descent  of  Mary.  Mrs.  Lewis  says :  "The  Sinai  Palimpsest  also 
tells  us  that  Joseph  and  Mary  went  to  Bethlehem,  to  be  en- 
rolled there,  because  they  were  both  of  the  house  and  lineage  of 
David." 

Canon  Girdlestone,  in  discussing  the  article,  says  in  pertinent 
emphasis  of  Mary's  status  as  a  princess  of  royal  blood  through 
descent  from  David:  "When  the  angel  was  foretelling  to  Mary 
the  birth  of  the  Holy  Child,  he  said,  'The  Lord  God  shall  give 
Him  the  throne  of  His  father  David.'  Now  if  Joseph,  her  be- 
trothed, had  alone  been  descended  from  David,  Mary  would 
have  answered,  'I  am  not  yet  married  to  Joseph,'  whereas  she  did 
answer  simply,  'I  am  an  unmarried  woman,'  which  plainly  im- 
plies— if  I  were  married,  since  I  am  descended  from  David,  I 
could  infuse  my  royal  blood  into  a  son,  but  how  can  I  have  a 
royal  son  while  I  am  a  virgin?'" 

After  brief  mention  of  the  Jewish  law  relating  to  adoption, 
wherein  it  is  provided  (according  to  Hammurabi's  Code,  section 
188),  that  if  a  man  teach  his  adopted  son  a  handicraft,  the  son  is 
thereby  confirmed  in  all  the  rights  of  heirship,  Canon  Girdle- 
stone  adds :  "If  the  crown  of  David  had  been  assigned  to  his 
successor  in  the  days  of  Herod  it  would  have  been  placed  on  the 
head  of  Joseph.  And  who  would  have  been  the  legal  successor 
to  Joseph?  Jesus  of  Nazareth  would  have  been  then  the  King 
of  the  Jews,  and  the  title  on  the  cross  spoke  the  truth.  God 
had  raised  Him  up  to  the  house  of  David." 


THE   TAXING   OR   ENROLMENT.  91 


CHAPTER     8. 
THE  BABE  OF  BETHLEHEM. 

THE   BIRTH   OF   JESUS. 

Equally  definite  with  the  prophecies  declaring  that  the 
Messiah  would  be  born  in  the  lineage  of  David  are  the  pre- 
dictions that  fix  the  place  of  His  birth  at  Bethlehem,  a  small 
town  in  Judea.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  difference  of 
opinion  among  priests,  scribes,  or  rabbis  on  the  matter,  either 
before  or  since  the  great  event.  Bethlehem,  though  small 
and  of  little  importance  in  trade  or  commerce,  was  doubly 
endeared  to  the  Jewish  heart  as  the  birthplace  of  David  and 
as  that  of  the  prospective  Messiah.  Mary  and  Joseph  lived 
in  Nazareth  of  Galilee,  far  removed  from  Bethlehem  of 
Judea ;  and,  at  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  the  maternity  of 
the  Virgin  was  fast  approaching. 

At  that  time  a  decree  went  out  from  Rome  ordering  a 
taxing  of  the  people  in  all  kingdoms  and  provinces  tributary 
to  the  empire ;  the  call  was  of  general  scope,  it  provided 
"that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed."0  The  taxing  herein 
referred  to  may  properly  be  understood  as  an  enrolment,** 
or  a  registration,  whereby  a  census  of  Roman  subjects  would 
be  secured,  upon  which  as  a  basis  the  taxation  of  the  differ- 
ent peoples  would  be  determined.  This  particular  census 
was  the  second  of  three  such  general  registrations  recorded 
by  historians  as  occurring  at  intervals  of  about  twenty  years. 
Had  the  census  been  taken  by  the  usual  Roman  method, 
each  person  would  have  been  enrolled  at  the  town  of  his  resi- 
dence ;  but  the  Jewish  custom,  for  which  the  Roman  law  had 

a  Luke   2:1;    see   also   verses   2-4.     Note    1,    end   of   chapter. 
£  Note    marginal    reading,    Oxford    and    Bagster    Bibles. 


9£  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    8. 

respect,  necessitated  registration  at  the  cities  or  towns 
claimed  by  the  respective  families  as  their  ancestral  homes. 
As  to  whether  the  requirement  was  strictly  mandatory  that 
every  family  should  thus  register  at  the  city  of  its  ancestors, 
we  need  not  be  specially  concerned ;  certain  it  is  that  Joseph 
and  Mary  went  to  Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David,  to  be  in- 
scribed under  the  imperial  decree/ 

The  little  town  was  crowded  at  the  time,  most  likely  by 
the  multitude  that  had  come  in  obedience  to  the  same  sum- 
mons ;  and,  in  consequence,  Joseph  and  Mary  failed  to  find 
the  most  desirable  accommodations  and  had  to  be  content 
with  the  conditions  of  an  improvised  camp,  as  travelers  un- 
numbered had  done  before,  and  as  uncounted  others  have 
done  since,  in  that  region  and  elsewhere.  We  cannot  rea- 
sonably regard  this  circumstance  as  evidence  of  extreme 
destitution ;  doubtless  it  entailed  inconvenience,  but  it  gives 
us  no  assurance  of  great  distress  or  suffering.**  It  was 
while  she  was  in  this  situation  that  Mary  the  Virgin  gave 
birth  to  her  firstborn,  the  Son  of  the  Highest,  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Eternal  Father,  Jesus  the  Christ. 

But  few  details  of  attendant  circumstances  are  furnished 
us.  We  are  not  told  how  soon  the  birth  occurred  after  the 
arrival  of  Mary  and  her  husband  at  Bethlehem.  It  may 
have  been  the  purpose  of  the  evangelist  who  made  the  record 
to  touch  upon  matters  of  purely  human  interest  as  lightly 
as  was  consistent  with  the  narration  of  fact,  in  order  that 
the  central  truth  might  neither  be  hidden  nor  overshadowed 
by  unimportant  incident.  We  read  in  Holy  Writ  this  only  of 
the  actual  birth:  "And  so  it  was,  that,  while  they  were 
there,  the  days  were  accomplished  that  she  should  be  de- 
livered. And  she  brought  forth  her  firstborn  son,  and 
wrapped  him  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger ; 
because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn."* 


c  Note   1,    end   of   chapter. 
d  Note    2,    end    of    chapter. 
<?Luke  2:6.  7, 


ANGELIC  VISITATION  TO  THE  SHEPHERDS.  93 

In  vivid  contrast  with  the  simplicity  and  brevity  of  the 
scriptural  account  and  of  its  paucity  of  incidental  details,  is 
the  mass  of  circumstance  supplied  by  the  imagination  of 
men,  much  of  which  is  wholly  unsupported  by  authoritative 
record  and  in  many  respects  is  plainly  inconsistent  and  un- 
true. It  is  the  part  of  prudence  and  wisdom  to  segregate 
and  keep  distinctly  separate  the  authenticated  statements  of 
fact,  in  so  momentous  a  matter,  from  the  fanciful  com- 
mentaries of  historians,  theologians,  and  writers  of  fiction, 
as  also  from  the  emotional  rhapsodies  of  poets  and  artistic 
extravaganzas  wrought  by  chisel  or  brush. 

From  the  period  of  its  beginning,  Bethlehem  had  been 
the  home  of  people  engaged  mostly  in  pastoral  and  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  It  is  quite  in  line  with  what  is  known  of 
the  town  and  its  environs  to  find  at  the  season  of  Messiah's 
birth,  which  was  in  the  springtime  of  the  year,  that  flocks 
were  in  the  field  both  night  and  day  under  the  watchful  care 
of  their  keepers.  Unto  certain  of  these  humble  shepherds 
came  the  first  proclamation  that  the  Savior  had  been  born. 
Thus  runs  the  simple  record :  "And  there  were  in  the  same 
country  shepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over 
their  flock  by  night.  And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about 
them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said  unto 
them,  Fear  not:  for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of 
great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is 
born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ 
the  Lord.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you :  Ye  shall  find 
the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger. 
And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the 
heavenly  host  praising  God,  and  saying,  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men."/ 

Tidings  of  such  import  had  never  before  been  delivered 
by  angel  or  received  by  man — good  tidings  of  great  joy, 

/Luke  2:8-14. 


94  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    8. 

given  to  but  few  and  those  among  the  humblest  of  earth, 
but  destined  to  spread  to  all  people.  There  is  sublime 
grandeur  in  the  scene,  as  there  is  divine  authorship  in  the 
message,  and  the  climax  is  such  as  the  mind  of  man  could 
never  have  conceived — the  sudden  appearance  of  a  multi- 
tude of  the  heavenly  host,  singing  audibly  to  human  ears 
the  briefest,  most  consistent  and  most  truly  complete  of  all 
the  songs  of  peace  ever  attuned  by  mortal  or  spirit  choir. 
What  a  consummation  to  be  wished — Peace  on  earth !  But 
how  can  such  come  except  through  the  maintenance  of  good 
will  toward  men?  And  through  what  means  could  glory 
to  God  in  the  highest  be  more  effectively  rendered? 

The  trustful  and  unsophisticated  keepers  of  sheep  had 
not  asked  for  sign  or  confirmation ;  their  faith  was  in  unison 
with  the  heavenly  communication ;  nevertheless  the  angel 
had  given  them  what  he  called  a  sign,  to  guide  them  in 
their  search.  They  waited  not,  but  went  in  haste,  for  in 
their  hearts  they  believed,  yea,  more  than  believed,  they 
knew,  and  this  was  the  tenor  of  their  resolve :  "Let  us  now 
go  even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  which  is  come 
to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto  us."*7  They 
found  the  Babe  in  the  manger,  with  the  mother  and  Joseph 
near  by ;  and,  having  seen,  they  went  out  and  testified  to  the 
truth  concerning  the  Child.  They  returned  to  their  flocks, 
glorifying  and  praising  God  for  all  they  had  heard  and  seen. 

There  is  meaning  as  deep  as  the  pathos  that  all  must  feel 
in  the  seemingly  parenthetical  remark  by  Luke :  "But  Mary 
kept  all  these  things,  and  pondered  them  in  her  heart. "/l  It 
is  apparent  that  the  great  truth  as  to  the  personality  and 
mission  ot  her  divine  Son  had  not  yet  unfolded  itself  in  its 
fulness  to  her  mind.  The  whole  course  of  events,  from  the 
salutation  of  Gabriel  to  the  reverent  testimony  of  the  shep- 
herds concerning  the  announcing  angel  and  the  heavenly 


0Luke  2:15. 
2:19. 


PRESENTATION    OF   JESUS    IN    THE   TEMPLE.  95 

hosts,  was  largely  a  mystery  to  that  stainless  mother  and 
wife. 

REQUIREMENTS   OF   THE   LAW    STRICTLY   OBSERVED. 

The  Child  was  born  a  Jew ;  the  mother  was  a  Jewess,  and 
the  reputed  and  legal  father,  Joseph,  was  a  Jew.  The  true 
paternity  of  the  Child  was  known  to  but  few,  perhaps  at  that 
time  to  none  save  Mary,  Joseph,  and  possibly  Elisabeth  and 
Zacharias ;  as  He  grew  He  was  regarded  by  the  people  as 
Joseph's  son.*  The  requirements  of  the  law  were  carried 
out  with  exactitude  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  Child. 
When  eight  days  old  He  was  circumcized,  as  was  required  of 
every  male  born  in  Israel ;'  and  at  the  same  time  He  received 
as  an  earthly  bestowal  the  name  that  had  been  prescribed  at 
the  annunciation.  He  was  called  JESUS,  which,  being  in- 
terpreted is  Savior;  the  name  was  rightfully  His  for  He 
came  to  save  the  people  from  their  sins.* 

Part  of  the  law  given  through  Moses  to  the  Israelites  in 
the  wilderness  and  continued  in  force  down  through  the 
centuries,  related  to  the  procedure  prescribed  for  women 
after  childbirth.'  In  compliance  therewith,  Mary  remained 
in  retirement  forty  days  following  the  birth  of  her  Son ;  then 
she  and  her  husband  brought  the  Boy  for  presentation  before 
the  L,ord  as  prescribed  for  the  male  firstborn  of  every  family. 
It  is  manifestly  impossible  that  all  such  presentations  could 
have  taken  place  in  the  temple,  for  many  Jews  lived  at  great 
distances  from  Jerusalem;  it  was  the  rule,  however,  that 
parents  should  present  their  children  in  the  temple  when 
possible.  Jesus  was  born  within  five  or  six  miles  from  Jeru- 
salem ;  He  was  accordingly  taken  to  the  temple  for  the  cere- 
monial of  redemption  from  the  requirement  applying  to  the 
firstborn  of  all  Israelites  except  Levites.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  the  children  of  Israel  had  been  delivered  from  the 


t'Luke  4:22;  Matt.  13:55;  Mark  6:3. 

/Gen.   17:12,    13;    Lev.    12:3;   compare   John   7:22.    Page 

fcLuke  2:21;   compare  1:31;   Matt.   1:21,  25. 

/  Lev.  chag.  12. 


96  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    8. 

bondage  of  Egypt  with  the  accompaniment  of  signs  and 
wonders.  Because  of  Pharaoh's  repeated  refusals  to  let  the 
people  go,  plagues  had  been  brought  upon  the  Egyptians, 
one  of  which  was  the  death  of  the  firstborn  throughout  the 
land,  excepting  only  the  people  of  Israel.  In  remembrance 
of  this  manifestation  of  power,  the  Israelites  were  required 
to  dedicate  their  firstborn  sons  to  the  service  of  the  sanctu- 
ary."1 Subsequently  the  Lord  directed  that  all  males  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  of  Levi  should  be  devoted  to  this  special 
labor  instead  of  the  firstborn  in  every  tribe ;  nevertheless  the 
eldest  son  was  still  claimed  as  particularly  the  Lord's  own, 
and  had  to  be  formally  exempted  from  the  earlier  require- 
ment of  service  by  the  paying  of  a  ransom." 

In  connection  with  the  ceremony  of  purification,  every 
mother  was  required  to  furnish  a  yearling  lamb  for  a  burnt 
offering,  and  a  young  pigeon  or  dove  for  a  sin  offering ;  but 
in  the  case  of  any  woman  who  was  unable  to  provide  a  lamb, 
a  pair  of  doves  or  pigeons  might  be  offered.  We  learn  of 
the  humble  circumstances  of  Joseph  and  Mary  from  the  fact 
that  they  brought  the  less  costly  offering,  two  doves  or 
pigeons,  instead  of  one  bird  and  a  lamb. 

Among  the  righteous  and  devout  Israelites  were  some 
who,  in  spite  of  traditionalism,  rabbinism,  and  priestly  cor- 
ruption, still  lived  in  righteous  expectation  of  inspired  con- 
fidence, awaiting  patiently  the  consolation  of  Israel.0  One 
of  these  was  Simeon,  then  living  in  Jerusalem.  Through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  he  had  gained  the  promise  that  he 
should  not  see  death  until  he  had  looked  upon  the  Lord's 
Christ  in  the  flesh.  Prompted  by  the  Spirit  he  repaired  to 
the  temple  on  the  day  of  the  presentation  of  Jesus,  and  rec- 
ognized in  the  Babe  the  promised  Messiah.  In  the  moment 
of  realization  that  the  hope  of  his  life  had  found  glorious 
consummation,  Simeon  raised  the  Child  reverently  in  his 

mExo.   12:29;  13:2,  12;  22:29,  30. 

«  Numb.    8:15-18;    18:15,    16. 

o  Luke  2:25;    see  also   verse  38;   Mark  15:43;   compare  Psa.   40:1. 


SIMEON   AND  ANNA.  97 

•  'i 

arms,  and,  with  the  simple  but  undying  eloquence  that  comes 
of  God  uttered  this  splendid  supplication,  in  which  thanks- 
giving, resignation  and  praise  are  so  richly  blended: 

"Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy*  servant  depart  in  peace, 
according  to  thy  word:  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salva- 
tion, which  thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people ; 
a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people 
Israel."* 

Then  under  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  Simeon  told  of  the 
greatness  of  the  Child's  mission,  and  of  the  anguish  that  the 
mother  would  be  called  to  endure  because  of  Him,  which 
would  be  even  like  unto  that  of  a  sword  piercing  her  soul. 
The  Spirit's  witness  to  the  divinity  of  Jesus  was  not  to  be 
confined  to  a  man.  There  was  at  that  time  in  the  temple  a 
godly  woman  of  great  age,  Anna,  a  prophetess  who  devoted 
herself  exclusively  to  temple  service ;  and  she,  being  inspired 
of  God,  recognized  her  Redeemer,  and  testified  of  Him  to  all 
about  her.  Both  Joseph  and  Mary  marveled  at  the  things 
that  were  spoken  of  the  Child ;  seemingly  they  were  not  yet 
able  to  comprehend  the  majesty  of  Him  who  had  come  to 
them  through  so  miraculous  a  conception  and  so  marvelous 
a  birth. 

WISE   MEN   SEARCH   FOR  THE   KING. 

Some  time  after  the  presentation  of  Jesus  in  the  temple, 
though  how  long  we  are  not  told,  possibly  but  a  few  days, 
possibly  weeks  or  even  months,  Herod,  king  of  Judea,  was 
greatly  troubled,  as  were  the  people  of  Jerusalem  in  general, 
over  the  report  that  a  Child  of  Prophecy — one  destined  to  be- 
come King  of  the  Jews — had  been  born.  Herod  was  profess- 
edly an  adherent  of  the  religion  of  Judah,  though  by  birth  an 
Idumean,  by  descent-  an  Edomite  or  one  of  the  posterity 


p  Luke  2:29-32.  These  verses  are  known  in  Christian  hymnology  as 
the  Nunc  Dimittis;  the  name  has  reference  to  the  first  two  words  of  the 
Latin  version. 


98  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   8, 

of  Esau,  all  of  whom  the  Jews  hated;  and  of  all  Edomites 
not  one  was  more  bitterly  detested  than  was  Herod  the  king. 
He  was  tyrannical  and  merciless,  sparing  neither  foe  nor 
friend  who  came  under  suspicion  of  being  a  possible  hin- 
drance to  his  ambitious  designs.  He  had  his  wife  and  sev- 
eral of  his  sons,  as  well  as  others  of  his  blood  kindred,  cruelly 
murdered ;  and  he  put  to  death  nearly  all  of  the  great  na- 
tional council,  the  Sanhedrin.  His  reign  was  one  of  revolt- 
ing cruelty  and  unbridled  oppression.  Only  when  in  danger 
of  inciting  a  national  revolt  or  in  fear  of  incurring  the  dis- 
pleasure of  his  imperial  master,  the  Roman  emperor,  did  he 
stay  his  hand  in  any  undertaking.? 

Rumors  of  the  birth  of  Jesus  reached  Herod's  ears  in  this 
way.  There  came  to  Jerusalem  certain  men  from  afar,  wise 
men  they  were  called,  and  they  asked,  "Where  is  he  that  is 
born  King  of  the  Jews  ?  for  we  have  seen  his  star  in  the  east, 
and  are  come  to  worship  him."r  Herod  summoned  "all  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  of  the  people,"  and  demanded  of 
them  where,  according  to  the  prophets,  Christ  should  be 
born.  They  answered  him :  "In  Bethlehem  of  Judea :  for 
thus  it  is  written  by  the  prophet,  And  thou  Bethlehem,  in  the 
land  of  Juda,  art  not  the  least  among  the  princes  of  Juda: 
for  out  of  thee  shall  come  a  Governor,  that  shall  rule  my 
people  Israel. "s 

Herod  sent  secretly  for  the  wise  men,  and  inquired  of 
them  as  to  the  source  of  their  information,  and  particularly 
as  to  the  time  at  which  the  star,  to  which  they  attached  such 
significance,  had  appeared.  Then  he  directed  them  to  Beth- 
lehem, saying :  "Go  and  search  diligently  for  the  young 
child ;  and  when  ye  have  found  him,  bring  me  word  again, 
that  I  may  come  and  worship  him  also."  As  the  men  set 
out  from  Jerusalem  on  the  last  stage  of  their  journey  of 
inquiry  and  search,  they  rejoiced  exceedingly,  for  the  new 


q  Note   3,    end    of   chapter. 

rMatt.  2:2;  read  1-10. 

s  Matt.  2:5,  6;  compare  Micah  5:2;  John  7:42. 


.  WISE    MEN    VISIT   THE   INFANT   JESUS.  99 

star  they  had  seen  in  the  east  was  again  visible.  They  found 
the  house  wherein  Mary  was  living  with  her  husband  and 
the  Babe,  and  as  they  recognized  the  royal  Child  they  "fell 
down  and  worshipped  him :  and  when  they  had  opened  their 
treasures,  they  presented  unto  him  gifts ;  gold,  and  frankin- 
cense, and  myrrh. "*  Having  thus  gloriously  accomplished 
the  purpose  of  their  pilgrimage,  these  devout  and  learned 
travelers  prepared  to  return  home,  and  would  have  stopped 
at  Jerusalem  to  report  to  the  king  as  he  had  requested,  but 
"being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream  that  they  should  not  return 
to  Herod,  they  departed  into  their  own  country  another 
way."" 

Much  has  been  written,  beyond  all  possible  warrant  of 
scriptural  authority,  concerning  the  visit  of  the  magi,  or  wise 
men,  who  thus  sought  and  found  the  infant  Christ.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  are  left  without  information  as  to  their 
country,  nation,  or  tribal  relationship ;  we  are  not  even  told 
how  many  they  were,  though  unauthenticated  tradition  has 
designated  them  as  "the  three  wise  men,"  and  has  even  given 
them  names;  whereas  they  are  left  unnamed  in  the  script- 
ures, the  only  true  record  of  them  extant,  and  may  have 
numbered  but  two  or  many.  Attempts  have  been  made  to 
identify  the  star  whose  appearance  in  their  eastern  sky  had 
assured  the  magi  that  the  King  was  born ;  but  astronomy 
furnishes  no  satisfactory  confirmation.  The  recorded  ap- 
pearance of  the  star  has  been  associated  by  both  ancient  and 
modern  interpreters  with  the  prophecy  of  Balaam,  who, 
though  not  an  Israelite  had  blessed  Israel,  and  under  divine 
inspiration  had  predicted :  "there  shall  come  a  Star  out  of 
Jacob,  and  a  Sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel. "v  Moreover, 
as  already  shown,  the  appearance  of  a  new  star  .was  a  pre- 
dicted sign  recognized  and  acknowledged  among  the  people 
of  the  western  world  as  witness  of  Messiah's  birth.w 


t  Note  4,   end   of  chapter. 
«  Note  5,   end  of  chapter. 

wB.   of  M./Helaman   14:5;  3  Nephi   1:21.     Pp.   52,    101   and   721   herein. 


100  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   8. 


FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT. 

Herod's  perfidy  in  directing  the  magi  to  return  and  re- 
port to  him  where  the  royal  Infant  was  to  be  found,  falsely 
professing  that  he  wished  to  worship  Him  also,  while  in  his 
heart  he  purposed  taking  the  Child's  life,  was  thwarted  by 
the  divine  warning  given  to  the  wise  men  as  already  noted. 
Following  their  departure,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to 
Joseph,  saying:  "Arise,  and  take  the  young  child  and  his 
mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and  be  thou  there  until  I  bring 
thee  word  :  for  Herod  will  seek  the  young  child  to  destroy 
him."*  In  obedience  to  this  command,  Joseph  took  Mary 
and  her  Child,  and  set  out  by  night  on  the  journey  to  Egypt  ; 
and  there  the  family  remained  until  divinely  directed  to  re- 
turn. When  it  was  apparent  to  the  king  that  the  wise  men 
had  ignored  his  instructions,  he  was  exceedingly  angry  ;  and, 
estimating  the  earliest  time  at  which  the  birth  could  have 
occurred  according  to  the  magis'  statement  of  the  star's  ap- 
pearing, he  ruthlessly  ordered  the  slaughter  of  "all  the  chil- 
dren that  were  in  Bethlehem,  and  in  all  the  coasts  thereof, 
from  two  years  old  and  under.  "y  In  this  massacre  of  the 
innocents,  the  evangelist  found  a  fulfilment  of  Jeremiah's 
fateful  voicing  of  the  word  of  the  Lord,  spoken  six  centuries 
earlier  and  expressed  in  the  forceful  past  tense  as  though 
then  already  accomplished:  "In  Rama  was  there  a  voice 
heard,  lamentation,  and  weeping,  and  great  mourning,  Ra- 
chel weeping  for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted, 
because  they  are  not."- 

BIRTH  OF  JESUS  MADE  KNOWN  TO  THE  NEPHITES. 

As  heretofore  shown,  the  prophets  of  the  western  hem- 
isphere had  foretold  in  great  plainness  the  earthly  advent  of 
the  Lord,  and  had  specifically  set  forth  the  time,  place,  and 
circumstances  of  His  birth.0  As  the  time  drew  near  the 

*Matt.  2:13. 

y  Matt.  2:16. 

s  Matt.  2:17,   18;  compare  Jer.   31:15. 

oPage  49. 


SIGNS  SHOWN  ON  THE  WESTERN  CONTINENT.  101 

people  were  divided  by  conflicting  opinions  concerning  the 
reliability  of  these  prophecies;  and  intolerant  unbelievers 
cruelly  persecuted  those,  who,  like  Zacharias,  Simeon,  Anna, 
and  other  righteous  ones  in  Palestine,  had  maintained  in 
faith  and  trust  their  unwavering  expectation  of  the  coming 
of  the  Lord.  Samuel,  a  righteous  Lamam'te,  who,  because 
of  his  faithfulness  and  sacrificing  devotion  had  been  blessed 
with  the  spirit  and  power  of  prophecy,  fearlessly  proclaimed 
the  birth  of  Christ  as  near :  "And  behold,  he  said  unto  them, 
Behold  I  give  unto  you  a  sign ;  for  five  years  more  cometh, 
and  behold,  then  cometh  the  Son  of  God  to  redeem  all  those 
who  shall  believe  on  his  name."&  The  prophet  told  of  many 
signs  and  wonders,  which  were  to  mark  the  great  event.  As 
the  five  years  ran  their  course,  the  believers  grew  more  stead- 
fast, the  unbelievers  more  violent,  until  the  last  day  of  the 
specified  period  dawned ;  and  this  was  the  "day  set  apart  by 
the  unbelievers,  that  all  those  who  believed  in  those  traditions 
should  be  put  to  death,  except  the  sign  should  come  to  pass 
which  had  been  given  by  Samuel  the  prophet. "c 

Nephi,  a  prophet  of  the  time,  cried  unto  the  Lord  in 
anguish  of  soul  because  of  the  persecution  of  which  his  peo- 
ple were  the  victims ;  "and  behold,  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
came  unto  him,  saying,  Lift  up  your  head  and  be  of  good 
cheer,  for  behold,  the  time  is  at  hand,  and  on  this  night 
shall  the  sign  be  given,  and  on  the  morrow  come  I  into  the 
world,  to  shew  unto  the  world  that  I  will  fulfil  all  that  which 
I  have  caused  to  be  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  my  holy  proph- 
ets. Behold,  I  come  unto  my  own,  to  fulfil  all  things  which 
I  have  made  known  unto  the  children  of  men,  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  and  do  the  will,  both  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son;  of  the  Father,  because  of  me,  and  of  the 
Son,  because  of  my  flesh.  And  behold,  the  time  is  at  hand, 
and  this  night  shall  the  sign  be  given. "d 


bE.   of  M.,  Helaman   14:2;   read  1-9. 

cB.   of  M.,  3  Nephi  1:9;   read  verses   4-21. 

d  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  1:12-21. 


102  JESUS   THE   CHRIST*  [CHAP.    8. 

The  words  of  the  prophet  were  fulfilled  that  night;  for 
though  the  sun  set  in  its  usual  course  there  was  no  dark- 
ness; and  on  the  morrow  the  sun  rose  on  a  land  already 
illumined;  a  day  and  a  night  and  another  day  had  been  as 
one  day;  and  this  was  but  one  of  the  signs.  A  new  star 
appeared  in  the  firmament  of  the  west,  even  as  was  seen  by 
the  magi  in  the  east ;  and  there  were  many  other  marvelous 
manifestations  as  the  prophets  had  predicted.  All  these 
things  occurred  on  what  is  now  known  as  the  American  con- 
tinent, six  hundred  years  after  Lehi  and  his  little  company 
had  left  Jerusalem  to  come  hither. 

THE  TIME  OF  THE  BIRTH  OE  JESUS. 

The  time  of  Messiah's  birth  is  a  subject  upon  which  spe- 
cialists in  theology  and  history,  and  those  who  are  designated 
in  literature  "the  learned,"  fail  to  agree.  Numerous  lines  of 
investigation  have  been  followed,  only  to  reach  divergent 
conclusions,  both  as  to  the  year  and  as  to  the  month  and  day 
within  the  year  at  which  the  "Christian  era"  in  reality  began. 
The  establishment  of  the  birth  of  Christ  as  an  event  marking 
a  time  from  which  chronological  data  should  be  calculated, 
was  first  effected  about  532  A.  D.  by  Dionysius  Exiguus; 
and  as  a  basis  for  the  reckoning  of  time  this  method  has 
come  to  be  known  as  the  Dionysian  system,  and  takes  for  its 
fundamental  datum  A.  U.  C.  753,  that  is  to  say  753  years 
after  the  founding  of  Rome,  as  the  year  of  our  Lord's  birth. 
So  far  as  there  exists  any  consensus  of  opinion  among  later 
scholars  who  have  investigated  the  subject,  it  is  to  the  effect 
that  the  Dionysian  calculation  is  wrong,  in  that  it  places  the 
birth  of  Christ  between  three  and  four  years  too  late ;  and 
that  therefore  our  Lord  was  born  in  the  third  or  fourth  year 
before  the  beginning  of  what  is  designated  by  the  scholars 
of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  "the  Common  Account  called 
Anno  Domini."* 

*  Marginal   reading,    Oxford    and    Bagster    Bibles,    Matt.   2:1. 


THE  YEAR  OF  CHRIST^   BIRTH.  103 

% 

Without  attempting  to  analyze  the  mass  of  calculation 
data  relating  to  this  subject,  we  accept  the  Dionysian  basis 
as  correct  with  respect  to  the  year,  which  is  to  say  that  we 
believe  Christ  to  have  been  born  in  the  year  known  to  us 
as  B.  C.  i,  and,  as  shall  be  shown,  in  an  early  month  of  that 
year.  In  support  of  this  belief  we  cite  the  inspired  record 
known  as  the  "Revelation  on  Church  Government,  given 
through  Joseph  the  Prophet,  in  April,  1830,"  which  opens 
with  these  words:  "The  Rise  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in 
these  last  days,  being  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty 
years  since  the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  flesh."/ 

Another  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  our  commonly 
accepted  chronology  is  furnished  by  the  Book  of  Mormon 
record.  Therein  we  read  that  "in  the  commencement  of  the 
first  year  of  the  reign  of  Zedekiah,  king  of  Judah/'  the  word 
of  the  Lord  came  to  Lehi  at  Jerusalem,  directing  him  to 
take  his  family  and  depart  into  the  wilderness.*7  In  the  early 
stages  of  their  journey  toward  the  sea,  Lehi  prophesied,  as 
had  been  shown  him  of  the  Lord,  concerning  the  impending 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  captivity  of  the  Jews. 
Furthermore,  he  predicted  the  eventual  return  of  the  people 
of  Judah  from  their  exile  in  Babylon,  and  the  birth  of  the 
Messiah,  which  latter  event  he  definitely  declared  would  take 
place  six  hundred  years  from  the  time  he  and  his  people  had 
left  Jerusalem.*1  This  specification  of  time  was  repeated  by 
later  prophecy;1'  and  the  signs  of  the  actual  fulfilment  are 
recorded  as  having  been  realized  "six  hundred  years  from 
the  time  that  Lehi  left  Jerusalem."''  These  scriptures  fix  the 
time  of  the  beginning  of  Zedekiah's  reign  as  six  hundred 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  According  to  the  com- 
monly accepted  reckoning,  Zedekiah  was  made  king  in  the 

/Doc.   and  Cov.   20:1;   compare  21:3.     Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

g  B.  of  M.,  1  Nephi  1:4;  2:2-4. 

/iB.   of  M.,   1   Nephi  10:4. 

•  B.  of  M.,  1  Nephi  19-8;  2  Nephi  25:19. 

/B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  1:1. 


104  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    8. 

year  597  B.  C.k  This  shows  a  discrepancy  of  about  three 
years  between  the  commonly  accepted  date  of  Zedekiah's 
inauguration  as  king  and  that  given  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
'statement ;  and,  as  already  seen,  there  is  a  difference  of  be- 
tween three  and  four  years  between  the  Dionysian  reckoning 
and  the  nearest  approach  to  an  agreement  among  scholars 
concerning  the  beginning  of  the  current  era.  Book  of  Mor- 
mon chronology  therefore  sustains  in  general  the  correctness 
of  the  common  or  Dionysian  system. 

As  to  the  season  of  the  year  in  which  Christ  was  born, 
there  is  among  the  learned  as  great  a  diversity  of  opinion  as 
that  relating  to  the  year  itself.  It  is  claimed  by  many 
Biblical  scholars  that  December  25th,  the  day  celebrated  in 
Christendom  as  Christmas,  cannot  be  the  correct  date.  We 
believe  April  6th  to  be  the  birthday  of  Jesus  Christ  as  indi- 
cated in  a  revelation  of  the  present  dispensation  already 
cited/  in  which  that  day  is  made  without  qualification  the 
completion  of  the  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirtieth 
year  since  the  coming  of  the  Lord  in  the  flesh.  This  accept- 
ace  is  admittedly  based  on  faith  in  modern  revelation,  and 
in  no  wise  is  set  forth  as  the  result  of  chronological  research 
or  analysis.  We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  was  born  in 
Bethlehem  of  Judea,  April  6,  B.  C.  1. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  8. 

i.  The  "Taxing." — Regarding  the  presence  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  in  Bethlehem,  far  from  their  Galilean  home,  and  the  im- 
perial decree  by  compliance  with  which  they  were  led  there,  the 
following  notes  are  worthy  of  consideration.  Farrar  (Life  of 
Christ,  p.  24,  note),  says:  "It  appears  to  be  uncertain  whether 
the  journey  of  Mary  with  her  husband  was  obligatory  or  volun- 
tary  Women  were  liable  to  a  capitation  tax,  if 

,this  enrolment  also  involved  taxation.  But,  apart  from  any 
legal  necessity,  it  may  easily  be  imagined  that  at  such  a  moment 
Mary  would  desire  not  to  be  left  alone.  The  cruel  suspicion  of 
which  she  had  been  the  subject,  and  which  had  almost  led  to 
the  breaking  off  of  her  betrothal  (Matt.  1:19)  would  make  her 
cling  all  the  more  to  the  protection  of  her  husband."  The  fol- 

k  "Standard  Bible  Dictionary,"  edited  by  Jacobus,  Nourse,  and  Zenos, 
pub.  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Co.,  New  York  and  London,  1909,  p.  915,  article 
"Zedekiah." 

I  Doc.  and  Cov.  20:1;  compare  21:2. 


NOTES.  *  105* 

lowing  excerpt  is  from  Geikie's  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  vol.  I, 
chap.  9;  p.  108:  "The  Jewish  nation  had  paid  tribute  to  Rome, 
through  their  rulers,  since  the  days  of  Pompey;  and  the  method- 
ical Augustus,  who  now  reigned,  and  had  to  restore  order  and 
soundness  to  the  finances  of  the  empire,  after  the  confusion  and 
exhaustion  of  the  civil  wars,  took  good  care  that  this  obligation 
should  neither  be  forgotten  nor  evaded.  He  was  accustomed  to 
require  a  census  to  be  taken  periodically  in  every  province  of  his 
vast  dominions,  that  he  might  know  the  number  of  soldiers  he 
could  levy  in  each,  and  the  amount  of  taxes  due  to  the  treasury. 

In   an  empire   embracing  the  then  known   world, 

such  a  census  could  hardly  have  been  made  simultaneously,  or 
in  any  short  or  fixed  time ;  more  probably  it  was  the  work  of 
years,  in  successive  provinces  or  kingdoms.  Sooner  or  later, 
however,  even  the  dominions  of  vassal  kings  like  Herod  had  to 
furnish  the  statistics  demanded  by  their  master.  He  had  re- 
ceived his  kingdom  on  the  footing  of  a  subject,  and  grew  more 
entirely  dependent  on  Augustus  as  years  passed,  asking  his 
sanction  at  every  turn  for  steps  he  proposed  to  take.  He  would, 
thus,  be  Only  too  ready  to  meet  his  wish,  by  obtaining  the  statis- 
tics he  sought,  as  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  in  one  of  the 
last  years  of  his  life,  just  before  Christ's  birth,  he  made  the 
whole  Jewish  nation  take  a  solemn  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
emperor  as  well  as  to  himself. 

"It  is  quite  probable  that  the  mode  of  taking  the  required 
statistics  was  left  very  much  to  Herod,  at  once  to  show  respect 
to  him  before  his  people,  and  from  the  known  opposition  of  the 
Jews  to  anything  like  a  general  numeration,  even  apart  from 
the  taxation  to  which  it  was  designed  to  lead.  At  the  time  to 
which  the  narrative  refers,  a  simple  registration  seems  to  have 
been  made,  on  the  old  Hebrew  plan  of  enrolling  by  families  in 
their  ancestral  districts,  of  course  for  future  use;  and  thus  it 
passed  over  quietly.  .  .  .  The  proclamation  having  been 
made  through  the  land,  Joseph  had  no  choice  but  to  go  to 
Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David,  the  place  in  which  his  family 
descent,  from  the  house  and  lineage  of  David,  required  him  to 
be  inscribed." 

2.  Jesus  Born  Amidst  Poor  Surroundings. — Undoubtedly 
the  accommodations  for  physical  comfort  amidst  which  Jesus 
was  born  were  few  and  poor.  But  the  environment,  considered 
in  the  light  of  the  customs  of  the  country  and  time,  was  far 
from  the  state  of  abject  deprivation  which  modern  and  western 
ways  would  make  it  appear.  "Camping  out"  was  no  unusual 
exigency  among  travelers  in  Palestine  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's 
birth;  nor  is  it  considered  such  to-day.  It  is,  however,  beyond 
question  that  Jesus  was  born  into  a  comparatively  poor  family, 
amidst  humble  surroundings  associated  with  the  inconveniences 
incident  to  travel.  Cunningham  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ, 
chap.  9,  pp.  112,  113,  says:  "It  was  to  Bethlehem  that  Joseph 
and  Mary  were  coming,  the  town  of  Ruth  and  Boaz,  and  the 
early  home  of  their  own  great  forefather  David.  As  they  ap— 
preached  it  from  Jerusalem  they  would  pass,  at  the  last  mile, 
a  spot  sacred  to  Jewish  memory,  where  the  light  of  Jacob's  life 


*106  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    8. 

went  out,  when  his  first  love,  Rachel,  died,  and  was  buried,  as 
her  tomb  still  shows,  'in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  which  is  Bethle- 
hem.'   Travel- 
ing in  the  East  has  always  been  very  different  from  Western 
ideas.  As  in  all  thinly-settled  countries,  private  hospitality,  in 
early  times,  supplied  the  want  of  inns,  but  it  was  the  peculiarity 
of  the  East  that  this  friendly  custom  continued  through  a  long 
series  of  ages.  On  the  great  roads  through  barren  or  uninhab- 
ited parts,  the  need  of  shelter  led,  very  early,  to  the  erection  of 
rude  and  simple  buildings,  of  varying  size,  known  as  khans, 
which  offered  the  wayfarer  the  protection  of  walls  and  a  roof, 
and  water,  but  little  more.  The  smaller  structures  consisted  of 
sometimes  only  a  single  empty  room,  on  the  floor  of  which  the 
traveler  might  spread  his  carpet  for  sleep ;  the  larger  ones,  always 
built  in  a  hollow  square,  enclosing  a  court  for  the  beasts,  with 
water  in  it  for  them  and  their  masters.  From  immemorial 
antiquity  it  has  been  a  favorite  mode  of  benevolence  to  raise 
such  places  of  shelter,  as  we  see  so  far  back  as  the  times  of 
David,  when  Chimham  built  a  great  kahn  near  Bethlehem,  on 
the  caravan  road  to  Egypt." 

Canon  Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  chap,  i)  accepts  the  traditional 
belief  that  the  shelter  within  which  Jesus  was  born  was  that  of 
one  of'  the  numerous  limestone  caves  which  abound  in  the  region, 
and  which  are  still  used  by  travelers  as  resting  places.  He  says : 
"In  Palestine  it  not  infrequently  happens  that  the  entire  khan, 
or  at  any  rate  the  portion  of  it  in  which  the  animals  are  housed, 
is  one  of  those  innumerable  caves  which  abound  in  the  limestone 
rocks  of  its  central  hills.  Such  seems  to  have  been  in  the  case  at 
the  little  town  of  Bethlehem-Ephratah,  in  the  land  of  Judah. 
Justin  Martyr,  the  Apologist,  who,  from  his  birth  at  Schechem, 
was  familiar  with  Palestine,  and  who  lived  less  than  a  century 
after  the  time  of  our  Lord,  places  the  scene  of  the  nativity  in  a 
cave.  This  is,  indeed,  the  ancient  and  constant  tradition  both 
of  the  Eastern  and  the  Western  Churches,  and  it  is  one  of  the  few 
to  which,  though  unrecorded  in  the  Gospel  history,  we  may  attach 
a  reasonable  probability." 

3.  Herod  the  Great. — The  history  of  Herod  I,  otherwise 
known  as  Herod  the  Great,  must  be  sought  in  special  works,  in 
which  the  subject  is  treated  at  length.  Some  of  the  principal 
facts  should  be  considered  in  our  present  study,  and  for  the 
assistance  of  the  student  a  few  extracts  from  works  regarded  as 
reliable  are  presented  herewith. 

Condensed  from  part  of  article  in  the  Standard  Bible  Dic- 
tionary, edited  by  Jacobus,  Nourse,  and  Zcnos ;  pvoiished  by 
Funk  and  W  agnails  Co.,  1909: — Herod  I,  tl.i.  .oc  of  Antipater, 
was  early  given  office  by  his  father,  who  had  been  made  pro- 
curator of  Judea.  The  first  office  which  Herod  held  was  that  of 
governor  of  Galilee.  He  was  then  a  young  man  of  about  twenty- 
five,  energetic  and  athletic.  Immediately  he  set  about  the  erad- 
ication of  the  robber  bands  that  infested  his  district,  and  soon 
was  able  to  execute  the  robber  chief  Hezekiah  and  several  of  nis 
followers.  For  this  he  was  summoned  'to  Jerusalem  by  the 
Sanhedrin,  tried  and  condemned,  but  with  the  connr/ance  of 


NOTES.  107 

i 

Hyrcanus  II  [the  high  priest  and  ethnarch]  he  escaped  by  night. 
— He  went  to  Rome  where  he  was  appointed  King  of  Judea  by 
Antony  and  Octavius. — For  the  next  two  years  he  was  engaged 
in  fighting  the  forces  of  Antigonus,  whom  he  finally  defeated, 
and  in  37  B.  C.  gained  possession  of  Jerusalem. — As  king,  Herod 
confronted  serious  difficulties.  The  Jews  objected  to  him  be- 
cause of  his  birth  and  reputation.  The  Asmonean  family  be- 
garded  him  as  a  usurper,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  had 
married  Mariamme.  The  Pharisees  were  shocked  at  his  Hellen- 
istic sympathies,  as  well  as  at  his  severe  methods  of  government. 
On  the  other  hand  the  Romans  held  him  responsible  for  the 
order  of  his  kingdom,  and  the  protection  of  the  eastern  frontier 
of  the  ^Republic.  Herod  met  these  various  difficulties  with  char- 
acteristic energy  and  even  cruelty,  and  generally  with  cold 
sagacity.  Although  he  taxed  the  people  severely,  in  times  of 
famine  he  remitted  their  dues  and  even  sold  his  plate  to  get 
means  to  buy  them  food.  While  he  never  became  actually 
friendly  with  the  Pharisees,  they  profited  by  his  hostility  to  the 
party  of  the  Asmoneans,  which  led  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign 
to  the  execution  of  a  number  of  Sadducees  who  were  members 
of  the  Sanhedrin. 

From  Smith's  Comprehensive  Dictionary  of  the  Bible'.  The 
latter  part  "of  the  reign  of  Herod  was  undisturbed  by  external 
troubles,  but  his  domestic  life  was  embittered  by  an  almost  un- 
interrupted series  of  injuries  and  cruel  acts  of  vengeance.  The 
terrible  acts  of  bloodshed  which  Herod  perpetrated  in  his  own 
family  were  accompanied  by  others  among  his  subjects  equally 
terrible,  from  the  number  who  fell  victims-  to  them.  According 
to  the  well-known  story,  he  ordered  the  nobles  Whom  he  had 
called  to  him  in  his  last  moments  to  be  executed  immediately 
after  his  decease,  that  so  at  least  his  death  might  be  attended 
by  universal  mourning.  It  was  at  the  time  of  his  fatal  illness 
that  he  must  have  caused  the  slaughter  of  the  infants  at  Beth- 
lehem" (Matt.  2:16-18). 

The  mortal  end  of  the  tyrant  and  multi-murderer  is  thus 
treated  by  Farrar  in  his  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  54:55: — "It  must  have 
been  very  shortly  after  the  murder  of  the  innocents  that  Herod 
died.  Only  five  days  before  his  death  he  had  made  a  frantic  at- 
tempt at  suicide,  and  had  ordered  the  execution  of  his  eldest  son 
Antipater.  His  death-bed,  which  once  more  reminds  us  of 
Henry  VIII.,  was  accompanied  by  circumstances  of  peculiar 
horror;  and  it  has  been  asserted  that  he  died  of  a  loathsome 
disease,  which  is  hardly  mentioned  in  history,  except  in  the  case 
of  men  who  have  been  rendered  infamous  by  an  atrocity  of  per- 
secuting zeal.  On  his  bed  of  intolerable  anguish,  in  that  splendid 
and  luxurious  palace  which  he  had  built  for  himself,  under  the 
palms  of  Jericho,  swollen  with  disease  and  scorched  by  thirst, 
ulcerated  externally  and  glowing  inwardly  with  a  'soft  slow  fire,' 
surrounded  by  plotting  sons  and  plundering  slaves,  detesting  all 
and  detested  by  all,  longing  for  death  as  a  release  from  his 
tortures  yet  dreading  it  as  the  beginning  of  worse  terrors,  stung 
by  remorse  yet  still  unslaked  with  murder,  a  horror  to  all  around 


108  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   8. 

him  yet  in  his  guilty  conscience  a  worse  terror  to  himself,  de- 
voured by  the  premature  corruption  of  an  anticipated  grave, 
eaten  of  worms  as  though  visibly  smitten  by  the  finger  of  God's 
wrath  after  seventy  years  of  successful  villainy,  the  wretched 
old  man,  whom  men  had  called  the  Great,  lay  in  savage  frenzy 
awaiting  his  last  hour.  As  he  knew  that  none  would  shed  one 
tear  for  him,  he  determined  that  they  should  shed  many  for 
themselves,  and  issued  an  order  that,  under  pain  of  death,  the 
principal  families  of  the  kingdom  and  the  chiefs  of  the  trittes 
should  come  to  Jericho.  They  came,  and  then,  shutting  them  in 
the  hippodrome,  he  secretly  commanded  his  sister  Salome  that 
at  the  moment  of  his  death  they  should  all  be  massacred.  And 
so,  choking  as  it  were  with  blood,  devising  massacres  in  its  very 
delirium,  the  soul  of  Herod  passed  forth  into  the  night." 

For  mention  of  the  Temple  of  Herod  see   Note  5,   following 
Chapter  6. 

4.  Gifts  from  the  Wise  Men  to  the  Child  Jesus. — The  scrip- 
tural   account    of    the    visit    of    the    wise    men    to    Jesus    and    His 
mother    states    that    they    "fell    down    and    worshipped    him,"    and 
furthermore    that    "when    they    had    opened    their    treasures,    ttiey 
presented    unto    him    gifts;    gold,    and    frankincense,    and    myrrh." 
The  offering  of  gifts  to  a  superior  in  rank,  either  as  to  worldly 
status  or  recognized  spiritual  endowment,  was  a  custom  of   early 
days   and   still   prevails   in   many  oriental   lands.     It  is   worthy  of 
note  that  we  have  no  record  of  these  men  from  the  east  offering 
gifts  to  Herod  in  his  palace ;  they  did,  however,  impart  of   their 
treasure  to  the  lowly   Infant,   in   whom  they  recognized  the   King 
they  had   come   to   seek.     The   tendency   to   ascribe   occult   signifi- 
cance   to    even    trifling    details    mentioned    in    scripture,    and    par- 
ticularly as   regards   the   life   of   Christ,  has   led  to  many   fanciful 
suggestions    concerning    the    gold    and     frankincense    and    myrrh 
specified    in    this    incident.      Some    have    supposed    a    half-hidden 
symbolism    therein — gold    a    tribute    to    His    royal    estate,    frankin- 
cense   an    offering    in    recognition    of    His    priesthood,    and    myrrh 
for  His  burial.     The  sacred  record  offers  no  basis   for  such  con- 
jecture.     Myrrh    and    frankincense    are    aromatic    resins    derived 
from    plants    indigenous    to    eastern    lands,    and'  they    have    been 
used  from  very  early  times  in  medicine  and  in  the  preparation  of 
perfumes    and    incense    mixtures.      They    were    presumably    among 
the  natural  productions  of  the  lands   from  which  the  magi  came, 
though  probably  even  there  they  were  costly  and  highly  esteemed. 
Such,   together   with   gold,    which    is    of   value   among    au   nations, 
were  most  appropriate  as  gifts   for  a  king.     Any  mystical  signifi- 
cance one  may  choose  to  attach  to  the  presents  must  be  remem- 
bered as  his  own  supposition  or  fancy,  and  not  as  based  on  scrip- 
tural warrant. 

5.  Testimonies  from  Shepherds  and  Magi. — The  following 
instrr^tive    note    on    the    testimonies    relating    to    Messiah's    birth, 
is  tal    a   from  the   Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 
Mam  '     for    1807-8:      "It    will    be    observed    that    the    testimonies 
co   ac  ning  the  birth   of  the  Messiah   arc    from  two  extremes,  the 
lowly  shepherds  in   the  Judean  field,  and   the  learned  magi   from 


NOTES.  109 

the  far  east.  We  cannot  think  this  is  the  result  of  mere  chance, 
but  that  in  it  may  be  discerned  the  purpose  and  wisdom  of  God. 
All  Israel  was  looking  forward  to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah, 
and  in  the  birth  of  Jesus  at  Bethlehem,  the  hope  of  Israel — 
though  unknown  to  Israel — is  fulfilled.  Messiah,  of  whom  the 
prophet  spake,  is  born.  But  there  must  be  those  who  can  testify 
of  that  truth,  and  hence  to  the  shepherds  who  watched  their 
flocks  by  night  an  angel  was  sent  to  say :  'Fear  not,  behold  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people; 
for  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ,  the  Lord.'  And  for  a  sign  of  the  truth  of  the 
message,  they  were  to  find  the  child  wrapped  in  swaddling 
clothes,  lying  in  a  manger  in  Bethlehem.  And  they  went  with 
haste  and  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying  in  a 
manger;  and  when  they  had  seen  it,  they  made  known  abroad 
the  saying  which  was  told  them  concerning  this  child.  God  had 
raised  up  to  Himself  witnesses  among  the  people  to  testify  that 
Messiah  was  born,  that  the  hope  of  Israel  was  fulfilled.  But 
there  were  classes  of  people  among  the  Jews  whom  these  lowly 
shepherd  witnesses  could  not  reach,  and  had  they  been  able  to 
reach  them,  the  story  of  the  angel's  visit,  and  the  concourse  of 
angels  singing  the  magnificent  song  of  'Peace  on  earth,  good 
will  to  men,'  would  doubtless  have  been  accounted  an  idle  tale  of 
superstitious  folk,  deceived  by  their  own  over-wrought  imagina- 
tions or  idle  dreams.  Hence  God  raised  up  another  class  of 
witnesses — the  'wise  men  from  the  east' — witnesses  that  could 
enter  the  royal  palace  of  proud  King  Herod  and  boldly  ask: 
'Where  is  he  that  is  born  king  of  the  Jews?  for  we  have  seen 
his  star  in  the  east,  and  are  come  to  worship  him' ;  a  testimony 
that  startled  Herod  and  troubled  all  Jerusalem.  So  that  indeed 
God  raised  up  witnesses  for  Himself  to  meet  all  classes  and 
conditions  of  men — the  testimony  of  angels  for  the  poor  and 
the  lowly;  the  testimony  of  wise  men  for  the  haughty  king  and 
proud  priests  of  Judea.  So  that  of  the  things  concerning  the 
birth  of  Messiah,  no  less  than  of  the  things  of  His  death  and 
resurrection  from  the  dead,  His  disciples  could  say,  'these  things 
were  not  done  in  a  corner.' " 

6.  The  Year  of  Christ's  Birth. — In  treating  this  topic  Dr. 
Charles  F.  Deems  (The  Light  o/  the  Nations,  p.  28),  after  giving 
careful  consideration  of  the  estimates,  calculations,  and  assump- 
tions of  men  who  have  employed  many  means  in  their  investiga- 
tion and  reach  only  discordant  results  says :  "It  is  annoying  to 
see  learned  men  use  the  same  apparatus  of  calculation  and  reach 
the  most  diverse  results.  It  is  bewildering  to  attempt  a  recon- 
ciliation of  these  varying  calculations."  In  an  appended  note 
the  same  author  states :  "For  example :  the  birth  of  our  Lord 
is  placed  in  B.  C.  I  by  Pearson  and  Hug;  B.  C.  2  by  Scalinger; 
B.  C.  3  by  Baronius  and  Paulus ;  B.  C.  4  by  Bengel,  Wieseler, 
and  Greswell;  B.  C.  5  by  Usher  and  Petavius ;  B.  C.  6  by  &trong, 
Luvin,  and  Clark;  B.  C.  7  by  Ideler  and  Sanclemente." 


110  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

i 

CHAPTER   9. 
THE  BOY  OF  NAZARETH. 

Joseph,  Mary,  and  her  Son  remained  in  Egypt  until  after 
the  death  of  Herod  the  Great,  which  event  was  made  known 
by  another  angelic  visitation.  Their  stay  in  the  foreign  land 
was  probably  brief,  for  Herod  did  not  long  survive  the 
babes  he  had  slain  in  Bethlehem.  In  the  return  of  the  family 
from  Egypt  the  evangelist  finds  a  fulfilment  of  Hosea's 
prophetic  vision  of  what  should  be :  "Out  of  Egypt  have  I 
called  my  son."  a 

It  appears  to  have  been  Joseph's  intention  to  make  a 
home  for  the  family  in  Judea,  possibly  at  Bethlehem — the 
city  of  his  ancestors  and  a  place  now  even  more  endeared  to 
him  as  the  birthplace  of  Mary's  child — but,  learning  on  the 
way  that  Herod's  son  Archelaus  ruled  in  the  place  of  his 
wicked  father,  Joseph  modified  his  purpose ;  and,  "being 
warned  of  God  in  a  dream,  he  turned  aside  into  the  parts  of 
Galilee :  and  he  came  and  dwelt  in  a  city  called  Nazareth : 
that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophets, 
He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene."& 

While  Archelaus,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  natural 
heir  to  his  infamous  father's  wickedness  and  cruelty,  ruled  in 
Judea,c  for  a  short  time  as  king,  then  with  the  less  exalted 
title  of  ethnarch,  which  had  been  decreed  to  him  by  the  em- 
peror, his  brother  Antipas  governed  as  tetrarch  in  Galilee. 
Herod  Antipas  was  well  nigh  as  vicious  and  reprobate  as 
others  of  his  unprincipled  family,  but  he  was  less  aggressive 
in  vindictiveness,  and  in  that  period  of  his  reign  was  com- 
paratively tolerant.** 


a  Matt.    2:15;    compare    Hos.    11:1. 

frMatt.    2:19-23. 

c  Note    1,    end    of    chapter. 

d  Note  2,    end   of  chapter, 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS.  Ill 

Concerning  the  home  life  of  Joseph  and  his  family  in 
Nazareth,  the  scriptural  record  makes  but  brief  mention. 
The  silence  with  which  the  early  period  of  the  life  of  Jesus 
is  treated  by  the  inspired  historians  is  impressive ;  while  the 
fanciful  accounts  written  in  later  years  by  unauthorized 
hands  are  full  of  fictitious  detail,  much  of  which  is  positively 
revolting  in  its  puerile  inconsistency.  None  but  Joseph, 
Mary,  and  the  other  members  of  the  immediate  family  or 
close  associates  of  the  household  could  have  furnished  the 
facts  of  daily  life  in  the  humble  home  at  Nazareth  ;  and  from 
these  qualified  informants  Matthew  and  Luke  probably  de- 
rived the  knowledge  of  which  they  wrote.  The  record  made 
by  those  who  knew  is  marked  by  impressive  brevity.  In  this 
absence  of  detail  we  may  see  evidence  of  the  genuineness  of 
the  scriptural  account.  Inventive  writers  would  have  sup- 
plied, as,  later,  such  did  supply,  what  we  seek  in  vain  within 
the  chapters  of  the  Gospels.  With  hallowed  silence  do  the 
inspired  scribes  honor  the  boyhood  of  their  Lord;  he  who 
seeks  to  invent  circumstances  and  to  invest  the  life  of  Christ 
with  fictitious  additions,  dishonors  Him.  Read  thoughtfully 
the  attested  truth  concerning  the  childhood  of  the  Christ: 
"And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled  with 
wisdom :  and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him."* 

In  such  simplicity  is  the  normal,  natural  development  of 
the  Boy  Jesus  made  clear.  He  came  among  men  to  experi- 
ence all  the  natural  conditions  of  mortality ;  He  was  born  as 
truly  a  dependent,  helpless  babe  as  is  any  other  child;  His 
infancy  was  in  all  common  features  as  the  infancy  of  others ; 
His  boyhood  was  actual  boyhood,  His  development  was  as 
necessary  and  as  real  as  that  of  all  children.  Over  His  mind 
had  fallen  the  veil  of  forgetfulness  common  to  all  who  are 
born  to  earth,  by  which  the  remembrance  of  primeval  exist- 
ence is  shut  off.  The  Child  grew,  and  with  growth  there 
came  to  Him  expansion  of  mind,  development  of  faculties, 


*Luke  2:40. 


JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

and  progression  in  power  and  understanding.  His  advance- 
ment was  from  one  grace  to  another,  not  from  gracefulness 
to  grace ;  from  good  to  greater  good,  not  from  evil  to  good ; 
from  favor  with  God  to  greater  favor,  not  from  estrange- 
ment because  of  sin  to  reconciliation  through  repentance  and 
propitiation/ 

Our  knowledge  of  Jewish  life  in  that  age  justifies  the  in- 
ference that  the  Boy  was  well  taught  in  the  law  and  the 
scriptures,  for  such  was  the  rule.  He  garnered  knowledge 
by  study,  and  gained  wisdom  by  prayer,  thought,  and  effort. 
Beyond  question  He  was  trained  to  labor,  for  idleness  was 
abhorred  then  as  it  is  now ;  and  every  Jewish  boy,  whether 
carpenter's  son,  peasant's  child,  or  rabbi's  heir,  was  required 
to  learn  and  follow  a  practical  and  productive  vocation. 
Jesus  was  all  that  a  boy  should  be,  for  His  development  was 
unretarded  by  the  dragging  weight  of  sin;  He  loved  and 
obeyed  the  truth  and  therefore  was  free.^ 

Joseph  and  Mary,  devout  and  faithful  in  all  observances 
of  the  law,  went  up  to  Jerusalem  every  year  at  the  feast  of 
the  Passover.  This  religious  festival,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, was  one  of  the  most  solemn  and  sacred  among  the 
many  ceremonial  commemorations  of  the  Jews ;  it  had  been 
established  at  the  time  of  the  peoples'  exodus  from  Egypt, 
in  remembrance  of  the  outstretched  arm  of  power  by  which 
God  had  delivered  Israel  after  the  angel  of  destruction  had 
slain  the  firstborn  in  every  Egyptian  home  and  had  merci- 
fully passed  over  the  houses  of  the  children  of  Jacob.7t  It 
was  of  such  importance  that  its  annual  recurrence  was  made 
the  beginning  of  the  new  year.  The  law  required  all  males 
to  present  themselves  before  the  Lord  at  the  feast.  The 
rule  was  that  women  should  likewise  attend  if  not  lawfully 
detained ;  and  Mary  appears  to  have  followed  both  the  spirit 
of  the  law  and  the  letter  of  the  rule,  for  she  habitually  ac- 

/Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

#  Compare  His  teachings  after  He  had  reached  manhood,  e.g.  John  8:32. 

ADeut.   16:1-6;   compare  Exo.   12:2. 


JESUS  WHEN  TWELVE  YEARS  OF  AGE.  113 

companied  her  husband  to  the  annual  gathering  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

When  Jesus  had  attained  the  age  of  twelve  years  He 
was  taken  by  His  mother  and  Joseph  to  the  feast  as  the  law 
required ;  whether  the  Boy  had  ever  before  been  present  on 
such  an  occasion  we  are  not  told.  At  twelve  years  of  age  a 
Jewish  boy  was  recognized  as  a  member  of  his  home  com- 
munity ;  he  was  required  then  to  enter  with  definite  purpose 
upon  his  chosen  vocation ;  he  attained  an  advanced  status  as 
an  individual  in  that  thereafter  he  could  not  be  arbitrarily 
disposed  of  as  a  bond-servant  by  his  parents ;  he  was  ap- 
pointed  to  higher  studies  in  school  and  home ;  and,  when 
accepted  by  the  priests,  he  became  a  "son  of  the  law."  It 
was  the  common  and  very  natural  desire  of  parents  to  have 
their  sons  attend  the  feast  of  the  Passover  and  be  present 
at  the  temple  ceremonies  as  recognized  members  of  the  con- 
gregation when  of  the  prescribed  age.  Thus  came  the  Boy 
Jesus  to  the  temple. 

The  feast  proper  lasted  seven  days,  and  in  the  time  of 
Christ  was  annually  attended  by  great  concourses  of  Jews; 
Josephus  speaks  of  such  a  Passover  gathering  as  "an  innum- 
erable multitude. "*  The  people  came  from  distant  provinces 
in  large  companies  and  caravans,  as  a  matter  of  convenience 
and  as  a  means  of  common  protection  against  the  marauding 
bands  which  are  known  to  have  infested  the  country.  As 
members  of  such  a  company  Joseph  and  his  family  traveled. 

When,  following  the  conclusion  of  the  Passover,  the 
Galilean  company  had  gone  a  day's  journey  toward  home, 
Joseph  and  Mary  discovered  to  their  surprize  and  deep  con- 
cern that  Jesus  was  not  with  their  company.  After  a  fruit- 
less search  among  their  friends  and  acquaintances,  they 
turned  back  toward  Jerusalem  seeking  the  Boy.  Their  in- 
quiries brought  little  comfort  or  assistance  until  three  days 
had  passed;  then  "they  found  him  in  the  temple,  sitting  in 

t  Josephus;  Wars  of  the  Jews,  ii,  1:3. 


JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

the  midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them  and  asking  them 
questions. ";  It  was  no  unusual  thing  for  a  twelve  year  old 
boy  to  be  questioned  by  priests,  scribes,  rabbis,  nor  to  be 
permitted  to  ask  questions  of  these  professional  expounders 
of  the  law,  for  such  procedure  was  part  of  the  educational 
training  of  Jewish  youths ;  nor  was  there  anything  surpriz- 
ing in  such  a  meeting  of  students  and  teachers  within  the 
temple  courts,  for  the  rabbis  of  that  time  were  accustomed  to 
give  instruction  there ;  and  people,  young  and  old,  gathered 
about  them,  sitting  at  their  feet  to  learn  ;  but  there  was  much 
that  was  extraordinary  in  this  interview  as  the  demeanor  of 
the  learned  doctors  showed,  for  never  before  had  such  a 
student  been  found,  inasmuch  as  "all  that  heard  him  were 
astonished  at  his  understanding  and  answers."  The  inci- 
dent furnishes  evidence  of  a  wellspent  boyhood  and  proof 
of  unusual  attainments.^ 

The  amazement  of  Mary  and  her  husband  on  finding  the 
Boy  in  such  distinguished  company,  and  so  plainly  the  ob- 
ject of  deference  and  respect,  and  the  joy  of  seeing  again  the 
beloved  One  who  to  them  had  been  lost,  did  not  entirely 
banish  the  memory  of  the  anguish  His  absence  had  caused 
them.  In  words  of  gentle  yet  unmistakable  reproof  the 
mother  said:  "Son,  why  hast  thou  thus  dealt  with  us?  be- 
hold, thy  father  and  I  have  sought  thee  sorrowing."  The 
Boy's  reply  astonished  them,  in  that  it  revealed,  to  an  extent 
they  had  not  before  realized,  His  rapidly  maturing  powers  of 
judgment  and  understanding.  Said  He :  "How  is  it  that 
ye  sought  me  ?  wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's 
business  ?" 

Let  us  not  say  that  there  was  unkind  rebuke  or  unfilial 
reproof  in  the  answer  of  this  most  dutiful  of  sons  to  His 
mother.  His  reply  was  to  Mary  a  reminder  of  what  she 
seems  to  have  forgotten  for  the  moment — the  facts  in  the 


/Luke  2:46;   read  41-52. 

k  Compare   Matt.   7:28,   29;    13:54;   Mark  6:2;   Luke  4:22. 


IN  HIS  FATHER'S  HOUSE.  115 

matter  of  her  Son's  paternity.  She  had  used  the  words 
"thy  father  and  I ;"  and  her  Son's  response  had  brought 
anew  to  her  mind  the  truth  that  Joseph  was  not  the  Boy's 
father.  She  appears  to  have  been  astonished  that  One  so 
young  should  so  thoroughly  understand  His  position  with 
respect  to  herself.  He  had  made  plain  to  her  the  inad- 
vertent inaccuracy  of  her  words ;  His  Father  had  not  been 
seeking  Him;  for  was  He  not  even  at  that  moment  in  His 
Father's  house,  and  particularly  engaged  in  His  Father's 
business,  the  very  work  to  which  His  Father  had  appointed 
Him? 

He  had  in  no  wise  intimated  a  doubt  as  to  Mary's  mater- 
nal relationship  to  Himself ;  though  He  had  indisputably 
shown  that  He  recognized  as  His  Father,  not  Joseph  of 
Nazareth,  but  the  God  of  Heaven.  Both  Mary  and  Joseph 
failed  to  comprehend  the  full  import  of  His  words.  Though 
He  understood  the  superior  claim  of  duty  based  on  His 
divine  Sonship,  and  had  shown  to  Mary  that  her  authority 
as  earthly  mother  was  subordinate  to  that  of  His  immortal 
and  divine  Father,  nevertheless  He  obeyed  her.  Interested 
as  were  the  doctors  in  this  remarkable  Boy,  much  as  He  had 
given  them  to  ponder  over  through  His  searching  questions 
and  wise  answers,  they  could  not  detain  Him,  for  the  very 
law  they  professed  to  uphold  enjoined  strict  obedience  to 
parental  authority.  "And  he  went  down  with  them,  and 
came  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  unto  them :  but  his 
mother  kept  all  these  sayings  in  her  heart." 

What  marvelous  and  sacred  secrets  were  treasured  in  that 
mother's  heart ;  and  what  new  surprizes  and  grave  problems 
were  added  day  after  day  in  the  manifestations  of  unfolding 
wisdom  displayed  by  her  more  than  mortal  Son !  Though 
she  could  never  have  wholly  forgotten,  at  times  she  seem- 
ingly lost  sight  of,  her  Son's  exalted  personality.  That 
such  conditions  should  exist  was  perhaps  divinely  appointed. 
There  could  scarcely  have  been  a  full  measure  of  truly  hu- 


116  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

man  experience  in  the  relationship  between  Jesus  and  His 
mother,  or  between  Him  and  Joseph,  had  the  fact  of  His 
divinity  been  always  dominant  or  even  prominently  appar- 
ent. Mary  appears  never  to  have  fully  understood  her  Son ; 
at  every  new  evidence  of  His  uniqueness  she  marveled  and 
pondered  anew.  He  was  hers,  and  yet  in  a  very  real  sense 
not  wholly  hers.  There  was  about  their  relation  to  each 
other  a  mystery,  awful  yet  sublime,  a  holy  secret  which  that 
chosen  and  blessed  mother  hesitated  even  to  tell  over  to 
herself.  Fear  must  have  contended  with  joy  within  her  soul 
because  of  Him.  The  memory  of  Gabriel's  glorious  prom- 
ises, the  testimony  of  the  rejoicing  shepherds,  and  the  adora- 
tion of  the  magi  must  have  struggled  with  that  of  Simeon's 
portentous  prophecy,  directed  to  herself  in  person:  "Yea,  a  \ 
sword  shall  pierce  through  thy  own  soul  also."' 

As  to  the  events  of  the  eighteen  years  following  the  re- 
turn of  Jesus  from  Jerusalem  to  Nazareth,  the  scriptures 
are  silent  save  for  one  rich  sentence  of  greatest  import: 
"And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor 
with  God  and  man."m  Plainly  this  Son  of  the  Highest  was 
not  endowed  with  a  fulness  of  knowledge,  nor  with  the  com- 
plete investiture  of  wisdom,  from  the  cradle."  Slowly  the 
assurance  of  His  appointed  mission  as  the  Messiah,  of  whose 
coming  He  read  in  the  law,  the  prophets,  and  the  psalms, 
developed  within  His  soul;  and  in  devoted  preparation  for 
the  ministry  that  should  find  culmination  on  the  cross  He 
passed  the  years  of  youth  and  early  manhood.  From  the 
chronicles  of  later  years  we  learn  that  He  was  reputed  with- 
out question  to  be  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  and  was 
regarded  as  the  brother  of  other  and  younger  children  of  the 
family.  He  was  spoken  of  both  as  a  carpenter  and  a  car- 
penter's son ;  and,  until  the  beginning  of  His  public  ministry 


/Luke  2:35. 

mLuke  2:52. 

n  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


JESUS   OF   NAZARETH.  117' 

He  appears  to  have  been  of  little  prominence  even  in  the 
small  home  community. ° 

He  lived  the  simple  life,  at  peace  with  His  fellows,  in 
communion  with  His  Father,  thus  increasing  in  favor  with 
God  and  men.  As  shown  by  His  public  utterances  after  He 
had  become  a  man,  these  years  of  seclusion  were  spent  in 
active  effort,  both  physical  and  mental.  Jesus  was  a  close 
observer  of  nature  and  men.  He  was  able  to  draw  illustra- 
tions with  which  to  point  His  teachings  from  the  varied 
occupations,  trades  and  professions ;  the  ways  of  the  lawyer 
and  the  physician,  the  manners  of  the  scribe,  the  Pharisee 
and  the  rabbi,  the  habits  of  the  poor,  the  customs  of  the  rich, 
the  life  of  the  shepherd,  the  farmer,  the  vinedresser  and  the 
fisherman — were  all  known  to  Him.  He  considered  the 
lilies  of  the  field,  and  the  grass  in  meadow  and  upland,  the 
birds  which  sowed  not  nor  gathered  into  barns  but  lived 
on  the  bounty  of  their  Maker,  the  foxes  in  their  holes,  the 
petted  house  dog  and  the  vagrant  cur,  the  hen  sheltering  her 
brood  beneath  protecting  wings — all  these  had  contributed 
to  the  wisdom  in  which  He  grew,  as  had  also  the  moods 
of  the  weather,  the  recurrence  of  the  seasons,  and  all  the 
phenomena  of  natural  change  and  order. 

Nazareth  was  the  abode  of  Jesus  until  He  was  about 
thirty  years  of  age ;  and,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of 
designating  individuals  by  the  names  of  their  home  towns 
as  additions  to  their  personal  names/  our  Lord  came  to  be 
generally  known  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth.^  He  is  also  referred 
to  as  a  Nazarene,  or  a  native  of  Nazareth,  and  this  fact  is 
cited  by  Matthew  as  a  fulfilment  of  earlier  prediction,  though 
our  current  compilation  of  scriptures  constituting  the  Old 
Testament  contains  no  record  of  such  prophecy.  It  is  prac- 
tically certain  that  this  prediction  was  contained  in  some  one 

oMatt.  13:55,  56;  Mark  6:3;  Luke  4:22;  compare  Matt.  12:46,  47;  Gal. 
1:19. 

p  For  illustrative  examples  see  Joseph  of  Arimathea  (Mark  15:43): 
Mary  Magdalene,  so  known  from  her  native  town  of  Magdala  (Matt. 
27:56);  Judas  Iscariot,  possibly  named  after  his  home  in  Kerioth  (Matt. 
10:4;  see  page  225  herein.) 

GMatt.    21:11;   John    18:5;    19:19;   Acts   2:22;   3:6;    see   also   Luke   4:16. 


118  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

of  the  many  scriptures  extant  in  earlier  days  but  since  lost/ 
That  Nazareth  was  an  obscure  village,  of  little  honor  or  re- 
nown, is  evidenced  by  the  almost  contemptuous  question  of 
Nathanael,  who,  on  being  informed  that  the  Messiah  had 
been  found  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  asked :  "Can  there  any 
good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?"J  The  incredulous  query 
has  passed  into  a  proverb  current  even  today  as  expressive 
of  any  unpopular  or  unpromising  source  of  good.  Nathanael 
lived  in  Cana,  but  a  few  miles  from  Nazareth,  and  his  sur- 
prize at  tidings  brought  by  Philip  concerning  the  Mes- 
siah incidentally  affords  evidence  of  the  seclusion  in  which 
Jesus  had  lived. 

So  passed  the  boyhood,  youth,  and  early  manhood  of  the 
Savior  of  mankind. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  9. 

1.  Archelaus    Reigned   in    Herod's    Stead. — "At    his    death 
Herod    [the    Great]    left    a   will    according   to    which    his   kingdom 
was  to  be  divided  among  his  three  sons.     Archelaus  was  to  have 
Judea,  Idumea,  and  Samaria,  with  the  title  of  king   (Matt.  2:22). 
Herod   Antipas   was   to   receive   Galilee   and   Perea,   with   the   title 
of    tetrarch ;    Philip    was    to    come    into    possession    of    the    trans- 
Jordan  territory  with  the  title  of  tetrarch    (Luke  3:1).     This  will 
was  ratified  by  Augustus   with  the  exception  of  the  title  given  to 
Archelaus.      Archelaus,    after   the    ratification   of   Herod's    will   by 
Augustus,  succeeded  to  the  rule  of  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Idumea, 
having  the  title   of   ethnarch,   with   the  understanding  that,   if  he 
ruled    well,    he    was    to    become   king.     He   was,   however,   highly 
unpopular    with    the    people,    and    his    reign    was    marked   by    dis- 
turbances   and    acts    of    oppression.     The    situation    became    finally 
so    intolerable    that   the    Jews    appealed    to    Augustus,    and    Arch- 
elaus  was   removed    and   sent   into   exile.     This   accounts    for   the 
statement    in    Matt.    2:22,    and    possibly    also    suggested    the    point 
of    the    parable    (Luke    19:12,    etc.)." — Standard   Bible    Dictionary, 
Funk  and  Wagnalls   Co.,  article   "Herod."     Early  in  his   reign  he 
wreaked    summary    vengeance    on    the    people    who    ventured    to 
protest  against  a  continuation  of  his   father's  violence,  by  slaugh- 
tering three  thousand  or  more ;   and   the   awful   deed  of  carnage 
was    perpetrated    in    part    within    the    precincts    of    the    temple. 
(Josephus,  Antiquities  xvii,  9:1-3.) 

2.  Herod  Antipas. — Son  of  Herod  I  (the  Great)  by  a  Samar- 

r  Note  4,   end   of  chapter, 
jjohn    1:45,    46, 


NOTES. 

itan  woman,  and  full  brother  to  Archelaus.  By  the  will  of  his 
father  he  became  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea  (Matt  14:1;  Luke 
3:19;  9:7;  Acts  13:1;  compare  Luke  3:1).  He  repudiated  his  wife, 
a  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of  Arabia  Petrea,  and  entered  into 
an  unlawful  union  with  Herodias,  the  wife  of  his  half-brother 
Herod  Philip  I  (not  the  tetrarch  Philip).  John  the  Baptist  was 
imprisoned  and  finally  put  to  death,  through  the  anger  of 
Herodias  over  his  denunciation  of  her  union  with  Herod  Antipas. 
Herodias  urged  Antipas  to  go  to  Rome  and  petition  Caesar  for 
the  title  of  king  (compare  Mark  6:14,  etc.).  Antipas  is  the 
Herod  most  frequently  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  (Mark 
6:17;  8:15;  Luke  3:1;  9:7;  13:31;  Acts  4:27;  13:1).  He  was  the 
Herod  to  whom  Pilate  sent  Jesus  for  examination,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  Christ  being  known  as  a  Galilean,  and  of  the  coinci- 
dent fact  of  Herod's  presence  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time  in  attend- 
ance at  the  Passover  (Luke  23:6,  etc.).  For  further  details  see 
Smith's,  Cassell's,  or  the  Standard  Bible  Dictionary. 

3.  Testimony  of  John  the  Apostle  Concerning  Christ's  De- 
velopment in  Knowledge  and  Grace. — In  a  modern  revelation, 
Jesus   the    Christ   has    confirmed   the    record   of   John    the   apostle, 
which   record  appears  but  in   part   in  our  compilation   of   ancient 
scriptures.      John    thus    attests    the    actuality   of    natural    develop- 
ment in  the  growth  of  Jesus  from  childhood  to  maturity:     "And 
I,  John,  saw  that  he  received  not  of  the  fullness  at  the  first,  but 
received  grace  for  grace;  and  he  received  not  of  the  fullness  at 
first,    but    continued    from    grace    to    grace,    until    he    received    a 
fullness ;  and  thus  he  was  called  the  Son  of  God,  because  he  re- 
ceived not  of  the  fullness  at  the  first."     (Doc.  and  Cov.  93:12-14). 
Notwithstanding   this    graded   course    of   growth    and    development 
after    His   birth    in    the    flesh,    Jesus    Christ    had    been    associated 
with  the  Father  from  the  beginning,  as  is  set  forth  in  the  revela- 
tion cited.     We  read  therein:     "And  he   [John]   bore  record,  say- 
ing,   I    saw   his    glory    that    he    was    in    the    beginning   before    the 
world  was ;  .therefore  in  the  beginning  the  Word  was,  for  he  was 
the    Word,   even    the    messenger    of    salvation,    the    light    and    the 
Redeemer  of  the  world ;  the  Spirit  of  truth,  who  came  into  the 
world,  because  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  in  him  was  the 
life  of  men  and   the   light  of   men.     The   worlds    were   made  by 
him :  men  were  made  by  him :  all  things  were  made  by  him,  and 
through  him,  and  of  him.     And  I,  John,  bear  record  that  I  beheld 
his  glory,  as  the  glory  of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,   full 
of   grace   and   truth,    even   the    Spirit   of   truth,    which    came   and 
dwelt  in  the  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us"  (verses  7-1 1). 

4.  Missing  Scripture. — Matthew's  commentary  on  the  abode 
of  Joseph,  Mary  and  Jesus  at  Nazareth,  "and  he  came  and  dwelt 
in   a  city  called   Nazareth :   that   it   might  be   fulfilled   which   was 
spoken  by  the  prophets,  he   shall  be  called   a   Nazarene"    (2:23), 
with  the  fact  that  no  such  saying  of  the  prophets  is  found  in  any 
of   the   books    contained   in   the    Bible,    suggests    the    certainty   of 
lost    scripture.      Those    who    oppose    the    doctrine    of    continual 
revelation  between  God  and  His  Church,  on  the  ground  that  the 
Bible   is   complete   as   a  collection   of   sacred   scriptures,   and  that 
alleged  revelation  not  found  therein  must  therefore  be  spurious, 


126    .  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    9. 

may  profitably  take  note  of  the  many  books  not  included  in  the 
Bible,  yet  mentioned  therein,  generally  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  that  they  were  once  regarded  as  authentic.  Among 
these  extra-Biblical  scriptures,  the  following  may  be  named; 
some  of  them  are  in  existence  to-day,  and  are  classed  with  the 
Apocrypha ;  but  the  greater  number  are  unknown.  We  read  of 
the  Book  of  the  Covenant  (Exo.  24:7)  ;  Book  of  the  Wars  of  the 
Lord  (Numb.  21:14)  ;  Book  of  Jasher  (Josh.  10:13)  ;  Book  of  the 
Statutes  (i  Sam.  10:25)  ;  Book  of  Enoch  (Jude  14)  ;  Book  of  the 
Acts  of  Solomon  (i  Kings  11:41);  Book  of  Nathan  the  Prophet, 
and  that  of  Gad  the  Seer  (i  Chron.  29:29)  ;  Book  of  Ahijah  the 
Shilonite,  and  visions  of  Iddo  the  Seer  (2  Chron.  9 :29)  ;  Book  of 
Shemaiah  (2  Chron.  12:15)  ;  Story  of  the  Prophet  Iddo  (2  Chron. 
13:22)  ;  Book  of  Jehu  (2  Chron.  20:34)  ',  the  Acts  of  Uzziah,  by 
Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz  (2  Chron.  26:22);  Sayings  of  the  Seers 
(2  Chron.  33:19);  a  missing  epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Corinthians 
(i  Cor.  5:9);  a  missing  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  (Eph.  3:3); 
missing  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  written  from  Laodicea  (Col. 
4:16) ;  a  .missing  epistle  of  Jude  (Jude  3). 


JOHN    THE    BAPTIST. 

CHAPTER  10. 
IN  THE  WILDERNESS  OF  JUDEA. 

THE  VOICE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 

At  a  time  definitely  stated  as  the  fifteenth  year  of  the 
reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  emperor  of  Rome,  the  people  of 
Judea  were  greatly  aroused  over  the  strange  preaching  of  a 
man  theretofore  unknown.  He  was  of  priestly  descent,  but 
untrained  in  the  schools ;  and,  without  authorization  of  the 
rabbis  or  license  from  the  chief  priests,  he  proclaimed  him- 
self as  one  sent  of  God  with  a  message  to  Israel.  He  ap- 
peared not  in  the  synagogs  nor  within  the  temple  courts, 
where  scribes  and  doctors  taught,  but  cried  aloud  in  the  wil- 
derness. The  people  of  Jerusalem  and  of  adjacent  rural 
parts  went  out  in  great  multitudes  to  hear  him.  He  dis- 
dained the  soft  garments  and  flowing  robes  of  comfort,  and 
preached  in  his  rough  desert  garb,  consisting  of  a  garment 
of  camel's  hair  held  in  place  by  a  leathern  girdle.  The 
coarseness  of  his  attire  was  regarded  as  significant.  Elijah 
the  Tishbite,  that  fearless  prophet  whose  home  had  been  the 
desert,  was  known  in  his  day  as  "an  hairy  man,  and  girt  with 
a  girdle  of  leather  about  his  loins ;"°  and  rough  garments 
had  come  to  be  thought  of  as  a  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  prophets. b  Nor  did  this  strange  preacher  eat  the  food  of 
luxury  and  ease,  but  fed  on  what  the  desert  supplied,  locusts 
and  wild  honey .c 

The  man  was  John,  son  of  Zacharias.  soon  to  be  known 
as  the  Baptist.  He  had  spent  many  years  in  the  desert, 
apart  from  the  abodes  of  men,  years  of  preparation  for  Jiis 

a  2  Kings   1:8. 
b  Note    1,    end    of    chapter. 

c  Matt.  3:1-5;  compare  Lev.  11:22;  see  also  Mark  1:1-8.  Note  2,  end  of 
chapter. 


122  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

particular  mission.  He  had  been  a  student  under  the  tutel- 
age of  divine  teachers ;  and  there  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea 
the  word  of  the  Lord  reached  him;<*  as  in  similar  environ- 
ment it  had  reached  Moses*  and  Elijah^  of  old.  Then  was 
heard  "The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths  straight."*7  It  was  the 
voice  of  the  herald,  the  messenger  who,  as  the  prophets 
had  said,  should  go  before  the  Lord  to  prepare  His  way.7* 
The  burden  of  his  message  was  "Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand."  And  to  such  as  had  faith  in  his 
words  and  professed  repentance,  confessing  their  sins,  he 
administered  baptism  by  immersion  in  water — proclaiming 
the  while,  "I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance : 
but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes 
I  am  not  worthy  to  bear :  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  with  fire."* 

Neither  the  man  nor  his  message  could  be  ignored;  his 
preaching  was  specific  in  promise  to  the  repentant  soul,  and 
scathingly  denunciatory  to  the  hypocrite  and  the  hardened 
sinner.  When  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  came  to  his  bap- 
tism, prating  of  the  law,  the  spirit  of  which  they  ceased  not 
to  transgress,  and  of  the  prophets,  whom  they  dishonored, 
he  denounced  them  as  a  generation  of  vipers,  and  demanded 
of  them :  "Who  hath  warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come?"  He  brushed  aside  their  oft-repeated  boasts  that 
they  were  the  children  of  Abraham,  saying,  "Bring  forth 
therefore  fruits  meet  for  repentance :  and  think  not  to  say 
within  yourselves,  We  have  Abraham  to  our  father:  for  I 
say  unto  you,  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up 
children  unto  Abraham."-''  The  ignoring  of  their  claims  to 
preferment  as  the  children  of  Abraham  was  a  strong  rebuke, 

dLuke  3:2. 

<?Exo.  3:1,  2. 

/I    Kings    17:2-7. 

0Mark   1:3. 

/tMark   1:2;   compare   Isa.    40:3;    Mai.   3:1;   Matt.    11:10;   Luke  7:27. 

»Matt.    3:11. 

y'Matt.  3:7-10;   see  also  Luke  3:3-9. 


JOHN'S    FORCEFUL    PREACHING.  123 

and  a  cause  of  sore  affront  alike  to  aristocratic  Sadducee  and 
rule-bound  Pharisee.  Judaism  held  that  the  posterity  of 
Abraham  had  an  assured  place  in  the  kingdom  of  the  ex- 
pected Messiah,  and  that  no  proselyte  from  among  the  Gen- 
tiles could  possibly  attain  the  rank  and  distinction  of  which 
the  "children"  were  sure.  John's  forceful  assertion  that  God 
could  raise  up,  from  the  stones  on  the  river  bank,  children  to 
Abraham,  meant  to  those  who  heard  that  even  the  lowest  of 
the  human  family  might  be  preferred  before  themselves  un- 
less they  repented  and  reformed.^  Their  time  of  wordy 
profession  had  passed ;  fruits  were  demanded,  not  barren 
though  leafy  profusion ;  the  ax  was  ready,  aye,  at  the  very 
root  of  the  tree ;  and  every  tree  that  produced  not  good  fruit 
was  to  be  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire. 

The  people  were  astonished ;  and  many,  seeing  them- 
selves in  their  actual  condition  of  dereliction  and  sin,  as 
John,  with  burning  words  laid  bare  their  faults,  cried  out : 
"What  shall  we  do  then?";  His  reply  was  directed  against 
ceremonialism,  which  had  caused  spirituality  to  wither 
almost  to  death  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Unselfish  charity 
was  demanded — "He  that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to 
him  that  hath  none ;  and  he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  like- 
wise." The  publicans  or  tax-farmers  and  collectors,  under 
whose  unjust  and  unlawful  exactions  the  people  had  suffered 
so  long,  came  asking:  "Master,  what  shall  we  do?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Exact  no  more  than  that  which  is  ap- 
pointed you."  To  the  soldiers  who  asked  what  to  do  he 
replied :  "Do  violence  to  no  man,  neither  accuse  any  falsely ; 
and  be  content  with  your  wages. "m 

The  spirit  of  his  demands  was  that  of  a  practical  religion, 
the  only  religion  of  any  possible  worth — the  religion  of  right 
living.  With  all  his  vigor,  in  spite  of  his  brusqueness,  not- 
withstanding his  forceful  assaults  on  the  degenerate  customs 


k  Compare    a    later    instance,    in    which    Christ    similarly    taught    (John 
8:33-59). 

/Luke    3:10;    compare    Acts    2:37. 
mLuke   3:10-15. 


124  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   10. 

of  the  times,  this  John  was  no  agitator  against  established 
institutions,  no  inciter  of  riot,  no  advocate  of  revolt,  no  pro- 
moter of  rebellion.  He  did  not  assail  the  tax  system  but  the 
extortions  of  the  corrupt  and  avaricious  publicans;  he  did 
not  denounce  the  army,  but  the  iniquities  of  the  soldiers, 
many  of  whom  had  taken  advantage  of  their  position  to  bear 
false  witness  for  the  sake  of  gain  and  to  enrich  themselves 
by  forcible  seizure.  He  preached,  what  in  the  now  current 
dispensation  we  call  the  first  or  fundamental  principles  of 
the  gospel — "the  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,"M  comprizing  faith,  which  is  vitalized  belief,  in 
God;  genuine  repentance,  which  comprizes  contrition  for 
past  offenses  and  a  resolute  determination  to  turn  from  sin ; 
baptism  by  immersion  in  water  at  his  hands  as  the  hands  of 
one  having  authority ;  and  the  higher  baptism  by  fire  or  the 
bestowal  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  an  authority  greater'  than 
that  possessed  by  himself.  His  preaching  was  positive,  and 
in  many  respects  opposed  to  the  conventions  of  the  times ; 
he  made  no  appeal  to  the  people  through  the  medium  of 
miraculous  manifestations  ;°  and  though  many  of  his  hearers 
attached  themselves  to  him  as  disciples/  he  established  no 
formal  organization,  nor  did  he  attempt  to  form  a  cult.  His 
demand  for  repentance  was  an  individual  call,  as  unto  each 
acceptable  applicant  the  rite  of  baptism  was  individually  ad- 
ministered. 

To  the  Jews,  who  were  living  in  a  state  of  expectancy, 
waiting  for  the  long-predicted  Messiah,  the  words  of  this 
strange  prophet  in  the  wilderness  were  fraught  with  deep 
portent.  Could  it  be  that  he  was  the  Christ?  He  spoke  of 
One  yet  to  come,  mightier  than  himself,  whose  shoe-latchet 
he  was  not  worthy  to  loosen,?  One  who  would  separate  the 
people  as  the  thresher,  fan  in  hand,  blew  the  chaff  from  the 


nMark   1:1. 

ojohn  10:41. 

PJohn   1:35,   37;   Matt.    11:2;    Luke   7:18. 

q  Note   3,   end   of   chapter. 


JESUS   APPLIES   FOR   BAPTISM.  125 

wheat;  and,  he  added,  that  mightier  One  "will  gather  the 
wheat  into  his  garner;  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn  with  fire 
unquenchable.  "r 

In  such  wise  did  the  predicted  herald  of  the  Lord  deliver 
his  message.  Himself  he  would  not  exalt;  his  office,  how- 
ever, was  sacred  to  him,  and  with  its  functions  he  brooked 
no  interference  from  priest,  L,evite,  or  rabbi.  He  was  no 
respecter  of  persons;  sin  he  denounced,  sinners  he  ex- 
coriated, whether  in  priestly  vestments,  peasant  garb,  or 
royal  robes.  All  the  claims  the  Baptist  had  made  for  him- 
self and  his  mission  were  later  confirmed  and  vindicated  by 
the  specific  testimony  of  Christ/  John  was  the  harbinger 
not  alone  of  the  kingdom  but  of  the  King  ;  and  to  him  the 
King  in  person  came. 

THE    BAPTISM    OF    JESUS  —  TO    FULFIL    ALL    RIGHTEOUSNESS. 


When  Jesus  "began  to  be  about  thirty  years  of  age,"'  He 
journeyed  from  His  home  in  Galilee  "to  Jordan  unto  John, 
to  be  baptized  of  him.  But  John  forbad  him,  saying,  I  have 
need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me?  And 
Jesus  answering  said  unto  him,  Suffer  it  to  be  so  now  ;  for 
thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness.  Then  he  suf- 
fered him."" 

John  and  Jesus  were  second  cousins  ;  as  to  whether  there 
had  existed  any  close  companionship  between  the  two  as 
boys  or  men  we  are  not  told.  It  is  certain,  however,  that 
when  Jesus  presented  Himself  for  baptism,  John  recognized 
in  Him  a  sinless  Man  who  stood  in  no  need  of  repentance  ; 
and,  as  the  Baptist  had  been  commissioned  to  baptize  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  he  saw  no  necessity  of  administering  the 
ordinance  to  Jesus.  He  who  had  received  the  confessions 


r  Luke    3:17;    see    also    Matt.    3:12;    compare    Mai.    3:2. 
.sMatt.   11:11-14;   17:12;  Luke  7:24-30. 
fLuke  3:23. 
«Matt.   3:13-15. 


126  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

of  multitudes  now  reverently  confessed  to  One  whom  he 
knew  was  more  righteous  than  himself.  In  the  light  of  later 
events  it  appears  that  at  this  time  John  did  not  know  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the  Mightier  One  for  whom  he  waited 
and  whose  forerunner  he  knew  himself  to  be.  When  John 
expressed  his  conviction  that  Jesus  needed  no  baptismal 
cleansing,  our  Lord,  conscious  of  His  own  sinlessness,  did 
not  deny  the  Baptist's  imputation,  but  nevertheless  pressed 
His  application  for  baptism  with  the  significant  explanation  : 
"Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness."  If  John 
was  able  to  comprehend  the  deeper  meaning  of  this  utter- 
ance, he  must  have  found  therein  the  truth  that  water  bap- 
tism is  not  alone  the  means  provided  for  gaining  remission 
of  sins,  but  is  also  an  indispensable  ordinance  established  in 
righteousness  and  required  of  all  mankind  as  an  essential 
condition  for  membership  in  the  kingdom  of  God.v 

Jesus  Christ  thus  humbly  complied  with  the  will  of 
the  Father,  and  was  baptized  of  John  by  immersion  in 
water.  That  His  baptism  was  accepted  as  a  pleasing  and 
necessary  act  of  submission  was  attested  by  what  immedi- 
ately ensued :  "And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized,  went  up 
straightway  out  of  the  water:  and,  lo,  the  heavens  were 
opened  unto  him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending 
"•like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  him:  and  lo  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased. ""'  Then  John  knew  his  Redeemer. 

The  four  Gospel-writers  record  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  the  baptized  Jesus  as  accompanied  by  a  visible 
manifestation  "like  a  dove;"  and  this  sign  had  been  indi- 
cated to  John  as  the  f  oreappointed  means  by  which  the  Mes- 
siah should  be  made  known  to  him ;  and  to  that  sign,  before 
specified,  was  now  added  the  supreme  testimony  of  the 
Father  as  to  the  literal  Sonship  of  Jesus.  Matthew  records 


v  For  treatment  of  Baptism  as  a  universal  requirement,  see  the  author's 

'Articles  of  Faith"  vi:18-29. 

u/ Matt.    3:16,    17;    compare    Mark    1:9-11;    Luke   3:21.    22. 


FORTY   DAYS    IN    THE    WILDERNESS.  127 

the  Father's  acknowledgment  as  given  in  the  third  person, 
"This  is  my  beloved  Son ;"  while  both  Mark  and  Luke  give 
the  more  direct  address,  "Thou  art  my  beloved  Son."    The 
variation,  slight  and  essentially  unimportant  as  it  is  though 
bearing  on  so  momentous  a  subject,  affords  evidence  of  in-  \^ 
dependent  authorship  and  discredits  any  insinuation  of  col-    i 
lusion  among  the  writers. 

The  incidents  attending  the  emergence  of  Jesus  from  the 
baptismal  grave  demonstrate  the  distinct  individuality  of  the 
three  Personages  of  the  Godhead.  On  that  solemn  occa- 
sion Jesus  the  Son  was  present  in  the  flesh ;  the  presence  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  manifest  through  the  accompanying 
sign  of  the  dove,  and  the  voice  of  the  Eternal  Father  was 
heard  from  heaven.  Had  we  no  other  evidence  of  the  sep- 
arate personality  of  each  member  of  the  Holy.  Trinity,  this 
instance  should  be  conclusive;  but  other  scriptures  confirm 
the  great  truth.* 

THE   TEMPTATIONS   OF   CHRIST. 

Soon  after  His  baptism,  immediately  thereafter  as  Mark 
asserts,  Jesus  was  constrained  by  the  promptings  of  the 
Spirit  to  withdraw  from  men  and  the  distractions  of  com- 
munity life,  by  retiring  into  the  wilderness  where  He  would 
be  free  to  commune  with  His  God.  So  strong  was  the  in- 
fluence of  the  impelling  force  that  He  was  led  thereby,  or, 
as  stated  by  the  evangelist,  driven,  into  solitary  seclusion, 
in  which  He  remained  during  forty  days,  "with  the  wild 
beasts"  of  the  desert.  This  remarkable  episode  in  our 
Lord's  life  is  described,  though  not  with  equal  fulness,  in 
three  of  the  Gospels  ;y  John  is  silent  thereon. 

The  circumstances  attending  this  time  of  exile  and  test 

must  have  been  related  by  Jesus»Himself,  for  of  other  human 
-*\~ 

x  Shortly  before  His  death,  the  Savior  promised  the  apostles  that  the 
Father  would  send  unto  them  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost 
(John  14:26,  and  15:26).  See  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith"  ii:20-24. 

y  Matt.   4:1-11;   Mark  1:12,   13;  Luke  4:1-13. 


128  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

witnesses  there  were  none.  The  recorded  narratives  deal 
principally  with  events  marking  the  close  of  the  forty-day 
period,  but  considered  in  their  entirety  they  place  beyond 
doubt  the  fact  that  the  season  was  one  of  fasting  and  prayer. 
Christ's  realization  that  He  was  the  chosen  and  foreordained 
Messiah  came  to  Him  gradually.  As  shown  by  His  words 
to  His  mother  on  the  occasion  of  the  memorable  interview 
with  the  doctors  in  the  temple  courts,  He  knew,  when  but 
a  Boy  of  twelve  years,  that  in  a  particular  and  personal  sense 
He  was  the  Son  of  God ;  yet  it  is  evident  that  a  comprehen- 
sion of  the  full  purport  of  His  earthly  mission  developed 
within  Him  only  as  He  progressed  step  by  step  in  wisdom. 
His  acknowledgment  by  the  Father,  and  the  continued  com- 
panionship of  the  Holy  Ghost,  opened  His  soul  to  the  glori- 
ous fact  of  His  divinity.  He  had  much  to  think  about,  much 
that  demanded  prayer  and  the  communion  with  God  that 
prayer  alone  could  insure.  Throughout  the  period  of  retire- 
ment, he  ate  not,  but  chose  to  fast,  that  His  mortal  body 
might  the  more  completely  be  subjected  to  His  divine  spirit. 
Then,  when  He  was  hungry  and  physically  weak,  the 
tempter  came  with  the  insidious  suggestion  that  He  use  His 
extraordinary  powers  to  provide  food.  Satan  had  chosen 
the  most  propitious  time  for  his  evil  purpose.  What  will 
mortals  not  do,  to  what  length  have  men  not  gone,  to 
assuage  the  pangs  of  hunger?  Esau  bartered  his  birthright 
for  a  meal.  Men  have  fought  like  brutes  for  food.  Women 
have  slain  and  eaten  their  own  babies  rather  than  endure  the 
gnawing  pangs  of  starvation.  All  this  Satan  knew  when  he 
came  to  the  Christ  in  the  hour  of  extreme  physical  need,  and 
said  unto  Him:  "If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that 
these  stones  be  made  bread."  During  the  long  weeks  of  se- 
clusion, our  Lord  had  been  sustained  by  the  exaltation  of 
spirit  that  would  naturally  attend  such  all-absorbing  concen- 
tration of  mind  as  His  protracted  meditation  and  communion 
with  the  heavens  undoubtedly  produced;  in  such  profound 


TEMPTATION    IN    THE    WILDERNESS.  129 

devotion  of  spirit,  bodily  appetites  were  subdued  and  super- 
seded; but  the  reaction  of  the  flesh  was  inevitable. 

Hungry  as  Jesus  was,  there  was  a  temptation  in  Satan's 
words  even  greater  than  that  embodied  in  the  suggestion 
that  He  provide  food  for  His  famishing  body — the  tempta- 
tion to  put  to  proof  the  possible  doubt  implied  in  the 
tempter's  "If."  The  Eternal  Father  had  proclaimed  Jesus 
as  His  Son ;  the  devil  tried  to  make  the  Son  doubt  that 
divine  relationship.  Why  not  prove  the  Father's  interest  in 
His  Son  at  this  moment  of  dire  necessity  ?  Was  it  proper 
that  the  Son  of  God  should  go  hungry  ?  Had  the  Father  so 
soon  forgotten  as  to  leave  His  Beloved  Son  thus  to  suffer? 
Was  it  not  reasonable  that  Jesus,  faint  from  long  abstinence, 
should  provide  for  Himself,  and  particularly  so  since  He 
could  provide,  and  that  by  a  word  of  command,  if  the  voice 
heard  at  His  baptism.,  was  that  of  the  Eternal  Father.  // 
thou  be  in  reality  the  Son  of  God,  demonstrate  thy  power, 
and  at  the  same  time  satisfy  thy  hunger — such  was  the  pur- 
port of  the  diabolical  suggestion.  To  have  yielded  would 
have  been  to  manifest  positive  doubt  of  the  Father's  ac- 
knowledgment. 

Moreover,  the  superior  power  that  Jesus  possessed 
had  not  been  given  to  Him  for  personal  gratification, 
but  for  service  to  others.  He  was  to  experience  all  the 
trials  of  mortality ;  another  man,  as  hungry  as  He,  could 
not  provide  for  himself  by  miracle ;  and  though  by 
miracle  such  a  one  might  be  fed,  the  miraculous  supply 
would  have  to  be  given,  not  provided  by  himself.  It  was 
a  necessary  result  of  our  Lord's  dual,  nature,  comprizing 
the  attributes  of  both  God  and  man,  that  He  should  endure 
and  suffer  as  a  mortal  while  possessing  at  all  times  the 
ability  to  invoke  the  power  of  His  own  Godhood  by  which 
all  bodily  needs  could  be  supplied  or  overcome.  His  reply 
to  the  tempter  was  sublime  and  positively  final :  "It  is  writ- 
ten, Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word 


130  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God."2  The  word  that 
had  proceeded  from  the  mouth  of  God,  upon  which  Satan 
would  have  cast  mistrust,  was  that  Jesus  was  the  Beloved 
Son  with  whom  the  Father  was  well  pleased.  The  devil  was 
foiled ;  Christ  was  triumphant. 

Realizing  that  he  had  utterly  failed  in  his  attempt  to  in- 
duce Jesus  to  use  His  inherent  power  for  personal  service, 
and  to  trust  in  Himself  rather  than  rely  upon  the  Father's 
providence,  Satan  went  to  the  other  extreme  and  tempted 
Jesus  to  wantonly  throw  Himself  upon  the  Father's  pro- 
r  tection.a  Jesus  was  standing  upon  one  of  the  high  parts  of 
*^  the  temple,  a  pinnacle  or  battlement,  overlooking  the  spacious 
courts,  when  the  devil  said  unto  Him:  "If  thou  be  the  Son 
of  God,  cast  thyself  down:  for  it  is  written,  He  shall  give 
his  angels  charge  concerning  thee :  and  in  their  hands  they 
shall  bear  thee  up,  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against 
a  stone."  Again  appears  the  implication  of  doubt.&  //  Jesus 
was  in  fact  the  Son  of  God,  could  He  not  trust  His  Father 
to  save  Him,  and  particularly  so  as  it  was  written17  that 
angels  would  guard  Him  and  bear  Him  up?  Christ's  reply 
to  the  tempter  in  the  wilderness  had  embodied  a  scriptural 
citation,  and  this  He  had  introduced  with  the  impressive 
formula  common  to  expounders  of  sacred  writ — "It  is  writ- 
ten." In  the  second  attempt,  the  devil  tried  to  support  his 
suggestion  by  scripture,  and  employed  a  similar  expression 
— "for  it  is  written."  Our  Lord  met  and  answered  the 
devil's  quotation  with  another,  saying :  "It  is  written  again, 
Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."4* 

Beside  the  provocation  to  sin  by  wantonly  placing  Him- 
self in  danger,  so  that  the  Father's  love  might  be  manifested 
in  a  miraculous  rescue,  or  by  refusing  so  to  challenge  the 
Father's  interposition  demonstrate  that  He  doubted  His 

z  Matt.  4:4;   compare  Deut.  8:3. 

a  Note   4,    end    of    chapter. 

b  Note  5,  end  of  chapter.     Page  658  herein. 

cMatt.    4:6;    Psalm    91:11,    12. 

dMatt,   4:5-7;    compare   Deut.    6:16. 


JESUS    TEMPTED   TO   TEMPT   THE    FATHER.  131 

status  as  the  Beloved  Son,  there  lurked  an  appeal  to  the 
human  side  of  Christ's  nature,  in  thought  of  the  fame  which 
an  astounding  exploit,  such  as  that  of  leaping  from  the  dizzy 
height  of  the  temple  turrets  and  alighting  unhurt,  would 
surely  bring.  We  cannot  resist  the  thought,  though  we  be 
not  justified  in  saying  that  any  such  had  even  momentary 
place  in  the  Savior's  mind,  that  to  act  upon  Satan's  sugges- 
tion, provided  of  course  the  outcome  proved  to  be  such  as 
he  had  indicated,  would  have  been  to  insure  public  recogni- 
tion of  Jesus  as  a  Being  superior  to  mortals.  It  would  have 
been  a  sign  and  a  wonder  indeed,  the  fame  of  which  would 
have  spread  as  fire  in  the  dry  grass;  and  all  Jewry  would 
have  been  aflame  with  excitement  and  interest  in  the  Christ. 

The  glaring  sophistry  of  Satan's  citation  of  scripture  was 
unworthy  a  categorical  reply ;  his  doctrine  deserved  neither 
logic  nor  argument ;  his  misapplication  of  the  written  word 
was  nullified  by  scripture  that  was  germane ;  the  lines  of  the 
psalmist  were  met  by  the  binding  fiat  of  the  prophet  of  the 
exodus,  in  which  he  had  commanded  Israel  that  they  should 
not  provoke  nor  tempt  the  Lord  to  work  miracles  among 
them.  Satan  tempted  Jesus  to  tempt  the  Father.  It  is  ?.s 
truly  a  blasphemous  interference  with  the  prerogatives  of 
Deity  to  set  limitations  or  make  fixations  of  time  or  place  at 
which  the  divine  power  shall  be  made  manifest,  as  it  is  to 
attempt  to  usurp  that  power.  God  alone  must  decide  when 
and  how  His  wonders  shall  be  wrought.  Once  more  the 
purposes  of  Satan  were  thwarted  and  Christ  again  was 
victor. 

In  the  third  temptation  the  devil  refrained  from  further 
appeal  to  Jesus  to  put  either  His  own  power  or  that  of  the 
Father  to  the  test.  Twice  completely  foiled,  the  tempter 
abandoned  that  plan  of  assault ;  and,  discarding  all  disguise 
of  purpose,  submitted  a  definite  proposition.  From  the  top 
of  a  high  mountain  Jesus  looked  over  the  land  with  its 
wealth  of  city  and  field,  of  vineyard  and  orchard,  of  flocks 


132  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

and  of  herds;  and  in  vision  He  saw  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world  and  contemplated  the  wealth,  the  splendor,  the  earthly 
glory  of  them  all.  Then  saith  Satan  unto  Him :  "All  these 
things  will  I  give  thee  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship 
me."  So  wrote  Matthew;  the  more  extended  version  by 
Luke  follows :  "And  the  devil  said  unto  him,  All  this  power 
will  I  give  thee,  and  the  glory  of  them :  for  that  is  delivered 
unto  me ;  and  to  whomsoever  I  will  I  give  it.  If  thou  there- 
fore wilt  worship  me,  all  shall  be  thine."  We  need  not  con- 
cern ourselves  with  conjecture  as  to  whether  Satan  could 
have  made  good  his  promise  in  the  event  of  Christ's  doing 
him  homage ;  certain  it  is  Christ  could  have  reached  out,  and 
have  gathered  to  Himself  the  wealth  and  glory  of  the  world 
had  He  willed  so  to  do,  and  thereby  have  failed  in  His  Mes- 
sianic mission.  This  fact  Satan  knew  full  well.  Many  men 
have  sold  themselves  to  the  devil  for  a  kingdom  and  for  less, 
aye,  even  for  a  few  paltry  pence. 

The  effrontery  of  his  offer  was  of  itself  diabolical.  Christ, 
the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  tabernacled  as  He  then 
was  in  mortal  flesh,  may  not  have  remembered  His  pre- 
existent  state,  nor  the  part  He  had  taken  in  the  great 
council  of  the  Gods  ;*  while  Satan,  an  unembodied  spirit — he 
the  disinherited,  the  rebellious  and  rejected  son — seeking  to 
tempt  the  Being  through  whom  the  world  was  created  by 
promising  Him  part  of  what  was  wholly  His,  still  may  have 
had,  as  indeed  he  may  yet  have,  a  remembrance  of  those 
primeval  scenes.  In  that  distant  past,  antedating  the  crea- 
tion of  the  earth,  Satan,  then  I,ucjfer,  a  son  of  the  morning, 
had  been  rejected ;  and  the  Firstborn  Son  had  been  chosen. 
Now  that  the  Chosen  One  was  subject  to  the  trials  incident 
to  mortality,  Satan  thought  to  thwart  the  divine  purpose  by 
making  the  Son  of  God  subject  to  himself.  He  who  had 
been  vanquished  by  Michael  and  his  hosts  and. cast  down  as 
a  defeated  rebel,  asked  the  embodied  Jehovah  to  worship 

e  Pages  6-9. 


CHRIST'S  VICTORY  OVER  TEMPTATION.  133 

him.  "Then  saith  Jesus  unto  him,  Get  thee  hence,  Satan, 
for  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  Then  the  devil  leaveth  him,  and 
behold,  angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him."/ 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Christ's  victorious  emer- 
gence from  the  dark  clouds  of  the  three  specified  tempta- 
tions exempted  Him  from  further  assaults  by  Satan,  or  in- 
sured Him  against  later  trials  of  faith,  trust,  and  endurance. 
Luke  closes  his  account  of  the  temptations  following  the 
forty-day  fast  as  follows :  "And  when  the  devil  had  ended 
all  the  temptation,  he  departed  from  him  for  a  season/'^ 
This  victory  over  the  devil  and  his  wiles,  this  triumph  over 
the  cravings  of  the  flesh,  the  harassing  doubts  of  the  mind, 
the  suggested  reaching  out  for  fame  and  material  wealth, 
were  great  but  not  final  successes  in  the  struggle  between 
Jesus,  the  embodied  God,  and  Satan,  the  fallen  angel  of  light. 
That  Christ  was  subject  to  temptation  during  the  period  of 
His  association  with  the  apostles  He  expressly  affirmed.7* 
-That  His  temptations  extended  even  to  the  agony  in  Geth- 
semane  will  appear  as  we  proceed  with  this  study.  It  is  not 
given  to  the  rest  of  us,  nor  was  it  given  to  Jesus,  to  meet 
the  foe,  to  fight  and  overcome  in  a  single  encounter,  once 
for  all  time.  The  strife  between  the  immortal  spirit  and 
the  flesh,  between  the  offspring  of  God  on  the  one  hand,  the 
world  and  the  devil  on  the  other,  is  persistent  through  life. 

Few  events  in  the  evangelical  history  of  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth have  given  rise  to  more  discussion,  fanciful  theory, 
and  barren  speculation,  than  have  the  temptations.  All  such 
surmizes  we  may  with  propriety  ignore.  To  any  believer  in 
the  holy  scriptures,  the  account  of  the  temptations  therein 
given  is  sufficiently  explicit  to  put  beyond  doubt  or  question 
the  essential  facts ;  to  the  unbeliever  neither  the  Christ  nor 

/Matt.  4:10,  11;  compare  Exo.  20:3;  Deut.  6:13;  10:20;  Josh.  24:14;  1  Sam. 
7 :3. 

gr  Luke   4:13. 

22:28. 


134  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.   10. 

His  triumph  appeals.  What  shall  it  profit  us  to  speculate  as 
to  whether  Satan  appeared  to  Jesus  in  visible  form,  or  was 
present  only  as  an  unseen  spirit ;  whether  he  spoke  in  audible 
voice,  or  aroused  in  the  mind  of  his  intended  victim  the 
thoughts  later  expressed  by  the  written  lines;  whether  the 
three  temptations  occurred  in  immediate  sequence  or  were 
experienced  at  longer  intervals?  With  safety  we  may  reject 
all  theories  of  myth  or  parable  in  the  scriptural  account,  and 
accept  the  record  as  it  stands ;  and  with  equal  assurance  may 
we  affirm  that  the  temptations  were  real,  and  that  the  trials 
to  which  our  Lord  was  put  constituted  an  actual  and  crucial 
test.  To  believe  otherwise,  one  must  regard  the  scriptures 
as  but  fiction. 

A  question  deserving  some  attention  in  this  connection 
is  that  of  the  peccability  or  impeccability  of  Christ — the  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  He  was  capable  of  sinning.  Had  there 
been  no  possibility  of  His  yielding  to  the  lures  of  Satan, 
there  would  have  been  no  real  test  in  the  temptations,  no 
genuine  victory  in  the  result.  Our  Lord  was  sinless  yet 
peccable;  He  had  the  capacity,  the  ability  to  sin  had  He 
willed  so  to  do.  Had  He  been  bereft  of  the  faculty  to  sin, 
He  would  have  been  shorn  of  His  free  agency ;  and  it  was 
to  safeguard  and  insure  the  agency  of  man  that  He  had 
offered  Himself,  before  the  world  was,  as  a  redeeming  sac- 
rifice. To  say  that  He  could  not  sin  because  He  was  the 
embodiment  of  righteousness  is  no  denial  of  His  agency  of 
choice  between  evil  and  good.  A  thoroughly  truthful  man 
cannot  culpably  lie ;  nevertheless  his  insurance  against  false- 
hood is  not  that  of  external  compulsion,  but  of  internal  re- 
straint due  to  his  cultivated  companionship  of  the  spirit  of 
truth.  A  really  honest  man  will  neither  take  nor  covet  his 
neighbor's  goods,  indeed  it  may  be  said  that  he  cannot  steal ; 
yet  he  is  capable  of  stealing  should  he  so  elect.  His  honesty 
is  an  armor  against  temptation ;  but  the  coat  of  mail,  the 
helmet,  the  breastplate,  and  the  greaves,  are  but  an  outward 


JESUS    PECCABLE   BUT   SINLESS.  135 

covering;  the  man  within  may  be  vulnerable  if -he  can  be 
reached. 

But  why  proceed  with  labored  reasoning,  which  can  lead 
to  but  one  conclusion,  when  our  Lord's  own  words  and  other 
scriptures  confirm  the  fact?  Shortly  before  His  betrayal, 
when  admonishing  the  Twelve  to  humility,  He  said:  "Ye 
are  they  which  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations."* 
While  here  we  find  no  exclusive  reference  to  the  temptations 
immediately  following  His  baptism,  the  exposition  is  plain 
that  He  had  endured  temptations,  and  by  implication,  these 
had  continued  throughout  the  period  of  His  ministry.  The 
writer  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  expressly  taught  that 
Christ  was  peccable,  in  that  He  was  tempted  "in  all  points" 
as  are  the  rest  of  mankind.  Consider  the  unambiguous 
declaration :  "Seeing  then  that  we  have  a  great  high  priest, 
that  is  passed  into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  let  us 
hold  fast  our  profession.  For  we  have  not 'an  high  priest 
which  cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities  ; 
but  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin."'' 
And  further:  "Though  he  were  a  Son,  yet  learned  he 
obedience  by  the  things  which  he  suffered."* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  10. 

1.  Raiment  of  Camel's  Hair. — Through  the  prophet  Zecha- 
riah    (13:4)    a   time    was    foretold    in    which    professing   prophets 
would   no    longer    "wear    a    rough   garment   to    deceive."      Of    the 
raiment   of   camel's   hair   worn   by  John   the   Baptist,   the   Oxford 
and    other   marginal    readings    render    the   expression    "a   garment 
of  hair"  as  more  literal  than  the  Bible  text.     Deems  (Light  of  the 
Nations,  p.  74,  note)  says:     "The  garment  of  camel's  hair  was  not 
the  camel's  skin  with  the  hair  on,  which  would  be  too  heavy  to 
wear,  but  raiment  woven  of  camel's  hair,  such  as  Josephus  speaks 
of  (B.  J.  1,24:3)-" 

2.  Locusts  and  Wild  Honey. — Insects  of  the  locust  or  grass- 
hopper   kind    were    specifically    declared    clean    and    suitable    for 
food   in   the   law  given   to   Israel   in   the   wilderness.     "Yet   these 
may  ye   eat   of   every  flying  creeping   thing   that  goeth   upon   all 


*Luke    22:28. 
Heb.    4:14 
Heb.  5:8. 


/Heb.    4:14,    15. 

k  "  '      ~  ~ 


136  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    10. 

four,  which  have  legs  above  their  feet,  to  leap  withal  upon  the 
earth;  even  these  of  them  ye  may  eat;  the  locust  after  his  kind, 
and  the  bald  locust  after  his  kind,  and  the  beetle  after  his  kind, 
and  the  grasshopper  after  his  kind."  (Lev.  11:21,  22.)  At  the 
present  time  locusts  are  used  as  food  by  many  oriental  peoples, 
though  usually  by  the  poorer  classes  only.  Of  the  passage  re- 
ferring to  locusts  as  part  of  the  Baptist's  food  while  he  lived  as 
a  recluse  in  the  desert,  Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  p.  97,  note,)  says : 
"The  fancy  that  it  means  the  pods  of  the  so-called  locust  tree 
(carob)  is  a  mistake.  Locusts  are  sold  as  articles  of  food  in 
regular  shops  for  the  purpose  at  Medina;  they  are  plunged  into 
salt  boiling  water,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  eaten  with  butter,  but 
onlyjDy  the  poorest  beggars."  Geikie  (Life  and  Words  of  Christ, 
vol.  i,  pp.  354,  355)  gives  place  to  the  following  as  applied  to  the 
Baptist's  life :  "His  only  food  was  the  locusts  which  leaped  or 
flew  on  the  bare  hills,  and  the  honey  of  wild  bees  which  he 
found,  here  and  there,  in  the  clifts  of  the  rocks,  and  his  only 
drink  a  draught  of  water  from  some  rocky  hollow.  Locusts  are 
still  the  food  of  the  poor  in  many  parts  of  the  East.  'All  the 
Bedouins  of  Arabia,  and  the  inhabitants  of  towns  in  Nedj  and 
Hedjaz,  are  accustomed  to  eat  them/  says  Burckhardt.  'I  have 
seen  at  Medina  and  Tayf,  locust  shops,  where  they  are  sold  by 
measure.  In  Egypt  and  Nubia  they  are  eaten  only  by  the  poor- 
est beggars.  The  Arabs,  in  preparing  them  for  eating,  throw 
them  alive  into  boiling  water,  with  which  a  good  deal  of  salt  has 
been  mixed,  taking  them  out  after  a  few  minutes,  and  drying 
them  in  the  sun.  The  head,  feet,  and  wings,  are  then  torn  off, 
the  bodies  cleansed  from  the  salt,  and  perfectly  dried.  They  are 
sometimes  eaten  boiled  in  butter,  or  spread  on  unleavened  bread 
mixed  with  butter.'  In  Palestine,  they  are  eaten  only  by  the 
Arabs  on  the  extreme  frontiers ;  elsewhere  they  are  looked  on 
with  disgust  and  loathing,  and  only  the  v.ery  poorest  use  them. 
Tristram,  however,  speaks  of  them  as  Very  palatable.'  'I  found 
them  very  good/  says  he,  'when  eaten  after  the  Arab  fashion, 
stewed  with  butter.  They  tasted  somewhat  like  shrimps,  but  with 
less  flavour.1  In  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  various  kinds  abound 
at  all  seasons,  and  spring  up  with  a  drumming  sound,  at  every 
step,  suddenly  spreading  their  bright  hind  wings,  of  scarlet,  crim- 
son, blue,  yellow,  white,  green,  or  brown,  according  to  the  spe- 
cfes.  They  were  'clean/  under  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  hence  could 
be  eaten  by  John  without  offence." 

Concerning  the  mention  of  wild  honey  as  food  used  by  John, 
the  author  last  quoted  says  in  a  continuation  of  the  same  para- 
graph :  "The  wild  bees  in  Palestine  are  far  more  numerous  than 
those  kept  in  hives,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  honey  sold  in 
the  southern  districts  is  obtained  from  wild  swarms.  Few  coun- 
tries, indeed,  are  better  adapted  for  bees.  The  dry  climate,  and 
the  stunted  but  varied  flora,  consisting  largely  of  aromatic 
thymes,  mints,  and  other  similar  plants,  with  crocuses  in  the 
spring,  are  very  favourable  to  them,  while  the  dry  recesses  of  the 
limestone  rocks  everywhere  afford  them  shelter  and  protection 
for  their  combs.  In  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  bees  are  far  more 
numerous  than  in  any  other  part  of  Palestine,  and  it  is,  to  this 


NOTES.  137 

day,  part  of  the  homely  diet  of  the  Bedouins,  who  squeeze  it  from 
the  combs  and  store  it  in  skins." 

3.  John's  Inferiority  to  the  Mightier  One  He  Proclaimed. — 
"One  mightier  than   I   cometh,  the   latchet  of   whose   shoes   I   am 
not  worthy  to  unloose"    (Luke  3:16),  or  "whose  shoes  I  am  not 
worthy  to  bear"    (Matt.   3:11);    this   was   the   way  by   which  the 
Baptist  declared  his  inferiority  to  the  Mightier  One,  who  was  to 
succeed    and    supersede    him;    and    a    more    effective    illustration 
would  be  difficult  to  frame.     To  loosen  the  shoe  latchet  or  san- 
dal thong,  or  to  carry  the  shoes  of  another,  "was  a  menial  office 
betokening  great  inferiority  on  the  part  of  the  person  perform- 
ing it."     (Smith's  Diet,  of  the  Bible.)     A  passage  in  the  Talmud 
(Tract.  Kidduschin  xxli:2}  requires  a  disciple  to- dp  for  his  teacher 
whatever  a  servant  might  be  required  to  do  for  his  master,  except 
the    loosing   of   his    sandal   thong.      Some   teachers    urged    that    a 
disciple  should  carry  his  humility  even  to  the  extreme  of  carry- 
ing his  master's  shoes.     The  humility  of  the  Baptist,  in  view  of 
the  widespread  interest  his  call  aroused,  is  impressive. 

4.  The  Order  in  which  the  Temptations  Were  Presented. — 
But^  two  of   the   Gospel-writers   specify  the  temptations   to   which 
Christ  was  subjected  immediately  after  His  baptism;  Mark  mere- 
ly mentions  the  fact  that  Jesus  was  tempted.     Matthew  and  Luke 
place    first    the    temptation    that    Jesus    provide    for    Himself    by 
miraculously   creating   bread ;    the   sequence   of   the   later   trials   is 
not   the   same   in   the   two    records.      The    order    followed    in   the 
text  is  that  of  Matthew. 

5.  The  Devil's  "If." — Note  the   later  taunting  use  of  that 
diabolical  if  as   the   Christ  hung  upon   the  cross.     The  rulers   of 
the   Jews,   mocking   the   crucified   Jesus    in   His    agony   said,    "Let 
him  save  himself  */  he  be  the  Christ."     And  the  soldier,  reading 
the  inscription  at  the  head  of  the   cross   derided  the  dying  God, 
saying:     "//  thou  be  the  king  of  the   Jews,   save  thyself."     And 
yet  again,  the  unrepentant  malefactor  by  His  side  cried  out,  "// 
thou   be    Christ,    save   thyself    and   us."      (Luke   23:35-39.)      How 
literally  did  those  railers  and  mockers   quote  the  very  words  of 
their    father   the   devil    (see   John   8:44).     See    further,   page   658 
herein. 


138  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   11, 


CHAPTER  11. 
FROM  JUDEA  TO  GALILEE. 

THE  BAPTIST'S  TESTIMONY  OF  JESUS. 

During  the  period  of  our  Lord's  retirement  in  the  wilder- 
ness the  Baptist  continued  his  ministry,  crying  repentance 
to  all  who  would  pause  to  hear,  and  administering  baptism 
to  such  as  came  duly  prepared  and  asking  with  right  intent. 
The  people  generally  were  greatly  concerned  over  the  iden- 
tity of  John ;  and  as  the  real  import  of  the  voice0  dawned 
upon  them,  their  concern  deepened  into  fear.  The  ever 
recurring  question  was,  Who  is  this  new  prophet?  Then  the 
Jews,  by  which  expression  we  may  understand  the  rulers  of 
the  people,  sent  a  delegation  of  priests  and  Levites  of  the 
Pharisaic  party  to  personally  question  him.  He  answered 
without  evasion,  "I  am  not  the  Christ,"  and  with  equal  de- 
cisiveness denied  that  he  was  Elias,  or  more  accurately, 
Elijah,  the  prophet  who,  the  rabbis  said  through  a  misin- 
terpretation of  Malachi's  prediction,  was  to  return  to  earth 
as  the  immediate  precursor  of  the  Messiah.6  Furthermore, 
he  declared  that  he  was  not  "that  prophet,"  by  which  was 
meant  the  Prophet  whose  coming  Moses  had  foretold/  and 
who  was  not  universally  identified  in  the  Jewish  mind  with 
the  expected  Messiah.  "Then  said  they  unto  him,  Who 
art  thou  ?  that  we  may  give  an  answer  to  them  that  sent  us. 
What  sayest  thou  of  thyself?  He  said,  I  am  the  voice  of 
one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Make  sfraight  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  as  said  the  prophet  Esaias."d  The  Pharisaic  envoys 
then  demanded  of  him  his  authority  for  baptizing;  in  reply 


flLuke   3:4. 

fcjohn    1:21;    compare    Mai.    4:5.     Note    1,    end   of   chapter. 

c  Deut.  18:15,   18;  see  page  45  herein. 

<f  John  1:22,  23;   compare  Isa.  40:3. 


JOHN'S   TESTIMONY  OF   CHRIST.  139 

he  affirmed  that  the  validity  of  his  baptisms  would  be  attested 
by  One  who  even  then  was  amongst  them,  though  they  knew 
Him  not,  and  averred :  "He  it  is,  who  coming  after  me  is 
preferred  before  me,  whose  shoe's  latchet  I  am  not  worthy  to 
unloose."* 

John's  testimony,  that  Jesus  was  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world,  was  declared  as  boldly  as  had  been  his  message  of  the 
imminent  coming  of  the  Lord.  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,"  he  proclaimed  ;  and, 
that  none  might  fail  to  comprehend  his  identification  of  the 
Christ,  he  added :  "This  is  he  of  whom  I  said,  After  me 
cometh  a  man  which  is  preferred  before  me :  for  he  was 
before  me.  And  I  knew  him  not :  but  that  he  should  be 
made  manifest  to  Israel,  therefore  am  I  come  baptizing  with 
water. "f  That  the  attestation  of  the  ministering  presence  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  through  the  material  appearance  "like  a 
dove"  was  convincing  to  John  is  shown  by  his  further  testi- 
mony :  "And  John  bare  record,  saying,  I  saw  the  Spirit  de- 
scending from  heaven  like  a  dove,  and  it  abode  upon  him. 
And  I  knew  him  not :  but  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  with 
water,  the  same  said  unto  me,  Upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the 
Spirit  descending,  and  remaining  on  him,  the  same  is  he 
which  baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  I  saw,  and  bare 
record  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God."#  On  the  day  following 
that  of  the  utterance  last  quoted,  John  repeated  his  testimony 
to  two  of  his  disciples,  or  followers,  as  Jesus  passed,  saying 
again :  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God."'* 

THE  FIRST  DISCIPLES  OF  JESUS.* 

Two  of  the  Baptist's  followers,  specifically  called  disci- 
ples, were  with  him  when  for  the  second  time  he  expressly 
designated  Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God.  These  were  Andrew 

*John    1:25-27. 

/John   1:29-31. 

g  John   1:32,   34;   also   verses   35,   36.     Note  2,   end   of  chapter. 

h  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

ijohn  1:35-51. 


140  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

and  John ;  the  latter  came  to  be  known  in  after  years  as  the 
author  of  the  fourth  Gospel.  The  first  is  mentioned  by 
name,  while  the  narrator  suppresses  his  own  name  as  that 
of  the  second  disciple.  Andrew  and  John  were  so  impressed 
by  the  Baptist's  testimony  that  they  immediately  followed 
Jesus ;  and  He,  turning  toward  them  asked :  "What  seek 
ye?"  Possibly  somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  question,  or 
with  a  real  desire  to  learn  where  He  might  be  found  later, 
they  replied  by  another  inquiry:  "Rabbi,  where  dwellest 
thou?"  Their  use  of  the  title  Rabbi  was  a  mark  of  honor 
and  respect,  to  which  Jesus  did  not  demur.  His  courteous 
reply  to  their  question  assured  them  that  their  presence  was 
no  unwelcome  intrusion.  "Come  and  see,"  said  He.'  The 
two  young  men  accompanied  Him,  and  remained  with  Him 
to  learn  more.  Andrew,  filled  with  wonder  and  joy  over  the 
interview  so  graciously  accorded,  and  thrilled  with  the  spirit 
of  testimony  that  had  been  enkindled  within  his  soul,  has- 
tened to  seek  his  brother  Simon,  to  whom  he  said:  "We 
have  found  the  Messias."  He  brought  Simon  to  see  and 
hear  for  himself ;  and  Jesus,  looking  upon  Andrew's  brother, 
called  him  by  name  and  added  an  appellation  of  distinction 
by  which  he  was  destined  to  be  known  throughout  all  later 
history:  "Thou  art  Simon  the  son  of  Jona;  thou  shalt  be 
called  Cephas."  The  new  name  thus  bestowed  is  the 
Aramaic  or  Syro-Chaldaic  equivalent  of  the  Greek  "Petros," 
and  of  the  present  English  "Peter,"  meaning  "a  stone."* 

On  the  following  day  Jesus  set  out  for  Galilee,  possibly 
accompanied  by  some  or  all  of  his  newly-made  disciples; 
and  on  the  way  He  found  a  man  named  Philip,  in  whom  He 
recognized  another  choice  son  of  Israel.  Unto  Philip  He 
said :  "Follow  me."  It  was  customary  with  rabbis  and 
other  teachers  of  that  time  to  strive  for  popularity,  that  many 
might  be  drawn  to  them,  to  sit  at  their  feet  and  be  known  as 

/Note   4,    end    of   chapter. 

k  The  name  thus  given  was  afterward  confirmed,  with  accompani- 
ments of  promise;  Matt.  16:18. 


PHILIP    AND    NATHANAEL.  141 

their  disciples.  Jesus,  however,  selected  His  own  immediate 
associates ;  and,  as  He  found  them  and  discerned  in  them  the 
spirits  who,  in  their  preexistent  state  had  been  chosen  for  the 
earthly  mission  of  the  apostleship,  He  summoned  them. 
They  were  the  servants ;  He  was  the  Master .' 

Philip  soon  found  his  friend  Nathanael,  to  whom  he  testi- 
fied that  He  of  whom  Moses  and  the  prophets  had  written 
had  at  last  been  found;  and  that  He  was  none  other  than 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Nathanael,  as  his  later  history  demon- 
strates, was  a  righteous  man,  earnest  in  his  hope  and  expec- 
tation of  the  Messiah,  yet  seemingly  imbued  with  the  belief 
common  throughout  Jewry — that  the  Christ  was  to  come  in 
royal  state  as  seemed  befitting  the  Son  of  David.  The  mention 
of  such  a  One  coming  from  Nazareth,  the  reputed  son  of  a 
humble  carpenter,  provoked  wonder  if  not  incredulity  in  the 
guileless  mind  of  Nathanael,  and  he  exclaimed :  "Can  there 
any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth?"  Philip's  answer 
was  a  repetition  of  Christ's  words  to  Andrew  and  John — 
"Come  and  see."  Nathanael  left  his  seat  under  the  fig  tree,w 
where  Philip  had  found  him,  and  went  to  see  for  himself. 
As  he  approached,  Jesus  said :  "Behold  an  Israelite  indeed, 
in  whom  is  no  guile."  Nathanael  saw  that  Jesus  could  read 
his  mind,  and  asked  in  surprize :  "Whence  knowest  thou 
me?"  In  reply  Jesus  showed  even  greater  powers  of  pene- 
tration and  perception  under  conditions  that  made  ordinary 
observation  unlikely  if  not  impossible :  "Before  that  Philip 
called  thee,  when  thou  wast  under  the  fig  tree,  I  saw  thee." 
Nathanael  replied  with  conviction :  "Rabbi,  thou  art  the 
Son  of  God ;  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel."  Earnest  as  the 
man's  testimony  was,  it  rested  mainly  on  his  recognition  of 
what  he  took  to  be  a  supernatural  power  in  Jesus ;  our  Lord 
assured  him  that  he  should  see  yet  greater  things :  "And  he 


To   the   apostles    the   Lord    said    on    a    subsequent   occasion:    "Ye   have 
not   chosen   me,    but   I   have   chosen    you"    (John    15:16;    see    also   6:70). 

wA   favorite    situation    for    rest,    meditation,    and    study;    1    Kings   4:25; 
Micah    4:4. 


142  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

saith  unto  him,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Hereafter  ye 
shall  see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  man." 


In  the  promise  and  prediction  made  by  Christ  to  Na- 
thanael,  we  find  the  significant  title — The  Son  of  Man — ap- 
pearing for  the  first  time,  chronologically  speaking,  in  the 
New  Testament.  It  recurs,  however,  about  forty  times,  ex- 
cluding repetitions  in  parallel  accounts  in  the  several  Gos- 
pels. In  each  of  these  passages  it  is  used  by  the  Savior  dis- 
tinctively to  designate  Himself.  In  three  other  instances  the 
title  appears  in  the  New  Testament,  outside  the  Gospels ;  and 
in  each  case  it  is  applied  to  the  Christ  with  specific  reference 
to  His  exalted  attributes  as  Lord  and  God.n 

In  the  Old  Testament,  the  phrase  "son  of  man"  occurs  in 
ordinary  usage,  denoting  any  human  son  \°  and  it  appears 
over  ninety  times  as  an  appellation  by  which  Jehovah  ad- 
dressed Kzekiel,  though  it  is  never  applied  by  the  prophet  to 
himself.^  The  context  of  the  passages  in  which  Ezekiel  is 
addressed  as  "son  of  man"  indicates  the  divine  intention  of 
emphasizing  the  human  status  of  the  prophet  as  contrasted 
with  the  divinity  of  Jehovah. 

The  title  is  used  in  connection  with  the  record  of  Daniel's 
vision,?  in  which  was  revealed  the  consummation,  yet  future, 
when  Adam — the  Ancient  of  Days — shall  sit  to  judge  his 
posterity  ;r  on  which  great  occasion,  the  Son  of  Man  is  to 
appear  and  receive  a  dominion  that  shall  be  everlasting, 
transcendently  superior  to  that  of  the  Ancient  of  Days,  and 
embracing  every  people  and  nation,  all  of  whom  shall  serve 
the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  Man/ 

nActs  7:56;  Rev.  1:13;  14:14. 

ojob    25:6;    Psalms    144:3;    146:3;    see    also   8:4    and    compare   Heb.   2:6-9. 

p  Ezek.    2:1,    3,    6,    8;    3:1,    3,    4;    4:1;    etc. 

a  Dan.    7:13. 

rDoc.   and   Cov.   27:11;   78:15,    16;    107:54-57;    116. 

j  Doc.  and  Cov.  49:6;  58:65;  65:5;  122:8.  Observe  that  in  modern  revela- 
tion the  title  is  used  only  as  applying  to  the  Christ  in  His  resurrected  and 
glorified  state. 


THE   SON    OF    MAN.  143 

In  applying  the  designation  to  Himself,  the  Lord  in- 
variably uses  the  definite  article.  "The  Son  of  Man"  was 
and  is,  specifically  and  exclusively,  Jesus  Christ.  While  as 
a  matter  of  solemn  certainty  He  was  the  only  male  human 
being  from  Adam  down  who  was  not  the  son  of  a  mortal 
man,  He  used  the  title  in  a  way  to  conclusively  demonstrate 
that  it  was  peculiarly  and  solely  His  own.  It  is  plainly 
evident  that  the  expression  is  fraught  with  a  meaning  be- 
yond that  conveyed  by  the  words  in  common  usage.  The 
distinguishing  appellation  has  been  construed  by  many  to 
indicate  our  Lord's  humble  station  as  a  mortal,  and  to  con- 
note that  He  stood  as  the  type  of  humanity,  holding  a  par- 
ticular and  unique  relationship  to  the  entire  human  family. 
There  is,  however,  a  more  profound  significance  attaching 
to  the  Lord's  use  of  the  title  "The  Son  of  Man" ;  and  this 
lies  in  the  fact  that  He  knew  His  Father  to  be  the  one  and 
only  supremely  exalted  Man/  whose  Son  Jesus  was  both  in 
spirit  and  in  body — the  Firstborn  among  all  the  spirit-chil- 
dren of  the  Father,  the  Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh — and 
therefore,  in  a  sense  applicable  to  Himself  alone,  He  was  and 
is  the  Son  of  the  "Man  of  Holiness,"  Elohim,"  the  Eternal 
Father.  In  His  distinctive  titles  of  Sonship,  Jesus  expressed 
His  spiritual  and  bodily  descent  from,  and  His  filial  submis- 
sion to,  that  exalted  Father. 

As  revealed  to  Enoch  the  Seer,  "  Man  of  Holiness"  is  one 
of  the  names  by  which  God  the  Eternal  Father  is  known; 
"and  the  name  of  his  Only  Begotten  is  the  Son  of  Man,  even 
Jesus  Christ."  We  learn  further  that  the  Father  of  Jesus 
Christ  thus  proclaimed  Himself  to  Enoch:  "Behold,  I  am 
God;  Man  of  Holiness  is  my  name;  Man  of  Counsel  is  my 
name;  and  Endless  and  Eternal  is  my  name,  also.""  "The 

t  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 

u  Page   38. 

vP.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  6:57;  7:35;  see  also  7:24,  47,  54,  56,  59,  65.  Observe 
that  Satan  addressed  Moses  as  "son  of  man"  in  a  blasphemous  attempt 
to  coerce  Moses  into  worshiping  him  by.  emphasizing  the  mortal  weakness 
and  inferiority  of  the  man  in  contrast  with  his  own  false  pretension  of 
godship.  (Moses  1:12.) 


144  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHJ  P.    11. 

Son  of  Man"  is  in  great  measure  synonymous  with  "The 
Son  of  God."  as  a  title  denoting  divinity,  glory,  and  exalta- 
tion; for  the  "Man  of  Holiness,"  whose  Son  Jesus  Christ 
reverently  acknowledges  Himself  to  be,  is  God  the  Eternal 
Father. 

THE    MIRACLE   AT   CANA    IN    GALILEE. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Jesus  in  Galilee  we  find  Him 
and  His  little  company  of  disciples  at  a  marriage  party  in 
Cana,  a  neighboring  town  to  Nazareth.  The  mother  of 
Jesus  was  at  the  feast ;  and  for  some  reason  not  explained  in 
John's  narrative,^  she  manifested  concern  and  personal  re- 
sponsibility in  the  matter  of  providing  for  the  guests.  Evi- 
dently her  position  was  different  from  that  of  one  present  by 
ordinary  invitation.  Whether  this  circumstance  indicates 
the  marriage  to  have  been  that  of  one  of  her  own  immediate 
family,  or  some  more  distant  relative,  we  are  not  informed. 

It  was  customary  to  provide  at  wedding  feasts  a  suf- 
ficiency of  wine,  the  pure  though  weak  product  of  the  local 
vineyards,  which  was  the  ordinary  table  beverage  of  the 
time.  On  this  occasion  the  supply  of  wine  was  exhausted, 
and  Mary  told  Jesus  of  the  deficiency.  Said  He:  "Woman, 
what  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?  mine  hour  is  not  yet  come." 
The  noun  of  address,  "Woman,"  as  applied  by  a  son  to  his 
mother  may  sound  to  our  ears  somewhat  harsh,  if  not  dis- 
respectful ;  but  its  use  was  really  an  expression  of  opposite 
import.*  To  every  son,  the  mother  ought  to  be  preeminently 
the  woman  of  women ;  she  is  the  one  woman  in  the  world  to 
whom  the  son  owes  his  earthly  existence ;  and  though  the 
title  "Mother"  belongs  to  every  woman  who  has  earned  the 
honors  of  maternity,  yet  to  no  child  is  there  more  than  one 
woman  whom  by  natural  right  he  can  address  by  that  title 
of  respectful  acknowledgment.  When,  in  the  last  dread 


wjohn  2:1-11. 
x  "The  addres 
addressed  to  the  queenliest."— (Farrar,   "The  Life  of  Christ,"   p.   134.) 


x  '"'The  address   'Woman'  was   so  respectful  that  it  might  be  and  was, 
queenliest."— (Farrar,   "The  Life  of  Christ,"   p.   134.) 


THE  FIRST   MIRACLE — IN   CANA.  145 

scenes  of  His  mortal  experience,  Christ  hung  in  dying  agony 
upon  the  cross,  He  looked  down  upon  the  weeping  Mary, 
His  mother,  and  commended  her  to  the  care  of  the  beloved 
apostle  John,  with  the  words :  "Woman,  behold  thy  son  \"y 
Can  it  be  thought  that  in  this  supreme  moment,  our  Lord's 
concern  for  the  mother  from  whom  He  was  about  to  be  sep- 
arated by  death  was  associated  with  any  emotion  other  than 
that  of  honor,  tenderness  and  love?2 

!  Nevertheless,  His  words  to  Mary  at  the  marriage  feast 
may  have  conveyed  a  gentle  reminder  of  her  position  as  the 
mother  of  a  Being  superior  to  herself  ;  even  as  on  that  earlier 
occasion  when  she  had  found  her  Boy,  Jesus,  in  the  temple, 
He  had  brought  home  to  her  the  fact  that  her  jurisdiction 
over  Him  was  not  supreme.  The  manner  in  which  she  told 
Him  of  the  insufficiency  of  wine  probably  suggested  an  inti- 
mation that  He  use  His  more  than  human  power,  and  by 
such  means  supply  the  need.  It  was  not  her  function  to 
direct  or  even  to  suggest  the  exercize  of  the  power  inherent 
in  Him  as  the  Son  of  God ;  such  had  not  been  inherited  from 
her.  "What  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?"  He  asked  ;  and  added : 
"Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come/'  Here  we  find  no  disclaimer  of 
the  ability  to  do  what  she  apparently  wanted  Him  to  do,  but 
the  plain  implication  that  He  would  act  only  when  the  time 
was  right  for  the  purpose,  and  that  He,  not  she,  must  decide 
when  that  time  had  come.  She  understood  His  meaning,  in 
part  at  least,  and  contented  herself  by  instructing  the  servants 
to  do  whatsoever  He  directed.  Here  again  is  evidence  of 
her  position  of  responsibility  and  domestic  authority  at  the 
social  gathering. 

The  time  for  His  intervention  soon  arrived.  There  stood 
within  the  place  six  water  pots  ;a  these  He  directed  the  ser- 
vants to  fill  with  water.  Then,  without  audible  command  or 

yjohn    19:26. 

s  On   a   few   occasions   Jesus   used   the   address    "Woman"   in   a   genera! 
way:    Matt.   15:28;  Luke  13:12;  John  4:21;  8:10;  etc. 
a  Note   6,    end   of   chapter. 


146  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

formula  of  invocation,  as  best  we  know,  He  caused  to  be 
effected  a  transmutation  within  the  pots,  and  when  the 
servants  drew  therefrom,  it  was  wine,  not  water  that  issued. 
At  a  Jewish  social  gathering,  such  as  was  this  wedding  fes- 
tival, some  one,  usually  a  relative  of  the  host  or  hostess,  or 
some  other  one  worthy  of  the  honor,  was  made  governor  of 
the  feast,  or,  as  we  say  in  this  day,  chairman,  or  master  of 
ceremonies.  To  this  functionary  the  new  wine  was  first 
served;  and  he,  calling  the  bridegroom,  who  was  the  real 
host,  asked  him  why  he  had  reserved  his  choice  wine  till  the 
last,  when  the  usual  custom  was  to  serve  the  best  at  the  be- 
ginning, and  the  more  ordinary  later.  The  immediate  result 
of  this,  the  first  recorded  of  our  Lord's  miracles,  is  thus 
tersely  stated  by  the  inspired  evangelist :  "This  beginning  of 
miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  manifested  forth 
his  glory ;  and  his  disciples  believed  on  him."& 

The  circumstances  incident  to  the  miraculous  act  are 
instructive  to  contemplate.  The  presence  of  Jesus  at  the 
marriage,  and  His  contribution  to  the  successful  conduct  of 
the  feast,  set  the  seal  of  His  approval  upon  the  matrimonial 
relationship  and  upon  the  propriety  of  social  entertainment. 
He  was  neither  a  recluse  nor  an  ascetic ;  He  moved  among 
men,  eating  and  drinking,  as  a  natural,  normal  Being.c  On 
the  occasion  of  the  feast  He  recognized  and  heeded  the  de- 
mands of  the  liberal  hospitality  of  the  times,  and  provided 
accordingly.  He,  who  but  a  few  days  before  had  revolted 
at  the  tempter's  suggestion  that  He  provide  bread  for  his 
impoverished  body,  now  used  His  power  to  supply  a  luxury 
for  others.  One  effect  of  the  miracle  was  to  confirm  the 
trust  of  those  whose  belief  in  Him  as  the  Messiah  was  yet 
young «and  untried.  "His  disciples  believed  on  him" ;  surely 
they  had  believed  in  some  measure  before,  otherwise  they 

frjohn   2:11. 

cThe  absence  of  all  false  austerity  and  outward  show  of  abnormal 
abstinence  in  His  life  furnished  an  imagined  excuse  for  unfounded  charges 
of  excess,  through  which  He  was  said  to  be  a  glutton  and  a  winebibber. 
(Matt.  11:19;  Luke  7:34.) 


MIRACLES    DISCUSSED.  147 

would  not  have  followed  Him ;  but  their  belief  was  now 
strengthened  and  made  to  approach,  if  indeed  it  did  not 
attain,  the  condition  of  abiding  faith  in  their  Lord.  The 
comparative  privacy  attending  the  manifestation  is  impres- 
sive ;  the  moral  and  spiritual  effect  was  for  the  few,  the 
inauguration  of  the  Lord's  ministry  was  not  to  be  marked 
by  public  display. 

MIRACLES    IN    GENERAL. 

The  act  of  transmutation  whereby  water  became  wine 
was  plainly  a  miracle,  a  phenomenon  not  susceptible  of  ex- 
planation, far  less  of  demonstration,  by  what  we  consider  the 
ordinary  operation  of  natural  law.  This  was  the  .beginning 
of  His  miracles,  or  as  expressed  in  the  revised  version  of  the 
New  Testament,  "his  signs."  In  many  scriptures  miracles  are 
called  signs,  as  also  wonders,  powers,  works,  wonderful 
works,  mighty  works/*  etc.  The  spiritual  effect  of  miracles 
would  be  unattained  were  the  witnesses  not  caused  to  in- 
wardly wonder,  marvel,  ponder  and  inquire ;  mere  surprize 
or  amazement  may  be  produced  by  deception  and  artful 
trickery.  Any  miraculous  manifestation  of  divine  power 
would  be  futile  as  a  means  of  spiritual  effect  were  it  unim- 
pressive. Moreover,  every  miracle  is  a  sign  of  God's  power; 
and  signs  in  this  sense  have  been  demanded  of  prophets  who 
professed  to  speak  by  divine  authority,  though  such  signs 
have  not  been  given  in  all  cases.  The  Baptist  was  credited 
with  no  miracle,  though  he  was  pronounced  by  the  Christ  as 
more  than  a  prophet  \c  and  the  chronicles  of  some  earlier 
prophets^  are  devoid  of  all  mention  of  miracles.  On  the 
other  hand,  Moses,  when  commissioned  to  deliver  Israel 
from  Egypt,  was  made  to  understand  that  the  Egyptians 


JMatt.   7:22;   11:20;   12:38;   16:1;  24:24;   Mark  6:14;   Luke   10:13;   John   2:18; 
7:21;   10:25;    14:11;   Acts  6:8;   8:6;   14:3;    19:11;   Rom.    15:19;    Rev.    13:13;   etc. 
ejohn   10:41;    Matt.    11:9. 
/  For   example   Zechariah    and   Malachi. 


148  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

would  look  for  the  testimony  of  miracles,  and  he  was.  abund- 
antly empowered  therefore 

Miracles  cannot  be  in  contravention  of  natural  law,  but 
are  wrought  through  the  operation  of  laws  not  universally  or 
commonly  recognized.  Gravitation  is  everywhere  operative, 
but  the  local  and  special  application  of  other  agencies  may 
appear  to  nullify  it — as  by  muscular  effort  or  mechanical  im- 
pulse a  stone  is  lifted  from  the  ground,  poised  aloft,  or  sent 
hurtling  through  space.  At  every  stage  of  the  process,  how- 
ever, gravity  is  in  full  play,  though  its  effect  is  modified  by 
that  of  other  and  locally  superior  energy.  The  human  sense 
of  the  miraculous  wanes  as  comprehension  of  the  operative 
process  increases.  Achievements  made  possible  by  modern 
invention  of  telegraph  and  telephone  with  or  without  wires, 
the  transmutation  of  mechanical  power  into  electricity  with 
its  manifold  present  applications  and  yet  future  possibilities, 
the  development  of  the  gasoline  motor,  the  present  accom- 
plishments in  aerial  navigation — these  are  no  longer  miracles 
in  man's  estimation,  because  they  are  all  in  some  degree  un- 
derstood, are  controlled  by  human  agency,  and,  moreover, 
are  continuous  in  their  operation  and  not  phenomenal.  We 
arbitrarily  classify  as  miracles  only  such  phenomena  as  are 
unusual,  special,  transitory,  and  wrought  by  an  agency  be- 
yond the  power  of  man's  control. 

In  a  broader  sense,  all  nature  is  miracle.  Man  has  learned 
that  by  planting  the  seed  of  the  grape  in  suitable  soil,  and  by 
due  cultivation,  he  may  conduce  to  the  growth  of  what  shall 
be  a  mature  and  fruitful  vine  ;  but  is  there  no  miracle,  even  in 
the  sense  of  inscrutable  processes,  in  that  development?  Is 
there  less  of  real  miracle  in  the  so-called  natural  course  of 
plant  development — the  growth  of  root,  stem,  leaves,  and 
fruit,  with  the  final  elaboration  of  the  rich  nectar  of  the  vine 
— than  there  was  in  what  appears  supernatural  in  the  trans- 
mutation of  water  into  wine  at  Cana? 

0Exo.  3:20;  4:1-9.     See  the  author's   "Articles  of  Faith,"  xii:7-ll,  25-27. 


THE   MIRACLES   SUPPORTED  BY   EVIDENCE.  149 

In  the  contemplation  of  the  miracles  wrought  by  Christ, 
we  must  of  necessity  recognize  the  operation  of  a  power 
transcending  our  present  human  understanding.  In  this 
field,  science  has  not  yet  advanced  far  enough  to  analyze  and 
explain.  To  deny  the  actuality  of  miracles  on  the  ground 
that,  because  we  cannot  comprehend  the  means,  the  reported 
results  are  fictitious,  is  to  arrogate  to  the  human  mind  the 
attribute  of  omniscience,  by  implying  that  what  man  cannot 
comprehend  cannot  be,  and  that  therefore  he  is  able  to  com- 
prehend all  that  is.  The  miracles  of  record  in  the  Gospels 
are  as  fully  supported  by  evidence  as  are  many  of  the  his- 
torical events  which  call  forth  neither  protest  nor  demand  for 
further  proof.  To  the  believer  in  the  divinity  of  Christ,  the 
miracles  are  sufficiently  attested;  to  the  unbeliever  they  ap- 
pear but  as  myths  and  fables.*1 

To  comprehend  the  works  of  Christ,  one  must  know  Him 
as  the  Son  of  God ;  to  the  man  who  has  not  yet  learned  to 
know,  to  the  honest  soul  who  would  inquire  after  the  L,ord, 
the  invitation  is  ready ;  let  him  "Come  and  see." 

NOTES   TO   CHAPTER  n. 

i.  Misunderstanding  of  Malachi's  Prediction. — In  the  clos- 
ing chapter  of  the  compilation  of  scriptures  known  to  us  as  the 
Old  Testament,  the  prophet  Malachi  thus  describes  a  condition 
incident  to  the  last  days,  immediately  preceding  the  second  com- 
ing of  Christ :  "For,  behold,  the  day  cometh,  that  shall  burn  as 
an  oven;  and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall 
be  stubble :  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor 
branch.  But  unto  you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness arise  with  healing  in  his  wings."  The  fateful  prophecy 
concludes  with  the  following  blessed  and  far-reaching  promise : 
"Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet  before  the  coming  of 
the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord :  and  he  shall  turn  the 
heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children 
to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse." 
(Malachi  4:1,  2,  5,  6.)  It  has  been  held  by  theologians  and  Bible 
commentators  that  this  prediction  had  reference  to  the  birth  and 
ministry  of  John  the  Baptist,  (compare  Matt.  11:14;  17:11;  Mark 
9:11;  Luke  1:17),  upon  whom  rested  the  spirit  and  power  of 

h  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 


150  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

Elias  (Luke  1:17).  However,  we  have  no  record  of  Elijah  hav- 
ing ministered  unto  the  Baptist,  and  furthermore,  the  latter's 
ministry,  glorious  though  it  was,  justifies  no  conclusion  that  in 
him  did  the  prophecy  find  its  full  realization.  In  addition,  it 
should  be  remembered,  that  the  Lord's  declaration  through 
Malachi,  relative  to  the  day  of  burning  in  which  the  wicked 
would  be  destroyed  as  stubble,  yet  awaits  fulfilment.  It  is  evi- 
dent, therefore,  that  the  commonly  accepted  interpretation  is  at 
fault,  and  that  we  must  look  to  a  later  date  than  the  time  of 
John  for  the  fulfilment  of  Malachi's  prediction.  The  later  occa- 
sion has  come ;  it  belongs  to  the  present  dispensation,  and  marks 
the  inauguration  of  a  work  specially  reserved  for  the  Church  in 
these  latter  days.  In  the  course  of  a  glorious  manifestation  to 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  the'  temple  at  Kirtland, 
Ohio,  April  3d,  1836,  there  appeared  unto  them  Elijah,  the  prophet 
of  old,  who  had  been  taken  from  earth  while  still  in  the  body. 
He  declared  unto  them :  "Behold,  the  time  has  fully  come,  which 
was  spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  Malachi,  testifying  that  he 
(Elijah)  should  be  sent  before  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 
Lord  come,  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and 
the  children  to  the  fathers,  lest  the  whole  earth  be  smitten  with  a 
curse.  Therefore  the  keys  of  this  dispensation  are  committed 
into  your  hands,  and  by  this  ye  may  know  that  the  great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  even  at  the  doors."  (Doc.  and 
Cov.  110:13-16.)  See  also  The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  82-83. 

2.  The  Sign  of  the  Dove. — "John  the  Baptist 

had    the    privilege    of    beholding   the    Holy    Ghost    descend    in    the 
form  of  a  dove,  or  rather  in  the  sign  of  the  dove,  in  witness  of 
that  administration.     The   sign  of  the   dove  was   instituted  before 
the  creation  of  the  world,  a  witness   for  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the 
devil  cannot  come  in  the   sign  of  a  dove.     The  Holy  Ghost  is  a 
personage,  and  is  in  the   form  of  a  personage.     It  does  not  con- 
fine itself  to  the  form  of  the  dove,  but  in  sign  of  the  dove.     The 
Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  transformed  into  a  dove;  but  the  sign  of 
a  dove  was  given  to  John  to  signify  the  truth  of  the  deed,  as  the 
dove  is  an  emblem  or  token  of  truth  and  innocence." — From  Ser- 
mon by  Joseph  Smith,  History  of  the  Church,  vol.  5,  pp.  260-261. 

3.  The  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist.— Observe  that  the 
Baptist's  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  Christ's  mission  is  recorded 
as  having  been  given  after  the  period  of  our  Lord's  forty-day  fast 
and    temptations,    and    therefore    approximately    six    weeks    subse- 
quent to  the  baptism  of  Jesus.     To  the  deputation  of  priests  and 
Levites  of  the  Pharisaic  party,  who  visited  him  by  direction  of  the 
rulers,  probably  by  appointment   from   the    Sanhedrin,  John,  after 
disavowing   that   he   was   the    Christ   or    any   one   of   the   prophets 
specified   in   the   inquiry,   said :      "There    standeth   one   among  you 
whom  ye  know  not;  he  it  is  who  coming  after  me  is  preferred 
before  me."     On   the   next   day,   and   again   on   the   day   following 
that,  he  bore  public  testimony  to  Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God;  and 
on  the  third  day  after  the  visit  of  the  priests  and  Levites  to  John, 
Jesus  started  on  the  journey  to  Galilee  (John  1:19-43). 

John's    use    of    the    designation    "Lamb    of    God"    implied   his 


NOTES.  151 

conception  of  the  Messiah  as  One  appointed  for  sacrifice,  and 
his  use  of  the  term  is  the  earliest  mention  found  in  the  Bible. 
For  later  Biblical  applications,  direct  or  implied,  see  Acts  8:32; 
i  Peter  1:19;  Rev.  5:6,  8,  12,  13;  6:1,  16;  7:9,  10,  17;  etc. 

4.  "Come  and  See." — The  spirit  of  our  Lord's  invitation  to 
the  young  truth  seekers,  Andrew  and  John,  is  manifest  in  a  sim- 
ilar privilege  extended  to  all.     The  man  who  would  know  Christ 
must  come  to  Him,  to  see  and  hear,  to  feel  and  know.     Mission- 
aries may  carry  the  good  tidings,  the  message  of  the  gospel,  but 
the  response  must  be  an  individual  one.     Are  you  in  doubt  as  to 
what  that  message  means  to-day?  ^  Then  come  and  see  for  your- 
self.    Would  you  know  where  Christ  is  to  be  found?     Come  and 
see. 

5.  The  Eternal  Father  a  Resurrected,  Exalted  Being. — "As 
the  Father  hath  power  in  himself,  so  hath  the  Son  power  in  him- 
self, to  lay  down  his  life  and  take  it  again,  so  he  has  a  body  of 
his  own.     The  Son  doeth  what  he  hath  seen  the  Father  do :  then 
the  Father  hath  some  day  laid  down  his  life  and  taken  it  again; 
so  he  has  a  body  of  his  own ;  each  one  will  be  in  his  own  body." 
— Joseph  Smith ;  see  Hist,  of  the  Church,  vol.  5,  p.  426. 

"God  himself  was  once  as  we  are  now,  and  is  an  exalted 
Man,  and  sits  enthroned  in  yonder  heavens !  That  is  the  great 
secret.  If  the  veil  was  rent  to-day,  and  the  Great  God  who  holds 
this  world  in  its  orbit,  and  who  upholds  all  worlds  and  all  things 
by  his  power,  was  to  make  himself  visible, — I  say,  if  you  were  to 
see  him  to-day,  you  would  see  him  like  a  man  in  form — like  your- 
selves in  all  the  person,  image,  and  very  form  as  a  man;  for 
Adam  was  created  in  the  very  fashion,  image,  and  likeness  of  God, 
and  received  instruction  from,  and  walked,  talked  and  conversed 
with  him,  as  one  man  talks  and  communes  with  another." — 
Joseph  Smith ;  see  Compendium,  p.  190. 

6.  Waterpots  for  Ceremonial  Cleansing. — In  the  house  at 
Cana  there  stood  in  a  place  specially  reserved,  six  waterpots  of 
stone  "after  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews."     Vessels 
of  water  were  provided  as  a  matter  of  prescribed  order  in  Jewish 
homes,  to   facilitate  the  ceremonial  washings  enjoined  by  the  law. 
From  these  pots   or  jars   the  water  was   drawn  off  as   required; 
they  were  reservoirs  holding  the  supply,  not  vessels  used  in  the 
actual  ablution. 

7.  "The  Attitude  of  Science  Towards  Miracles"  is  the  sub- 
ject of  a  valuable   article  by   Prof.   H.    L.   Orchard,  published   in 
Journal  of  the   Transactions   of   the   Victoria  Institute,   or  Philo* 
sophical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  1910,  vol.  42,  pp.  81-122.     This 
article  was  the  Gunning  Prize  Essay  for   1909.     After  a  lengthy 
analytical   treatment  of   his   subject,   the   author  presents   the   fol- 
lowing  summation,    which    was   concurred    in   by   those    who    took 
part  in  the  ensuing  discussions :    "We  here  complete  our  scientific 
investigation  of  Bible  Miracles.     It  has  embraced    (i)   the  nature 
of  the  phenomenon ;    (2)    the  conditions  under  which  it  is  alleged 
to  have  occurred;   (3)   the  character  of  the  testimony  to  its  occur- 
rence.    To   the   inquiry — Were   the    Bible   miracles   probable?    sci- 
ence   answers    in    the    affirmative.      To    the    further    inquiry — Did 


152  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    11. 

they  actually  occur?  the  answer  of  science  is  again,  and  very  em- 
phatically, in  the  affirmative.  If  we  liken  them  to  gold,  she  has 
made  her  assay  and  says  the  gold  is  pure.  Or  the  Bible  miracles 
may  be  compared  to  a  string  of  pearls.  If  science  seeks  to  know 
whether  the  pearls  are  genuine,  she  may  apply  chemical  and 
other  tests  to  the  examination  of  their  character;  she  may  search 
into  the  conditions  and  circumstances  in  which  the  alleged  pearls 
were  found.  Were  they  first  found  in  an  oyster,  or  in  some 
manufacturing  laboratory?  And  she  may  investigate  the  testi- 
mony of  experts.  Should  the  result  of  any  one  of  these  examina- 
tions affirm  the  genuineness  of  the  pearls,  science  will  be  slow  to 
believe  that  they  are  'paste' ;  if  all  the  results  declare  their  gen- 
uineness, science  will  not  hesitate  to  say  that  they  are  true  pearls. 
This,  as  we  have  seen,  is  the  case  of  the  Bible  miracles.  Science, 
therefore,  affirms  their  actual  occurrence" 


JESUS  AT  THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.          153 


CHAPTER    12. 

EARLY  INCIDENTS  IN  OUR  LORD'S  PUBLIC 
MINISTRY. 

FIRST   CLEARING   OF   THE   TEMPL.E. 

Soon  after  the  marriage  festivities  in  Cana,  Jesus,  accom- 
panied by  His  disciples,  as  also  by  His  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family,  went  to  Capernaum,  a  town  pleas- 
antly situated  near  the  northerly  end  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  or 
Lake  of  Gennesareta  and  the  scene  of  many  of  our  Lord's 
miraculous  works ;  indeed  it  came  to  be  known  as  His  own 
city.&  Because  of  the  unbelief  of  its  people  it  became  a  sub- 
ject of  lamentation  to  Jesus  when  in  sorrow  He  prefigured 
the  judgment  that  would  befall  the  placet  The  exact  site  of 
the  city  is  at  present  unknown.  On  this  occasion  Jesus  tar- 
ried but  a  few  days  at  Capernaum  ;  for  the  time  of  the  annual 
Passover  was  near,  and  in  compliance  with  Jewish  law  and 
custom  He  went  up  to  Jerusalem. 

The  synoptic  Gospels,^  which  are  primarily  devoted  to  the 
labors  of  Christ  in  Galilee,  contain  no  mention  of  His  attend- 
ance at  the  paschal  festival  between  His  twelfth  year  and  the 
time  of  His  death ;  to  John  alone  are  we  indebted  for  the 
record  of  this  visit  at  the  beginning  of  Christ's  public  min- 
istry. It  is  not  improbable  that  Jesus  had  been  present  at 
other  Passovers  during  the  eighteen  years  over  which  the 
evangelists  pass  in  complete  and  reverent  silence ;  but  at  any 
or  all  such  earlier  visits,  He,  not  being  thirty  years  old,  could 
not  have  assumed  the  right  or  privilege  of  a  teacher  without 
contravening  established  customs/  It  is  worth  our  attention 

a  Note    1,    end   of   chapter. 

fcjohn  2:12;   compare   Matt.   4:13;   9:1. 

cMatt.    11:23;    Luke    10:15. 

d  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

e  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


154  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12, 

to  note  that  on  this,  the  first  recorded  appearance  of  Jesus  in 
the  temple  subsequent  to  His  visit  as  a  Boy,  He  should  re- 
sume His  "Father's  business"  where  He  had  before  been 
engaged.  It  was  in  His  Father's  service  that  He  had  been 
found  in  discussion  with  the  doctors  of  the  law/  and  in  His 
Father's  cause  He  was  impelled  to  action  on  this  later  occa- 
sion. 

The  multitudinous  and  mixed  attendance  at  the  Passover 
celebration  has  already  received  passing  mention  f  some  of 
the  unseemly  customs  that  prevailed  are  to  be  held  in  mind. 
The  law  of  Moses  had  been  supplemented  by  a  cumulative 
array  of  rules,  and  the  rigidly  enforced  requirements  as  to 
sacrifices  and  tribute  had  given  rise  to  a  system  of  sale  and 
barter  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  House  of  the  L,ord. 
In  the  outer  courts  were  stalls  of  oxen,  pens  of  sheep,  cages 
of  doves  and  pigeons;  and  the  ceremonial  fitness  of  these 
sacrificial  victims  was  cried  aloud  by  the  sellers,  and  charged 
for  in  full  measure.  It  was  the  custom  also  to  pay  the  yearly 
poll  tribute  of  the  sanctuary  at  this  season — the  ransom  offer- 
ing required  of  every  male  in  Israel,  and  amounting  to  half 
a  shekel'1  for  each,  irrespective  of  his  relative  poverty  or 
wealth.  This  was  to  be  paid  "after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctu- 
ary," which  limitation,  as  rabbis  had  ruled,  meant  payment  in 
temple  coin.  Ordinary  money,  varieties  of  which  bore  effigies 
and  inscriptions  of  heathen  import,  was  not  acceptable,  and 
as  a  result,  money-changers  plied  a  thriving  trade  on  the 
temple  grounds. 

Righteously  indignant  at  what  He  beheld,  zealous  for  the 
sanctity  of  His  Father's  House,  Jesus  essayed  to  clear  the 
place  ;l  and,  pausing  not  for  argument  in  words,  He  promptly 
applied  physical  force  almost  approaching  violence — the  one 
form  of  figurative  language  that  those  corrupt  barterers  for 


/Page  114;   Luke  2:46-49. 

g  Page  113.     Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 

/rExo.  30:11-16. 

tjohn  2:14-17. 


FIRST   CLEARING   OF   THE   TEMPLE.  155 

pelf  could  best  understand.  Hastily  improvising  a  whip  of 
small  cords,  He  laid  about  Him  on  every  side,  liberating  and 
driving  out  sheep,  oxen,  and  human  traffickers,  upsetting  the 
tables  of  the  exchangers  and  pouring  out  their  heterogeneous 
accumulations  of  coin.  With  tender  regard  for  the  impris- 
oned and  helpless  birds  He  refrained  from  assaulting  their 
cages;  but  to  their  owners  He  said:  "Take  these  things 
hence ;"  and  to  all  the  greedy  traders  He  thundered  forth  a 
command  that  made  them  quail:  "Make  not  my  Father's 
house  an  house  of  merchandise."  His  disciples  saw  in  the 
incident  a  realization  of  the  psalmist's  line :  "The  zeal  of 
thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up."' 

The  Jews,  by  which  term  we  mean  the  priestly  officials 
and  rulers  of  the  people,  dared  not  protest  this  vigorous 
action  on  the  ground  of  unrighteousness ;  they,  learned  in  the 
law,  stood  self -convicted  of  corruption,  avarice,  and  of  per- 
sonal responsibility  for  the  temple's  defilement.  That  the 
sacred  premises  were  in  sore  need  of  a  cleansing  they  all 
knew ;  the  one  point  upon  which  they  dared  to  question  the 
Cleanser  was  as  to  why  He  should  thus  take  to  Himself  the 
doing  of  what  was  their  duty.  They  practically  submitted  to 
His  sweeping  intervention,  as  that  of  one  whose  possible  in- 
vestiture of  authority  they  might  be  yet  compelled  to  ac- 
knowledge. Their  tentative  submission  was  based  on  fear, 
and  that  in  turn  upon  their  sin-convicted  consciences.  Christ 
prevailed  over  those  haggling  Jews  by  virtue  of  the  eternal 
principle  that  right  is  mightier  than  wrong,  and  of  the 
psychological  fact  that  consciousness  of  guilt  robs  the  culprit 
of  valor  when  the  imminence  of  just  retribution  is  apparent 
to  his  soul.&  Yet,  fearful  lest  He  should  prove  to  be  a 
prophet  with  power,  such  as  no  living  priest  or  rabbi  even 
professed  to  be,  they  timidly  asked  for  credentials  of  His  au- 
thority— "What  sign  shewest  thou  unto  us,  seeing  that  thou 

/Compare  Psalm  69:9. 
k  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


156  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

doest  these  things  ?"  Curtly,  and  with  scant  respect  for  this 
demand,  so  common  to  wicked  and  adulterous  men/  Jesus 
replied :  "De'stroy  this  temple  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise 
it  up."m 

Blinded  by  their  own  craft,  unwilling  to  acknowledge  the 
Lord's  authority,  yet  fearful  of  the  possibility  that  they  were 
opposing  one  who  had  the  right  to  act,  the  perturbed  officials 
found  in  the  words  of  Jesus  reference  to  the  imposing  temple 
of  masonry  within  whose  walls  they  stood.  '  They  took 
courage ;  this  strange  Galilean,  who  openly  flouted  their  au- 
thority, spoke  irreverently  of  their  temple,  the  visible  expres- 
sion of  the  profession  they  so  proudly  flaunted  in  words — 
that  they  were  children  of  the  covenant,  worshipers  of  the 
true  and  living  God,  and  hence  superior  to  all  heathen  and 
pagan  peoples.  With  seeming  indignation  they  rejoined : 
"Forty  and  six  years  was  this  temple  in  building,  and  wilt 
thou  rear  it  up  in  three  days?""  Though  frustrated  in  their 
desire  to  arouse  popular  indignation  against  Jesus  at  this 
time,  the  Jews  refused  to  forget  or  forgive  His  words.  When 
afterward  He  stood  an  undefended  prisoner,  undergoing  an 
illegal  pretense  of  trial  before  a  sin-impeached  court,  the 
blackest  perjury  uttered  against  Him  was  that  of  the  false 
witnesses  who  testified :  "We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy 
this  temple  that  is  made  with  hands,  and  within  three  days  I 
will  build  another  made  without  hands."0  And  while  He 
hung  in  mortal  suffering,  the  scoffers  who  passed  by  the 
cross  wagged  their  heads  and  taunted  the  dying  Christ  with 
"Ah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three 
days,  save  thyself,  and  come  down  from  the  cross. "^  Yet 
His  words  to  the  Jews  who  had  demanded  the  credentials  of 
a  sign  had  no  reference  to  the  colossal  Temple  of  Herod,  but 
to  the  sanctuary  of  His  own  body,  in  which,  more  liter- 


/Matt.  12:38,  39;  compare  16:1;  Mark  8:11;  John  6:30;  I  Cor.  1:22. 
m  John  2:19;  read  verses  18-22. 
n  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 
oMark    14:58.     Page    624    herein. 
pMark  15:29,  30. 


157 

ally  than  in  the  man-built  Holy  of  Holies,  dwelt  the  ever 
living  Spirit  of  the  Eternal  God.  "The -Father  is  in  me" 
was  His  doctrine.^ 

"He  spake  of  the  temple  of  His  body,"  the  real  tabernacle 
of  the  Most  High/  This  reference  to  the  destruction  of  the 
temple  of  His  body,  and  the  renewal  thereof  after  three  days, 
is  His  first  recorded  prediction  relating  to  His  appointed 
death  and  resurrection.  Even  the  disciples  did  not  compre- 
hend the  profound  meaning  of  His  words  until  after  His 
resurrection  from  the  dead ;  then  they  remembered  and  un- 
derstood. The  priestly  Jews  were  not  as  dense  as  they  ap- 
peared to  be,  for  we  find  them  coming  to  Pilate  while  the 
body  of  the  crucified  Christ  lay  in  the  tomb,  saying :  "Sir, 
we  remember  that  that  deceiver  said,  while  he  was  yet  alive, 
After  three  days  I  will  rise  again. "s  Though  we  have  many 
records  of  Christ  having  said  that  He  would  die  and  on  the 
third  day  would  rise  again,  the  plainest  of  such  declarations 
were  made  to  the  apostles  rather  than  openly  to  the  public. 
The  Jews  who  waited  upon  Pilate  almost  certainly  had  in 
mind  the  utterance  of  Jesus  when  they  had  stood,  nonplussed 
before  Him,  at  the  clearing  of  the  temple  courts.* 

Such  an  accomplishment  as  that  of  defying  priestly  usage 
and  clearing  the  temple  purlieus  by  force  could  not  fail  to 
impress,  with  varied  effect,  the  people  in  attendance  at  the 
feast;  and  they,  returning  to  their  homes  in  distant  and 
widely  separated  provinces,  would  spread  the  fame  of  the 
courageous  Galilean  Prophet.  Many  in  Jerusalem  believed 
on  Him  at  the  time,  mainly  because  they  were  attracted  by 
the  miracles  he  wrought ;  but  He  refused  to  "commit  him- 
self unto  them,"  realizing  the  insecure  foundation  of  their 
professions.  Popular  adulation  was  foreign  to  His  purpose ; 


gjohn  10:38;   17:21. 
rjohn  2:19-22;  compare 
!:9;  Heb.  8:2. 


I  Cor.  3:16,  17:  6:19;  2  Cor.  6:16;  see  further  Col. 
2:9;  Heb.  8:2. 

jMatt.  27:63. 

t  As  Canon  Farrar  has  tersely  written,  "Unless  the  'we  remember'  was  a 
distinct  falsehood,  they  could  have  been  referring  to  no  other  occasion  than 
this."  ("Life  of  Christ,"  p.  155.) 


158  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

He  wanted  no  motley  following,  but  would  gather  around 
Him  such  as  received  the  testimony  of  His  Messiahship  from 
the  Father.  "He  knew  all  men,  and  needed  not  that  any 
should  testify  of  man :  for  he  knew  what  was  in  man."w 

The  incident  of  Christ's  forcible  clearing  of  the  temple 
is  a  contradiction  of  the  traditional  conception  of  Him  as  of 
One  so  gentle  and  unassertive  in  demeanor  as  to  appear  un- 
manly. Gentle  He  was,  and  patient  under  affliction,  mer- 
ciful and  long-suffering  in  dealing  with  contrite  sinners,  yet 
stern  and  inflexible  in  the  presence  of  hypocrisy,  and  un- 
sparing in  His  denunciation  of  persistent  evil-doers.  His 
mood  was  adapted  to  the  conditions  to  which  He  addressed 
Himself ;  tender  words  of  encouragement  or  burning  ex- 
pletives of  righteous  indignation  issued  with  equal  fluency 
from  His  lips.  His  nature  was  no  poetic  conception  of 
cherubic  sweetness  ever  present,  but  that  of  a  Man,  with 
the  emotions  and  passions  essential  to  manhood  and  manli- 
ness. He,  who  often  wept  with  compassion,  at  other  times 
evinced  in  word  and  action  the  righteous  anger  of  a  God. 
But  of  all  His  passions,  however  gently  they  rippled  or 
strongly  surged,  He  was  ever  master.  Contrast  the  gentle 
Jesus  moved  to  hospitable  service  by  the  needs  of  a  festal 
party  in  Cana,  with  the  indignant  Christ  plying  His  whip, 
and  amidst  commotion  and  turmoil  of  His  own  making,  driv- 
ing cattle  and  men  before  Him  as  an  unclean  herd. 

JESUS    AND    NICODEMUS.0 

That  the  wonderful  deeds  wrought  by  Christ  at  and  about 
the  time  of  this  memorable  Passover  had  led  some  of  the 
learned,  in  addition  to  many  of  the  common  people,  to  be- 
lieve in  Him,  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  Nicodemus,  who 
was  a  Pharisee  in  profession  and  who  occupied  a  high  place 
as  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  Jews,  came  to  Him  on  an  errand 


«John   2:23-25. 
a  John  3:1-21. 


EVERY    MAN    MUST   BE   BORN    ANEW.  159 

of  inquiry.  There  is  significance  in  the  circumstance  that 
this  visit  was  made  at  night.  Apparently  the  man  was  im- 
pelled by  a  genuine  desire  to  learn  more  of  the  Galilean, 
whose  works  could  not  be  ignored ;  though  pride  of  office 
and  fear  of  possible  suspicion  that  he  had  become  attached 
to  the  new  Prophet  led  him  to  veil  his  undertaking  with 
privacy ."  Addressing  Jesus  by  the  title  he  himself  bore,  and 
which  he  regarded  as  one  of  honor  and  respect,  he  said: 
"Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God: 
for  no  man  can  do  these  miracles  that  thou  doest,  except  God 
be  with  him."w  Whether  his  use  of  the  plural  pronoun 
"we"  indicates  that  he  was  sent  by  the  Sanhedrin,  or  by  the 
society  of  Pharisees — the  members  of  which  were  accus- 
tomed to  so  speak,  as  representatives  of  the  order — or  was 
employed  in  the  rhetorical  sense  as  indicating  himself  alone, 
is  of  little  importance.  He  acknowledged  Jesus  as  a 
"teacher  come  from  God,"  and  gave  reasons  for  so  regarding 
Him.  Whatever  of  feeble  faith  might  have  been  stirring 
in  the  heart  of  the  man,  such  was  founded  on  the  evidence 
of  miracles,  supported  mainly  by  the  psychological  effect  of 
signs  and  wonders.  We  must  accord  him  credit  for  sin- 
cerity and  honesty  of  purpose. 

Without  waiting  for  specific  questions,  "Jesus  answered 
and  said  unto  him,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God." 
Nicodemus  appears  to  have  been  puzzled  ;  he  asked  how  such 
a  rejuvenation  was  possible.  "How  can  a  man  be  born  when 
he  is  old?  can  he  enter  the  second  time  into  his  mother's 
womb,  and  be  born  ?"  We  do  Nicodemus  no  injustice  in 
assuming  that  he  as  a  rabbi,  a  man  learned  in  the  scriptures, 
ought  to  have  known  that  there  was  other  meaning  in  the 
words  of  Jesus  than  that  of  a  mortal,  literal  birth.  More- 
over, were  it  possible  that  a  man  could  be  born  a  second 


v  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 
w  John  3:2;  read  verses  1-21. 


160  v  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

time  literally  and  in  the  flesh,  how  could  such  a  birth  profit 
him  in  spiritual  growth?  It  would  be  but  a  reentrance  on 
the  stage  of  physical  existence,  not  an  advancement.  The 
man  knew  that  the  figure  of  a  new  birth  was  common  in  the 
teachings  of  his  day.  Every  proselyte  to  Judaism  was 
spoken  of  at  the  time  of  his  conversion  as  one  new-born. 

The  surprize  manifested  by  Nicodemus  was  probably  due, 
in  part  at  least,  to  the  universality  of  the  requirement  as  an- 
nounced by  Christ.  Were  the  children  of  Abraham  included? 
The  traditionalism  of  centuries  was  opposed  to  any  such 
view.  Pagans  had  to  be  born  again  through  a  formal  ac- 
ceptance of  Judaism,  if  they  would  become  even  small 
sharers  of  the  blessings  that  belonged  as  a  heritage  to  the 
house  of  Israel ;  but  Jesus  seemed  to  treat  all  alike,  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  heathen  idolaters  and  the  people  who  with  their 
lips  at  least  called  Jehovah,  God. 

Jesus  repeated  the  declaration,  and  with  precision,  em-1 
phasizing  by  the  impressive  "Verily,  verily,"  the  greatest  les- 
son that  had  ever  saluted  the  ears  of  this  ruler  in  Israel: 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be  born  of 
water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God."  That  the  new  birth  thus  declared  to  be  absolutely 
essential  as  a  condition  of  entrance  to  the  kingdom  of  God, 
applicable  to  every  man,  without  limitation  or  qualification, 
was  a  spiritual  regeneration,  was  next  explained  to  the  won- 
dering rabbi :  "That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh ;  and 
that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I 
said  unto  thee,  Ye  must  be  born  again."  Still  the  learned 
Jew  pondered  yet  failed  to  comprehend.  Possibly  the  sound 
of  the  night  breeze  was  heard  at  that  moment ;  if  so,  Jesus 
was  but  utilizing  the  incident  as  a  skilful  teacher  would  do 
to  impress  a  lesson  when  He  continued :  "The  wind  bloweth 
where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst 
not  tell  whence  it  cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth :  so  is  every 
one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit."  Plainly  stated,  Nicodemus 


AN    UNINFORMED    MASTER   IN    ISRAEL.  161 

was  given  to  understand  that  his  worldly  learning  and  official 
status  availed  him  nothing  in  any  effort  to  understand  the 
things  of  God ;  through  the  physical  sense  of  hearing  he 
knew  that  the  wind  blew ;  by  sight  he  could  be  informed  of  its 
passage :  yet  what  did  he  know  of  the  ultimate  cause  of  even 
this  simple  phenomenon?  If  Nicodemus  would  really  be 
instructed  in  spiritual  matters,  he  had  to  divest  himself  of 
the  bias  due  to  his  professed  knowledge  of  lesser  things. 

Rabbi  and  eminent  Sanhedrist  though  he  was,  there  at 
the  humble  lodging  of  the  Teacher  from  Galilee,  he  was  in 
the  presence  of  a  Master.  In  the  bewilderment  of  ignorance 
he  asked,  "How  can  these  things  be  ?"  The  reply  must  have 
been  humbling  if  not  humiliating  to  the  man :  "Art  thou  a 
master  of  Israel,  and  knowest  not  these  things?"  Plainly  a 
knowledge  of  some  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
gospel  had  been  before  accessible;  Nicodemus  was  held  in 
reproach  for  his  lack  of  knowledge,  particularly  as  he  was 
a  teacher  of  the  people.  Then  our  Lord  graciously  ex- 
pounded at  greater  length,  testifying  that  He  spoke  from 
sure  knowledge,  based  upon  what  He  had  seen,  while  Nico- 
demus and  his  fellows  were  unwilling  to  accept  the  witness 
of  His  words.  Furthermore,  Jesus  averred  His  mission  to 
be  that  of  the 'Messiah,  and  specifically  foretold  his  death 
and  the  manner  thereof — that  He,  the  Son  of  Man,  must  be 
lifted  up,  even  as  Moses  had  lifted  the  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
ness as  a  prototype,  whereby  Israel  might  escape  the  fatal 
plague.* 

The  purpose  of  the  foreappointed  death  of  the  Son  of 
Man  was :  "That  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  eternal  life" ;  for  to  this  end,  and  out  of  His 
boundless  love  to  man  had  the  Father  devoted  His  Only 
Begotten  Son.  And  further,  while  it  was  true  that  in  His 
mortal  advent  the  Son  had  not  come  to  sit  as  a  judge,  but 
to  teach,  persuade  and  save,  nevertheless  condemnation 


162  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

would  surely  follow  rejection  of  that  Savior,  for  light  had 
come,  and  wicked  men  avoided  the  light,  hating  it  in  their 
preference  for  the  darkness  in  which  they  hoped  to  hide  their 
evil  deeds.  Here  again,  perhaps,  Nicodemus  experienced  a 
twinge  of  conscience,  for  had  not  he  been  afraid  to  come 
in  the  light,  and  had  he  not  chosen  the  dark  hours  for  his 
visit  ?  Our  Lord's  concluding  words  combined  both  instruc- 
tion and  reproof :  "But  he  that  doeth  truth  cometh  to  the 
light,  that  his  deeds  may  be  made  manifest,  that  they  are 
wrought  in  God." 

The  narrative  of  this  interview  between  Nicodemus  and 
the  Christ  constitutes  one  of  our  most  instructive  and  prec- 
ious scriptures  relating  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  unre- 
served compliance  with  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gos- 
pel, as  the  means  indispensable  to  salvation.  Faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  through  whom  alone  men  may 
gain  eternal  life ;  the  forsaking  of  sin  by  resolute  turning 
away  from  the  gross  darkness  of  evil  to  the  saving  light  of 
righteousness;  the  unqualified  requirement  of  a  new  birth 
through  baptism  in  water,  and  this  of  necessity  by  the  mode 
of  immersion,  since  otherwise  the  figure  of  a  birth  would  be 
meaningless;  and  the  completion  of  the  new  birth  through 
baptism  by  the  Spirit — all  these  principles  are  taught  herein 
in  such  simplicity  and  plainness  as  to  make  plausible  no 
man's  excuse  for  ignorance. 

If  Jesus  and  Nicodemus  were  the  only  persons  present  at 
the  interview,  John,  the  writer,  must  have  been  informed 
thereof  by  one  of  the  two.  As  John  was  one  of  the  early 
disciples,  afterward  one  of  the  apostles,  and  as  he  was  dis- 
tinguished in  the  apostolic  company  by  his  close  personal 
companionship  with  the  Lord,  it  is  highly  probable  that  he 
heard  the  account  from  the  lips  of  Jesus.  It  was  evidently 
John's  purpose  to  record  the  great  lesson  of  the  occasion 
rather  than  to  tell  the  circumstantial  story.  The  record 
begins  and  ends  with  equal  abruptness;  unimportant  inci- 


DISPUTATION    CONCERNING   BAPTISM.  163 

dents  are  omitted;  every  line  is  of  significance;  the  writer 
fully  realized  the  deep  import  of  his  subject  and  treated  it 
accordingly.  Later  mention  of  Nicodemus  tends  to  confirm 
the  estimate  of  the  man  as  he  appears  in  this  meeting  with 
Jefeus — that  of  one  who  was  conscious  of  a  belief  in  the 
Christ,  but  whose  belief  was  never  developed  into  such  gen- 
uine and  virile  faith  as  would  impel  to  acceptance  and  com- 
pliance irrespective  of  cost  or  consequence.? 

FROM    CITY    TO    COUNTRY. 

Leaving  Jerusalem,  Jesus  and  His  disciples  went  into  the 
rural  parts  of  Judea,  and  there  tarried,  doubtless  preaching 
as  opportunity  was  found  or  made ;  and  those  who  believed 
on  Him  were  baptized.5  The  prominent  note  of  His  early 
public  utterances  was  that  of  His  forerunner  in  the  wilder- 
ness :  "Repent :  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."0 
The  Baptist  continued  his  labors ;  though  doubtless,  since 
his  recognition  of  the  Greater  One  for  whose  coming  he 
had  been  sent  to  prepare,  he  considered  the  baptism  he  ad- 
ministered as  of  somewhat  different  significance.  He  had 
at  first  baptized  in  preparation  for  One  who  was  to  come; 
now  he  baptized  repentant  believers  unto  Him  who  had 
come. 

Disputation  had  arisen  between  some  of  John's  zealous 
adherents  and  one  or  more  Jews&  concerning  the  doctrine  of 
purifying.  The  context  leaves  little  room  for  doubt  that  a 
question  was  involved  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  John's 
baptism  and  that  administered  by  the  disciples  of  Jesus. 
With  excusable  ardor  and  well-intended  zeal  for  their  mas- 
ter, the  disciples  of  John,  who  had  been  embroiled  in  the 
dispute,  came  to  him  saying :  "Rabbi,  he  that  was  with  thee 
beyond  Jordan,  to  whom  thou  bearest  witness,  behold,  the 

y  Note  8,  end  of  chapter.     See  "Articles  of  Faith,"  v:l-5. 
s  John  3:22;  compare  4:2. 
a  Matt.  4:17;  compare  Mark  1:15. 
,b  Note  9,   end  of  chapter, 
cjohn  3:25-36. 


164  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

same  baptizeth.  and  all  men  come  to  him."  John's  sup- 
porters were  concerned  at  the  success  of  One  whom  they 
regarded  in  some  measure  as  a  rival  to  their  beloved  teacher. 
Had  not  John  given  to  Jesus  His  first  attestation  ?  "He  to 
whom  thou  bearest  witness"  said  they,  not  deigning  even  to 
designate  Jesus  by  name.  Following  the  example  of 
Andrew,  and  of  John  the  future  apostle,  the  people  were 
•leaving  the  Baptist  and  gathering  about  the  Christ.  John's 
reply  to  his  ardent  followers  constitutes  a  sublime  instance 
of  self-abnegation.  His  answer  was  to  this  effect :  A  man 
receives  only  as  God  gives  unto  him.  It  is  not  given  to  me 
to  do  the  work  of  Christ.  Ye  yourselves  are  witnesses 
that  I  disclaimed  being  the  Christ,  and  that  I  said  I  was  one 
sent  before  Him.  He  is  as  the  Bridegroom ;  I  am  only  as  the 
friend  of  the  bridegroom/  His  servant ;  and  I  rejoice  greatly 
in  being  thus  near  Him ;  His  voice  gives  me  happiness ;  and 
thus  my  joy  is  fulfilled.  He  of  whom  you  speak  stands  at 
the  beginning  of  His  ministry ;  I  near  the  end  of  mine.  He 
must  increase  but  I  must  decrease.  He  came  from  heaven 
and  therefore  is  superior  to  all  things  of  earth ;  nevertheless 
men  refuse  to  receive  His  testimony.  To  such  a  One,  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  not  apportioned ;  it  is  His  in  full  measure. 
The  Father  loveth  Him,  the  Son,  and  hath  given  all  things 
into  His  hand,  and :  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  ever- 
lasting life :  and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see 
life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."' 

In  such  a  reply,  under  the  existent  conditions,  is  to  be 
found  the  spirit  of  true  greatness,  and  of  a  humility  that 
could  rest  only  on  a  conviction  of  divine  assurance  to  the 
Baptist  as  to  himself  and  the  Christ.  In  more  than  one 
sense  was  John  great  among  all  who  are  born  of  women/ 
He  had  entered  upon  his  work  when  sent  of  God  so  to  do  \° 


d  Note  10,  end  of  chapter. 
e  John  3:27-36. 
/Matt.   11:11. 
0Luke  3:2,3. 


NOTES.  165 

he  realized  that  his  work  had  been  in  a  measure  superseded, 
and  he  patiently  awaited  his  release,  in  the  meantime  con- 
tinuing in  the  ministry,  directing  souls  to  his  Master.  The 
beginning  of  the  end  was  near.  He  was  soon  seized  and 
thrown  into  a  dungeon ;  where,  as  shall  be  shown,  he  was 
beheaded  to  sate  the  vengeance  of  a  corrupt  woman  whose 
sins  he  had  boldly  denounced.71 

The  Pharisees  observed  with  increasing  apprehension  the 
growing  popularity  of  Jesus,  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
even  more  followed  after  Him  and  accepted  baptism  at  the 
hands  of  His  disciples  than  had  responded  to  the  Baptist's 
call.  Open  opposition  was  threatened ;  and  as  Jesus  desired 
to  avert  the  hindrance  to  His  work  which  such  persecution 
at  that  time  would  entail,  He  withdrew  from  Judea  and  re- 
tired to  Galilee,  journeying  by  way  of  Samaria.  This  return 
to  the  northern  province  was  effected  after  the  Baptist  had 
been  cast  into  prison.* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  12. 

i.  Sea  of  Galilee. — This,  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in 
Palestine,  is  somewhat  pear-shape  in  outline  and  measures  ap- 
proximately thirteen  miles  in  extreme  length  on  a  northerly- 
southerly  line  and  between  six  and  seven  miles  in  greatest  width. 
The  river  Jordan  enters  it  at  the  northeast  extremity  and  flows 
out  at  the  south-west;  the  lake  may  be  regarded,  therefore,  as  a 
great  expansion  of  the  river,  though  the  water-filled  depression 
is  about  two  hundred  feet  in  depth.  The  outflowing  Jordan  con- 
nects the  sea  of  Galilee  with  the  Dead  Sea,  the  latter  a  body  of 
intensely  saline  water,  which  in  its  abundance  of  dissolved  salts 
and  in  the  consequent  density  of  its  brine  is  comparable  to  the 
Great  Salt  Lake  in  Utah,  though  the  chemical  composition  of  the 
waters  is  materially  different  The  sea  of  Galilee  is  referred  to 
by  Luke,  in  accordance  with  its  more  appropriate  classification, 
as  a  lake  (Luke  5:1,  2;  8:22,  23,  33).  Adjoining  the  lake  on  the 
north-west  is  a  plain,  which  in  earlier  times  was  highly  culti- 
vated: this  was  known  as  the  land  of  Gennesaret  (Matt  14:34; 
Mark  6:53)  ;  and  the  water  body  came  to  be  known  as  the  sea  or 
lake  of  Gennesaret  (Luke  5:1).  From  the  prominence  of  one  of 
the  cities  on  its  western  shore,  it  was  known  also  as  the  sea  of 
Tiberias  (John  6:1,  23;  21:1).  In  the  Old  Testament  it  is  called 

h  Matt.   14:3-12. 
•  Matt.  4:12. 


166  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

the  sea  of  Chinnereth  (Numb.  34:11)  or  Chinneroth  (Josh.  12:3) 
after  the  name  of  a  contiguous  city  (Josh.  19:35).  The  surface 
of  the  lake  or  sea  is  several  hundred  feet  below  normal  sea-level, 
681  feet  lower  than  the  Mediterranean  according  to  Zenos,  or 
700  feet  as  stated  by  some  others.  This  low-lying  position  gives 
to  the  region  a  semi-tropical  climate.  Zenos,  in  the  Standard 
Bible  Dictionary,  says :  "The  waters  of  the  lake  are  noted  for 
abundant  fish.  The  industry  of  fishing  was  accordingly  one  of 

the  most  stable  resources  of  the  country  round  about 

Another  feature  of  the  sea  of  Galilee  is  its  susceptibility  to  sud- 
den storms.  These  are  occasioned  partly  by  its  lying  so  much 
lower  than  the  surrounding  tableland  (a  fact  that  creates  a  dif- 
ference of  temperature  and  consequent  disturbances  in  the  at- 
mosphere), and  partly  by  the  rushing  of  gusts  of  wind  down 
the  Jordan  valley  from  the  heights  of  Hermon.  The  event 
recorded  in  Matt.  8:24  is  no  extraordinary  case.  Those  who  ply 
boats  on  the  lake  are  obliged  to  exercize  great  care  to  avoid 
peril  from  such  storms.  The  shores  of  the  sea  of  Galilee  as 
well  as  the  lake  itself  were  the  scenes  of  many  of  the  most  re- 
markable events  recorded  in  the  Gospels." 

2.  The  Four  Gospels. — All  careful  students  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament  must   have    observed    that   the    books    of    Matthew,    Mark, 
and  Luke,  treat  the  events  of  the  Savior's  sayings  and  doings  in 
Galilee    with   greater    fulness    than   they   accord   to    His    work   in 
Judea;   the  book  or   Gospel   of   John,   on   the   other   hand,   treats 
particularly  the  incidents  of  our  Lord's  Judean  ministry,   without 
excluding,    however,    important    events    that    occurred    in    Galilee. 
In  style  of  writing  and  method  of  treatment,  the  authors  of  the 
first  three  Gospels    (evangelists  as  they  and  John   are  collectively 
styled    in    theologic    literature)     differ    more    markedly    from    the 
author  of  the  fourth  Gospel  than  among  themselves.     The  events 
recorded  by  the   first   three   can   be   more    readily   classified,   col- 
lated,   or    arranged,   and   in    consequence    the    Gospels    written    by 
Matthew,    Mark,    and    Luke    are    now    commonly    known    as    the 
Synoptics,  or  Synoptic  Gospels. 

3.  Thirty  Years  of  Age. — According  to  Luke   (3:23)  Jesus 
was  about  thirty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  His  baptism,  and  we 
find  that  soon  thereafter,  He  entered  publicly  upon  the  work  of 
His  ministry.     The  law  provided  that  at  the  age  of  thirty  years 
the    Levites    were    required    to    enter    upon    their    special    service 
(Numb.  4:3).     Clarke,  Bible  Commentary,  treating  the  passage  in 
Luke    3 :23,    says :      "This    was    the    age    required    by    the    law    to 
which   the   priests    must   arrive   before   they   could   be   installed    in 
their  office."     Jesus  may  possibly  have  had  regard   for  what  had 
become   a   custom  of  the  time,   in   waiting  until   He   had   attained 
that    age    before    entering    publicly    on    the    labors    of    a    Teacher 
among  the  people.     Not  being  of   Levitical   descent   He   was   not 
eligible   to   priestly   ordination   in   the    Aaronic   order,    and   there- 
fore, certainly  did  not  wait   for   such  before  beginning  His   min- 
istry.    To   have   taught   in   public   at   an   earlier   age   would   have 
been    to    arouse    criticism,    and    objection,    which    might    have    re- 
sulted in  serious  handicap  or  hindrance*  at  the  outset. 


NOTES.  167 

4.  Throngs  and  Confusion  at  the  Passover  Festival. — While 
it  is  admittedly  impossible  that  even  a  reasonably  large  fraction 
of  the  Jewish  people  could  be  present  at  the  annual  Passover 
gatherings  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  consequence  provision  was  made 
for  local  observance  of  the  feast,  the  usual  attendance  at  the 
temple  celebration  in  the  days  ot  Jesus  was  undoubtedly  enor- 
mous. Josephus  calls  the  Passover  throngs  "an  innumerable 
multitude"  (Wars,  ii,  1:3),  and.  in  another  place  (Wars,  vi,  9:3) 
states  that  the  attendance  reached  the  enormous  aggregate  of 
three  millions  of  souls;  such  is  the  record,  though  many  modern 
writers  treat  the  statement  as  an  exaggeration.  Josephus  says 
that  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  emperor  Nero  information  as 
to  the  numerical  strength  of  the  Jewish  people,  particularly  in 
Palestine,  the  chief  priests  were  asked  by  Cestius  to  count  the 
number  of  lambs  slain  at  the  feast,  and  the  number  reported  was 
256,500,  which  on  the  basis  of  between  ten  and  eleven  persons 
to  each  paschal  table  would  indicate  the  presence,  he  says,  of  at 
least  2,700,200,  not  including  visitors  other  than  Jews,  and  such 
of  the  people  of  Israel  as  were  debarred  from  participation  in 
the  paschal  meal  because  of  ceremonial  unfitness. 

The  scenes  of  confusion,  inevitable  under  the  conditions  then 
prevailing,  are  admirably  summarized  by  Geikie  {Life  and  Words 
of  Christ,  chap.  30),  who  cites  many  earlier  authorities  for  his 
statements :  "The  streets  were  blocked  by  the  crowds  from  all 
parts,  who  had  to  make  their  way  to  the  Temple,  past  flocks  of 
sheep,  and  droves  of  cattle,  pressing  on  in  the  sunken  middle 
part  of  each  street  reserved  for  them,  to  prevent  contact  and 
defilement.  Sellers  of  all  possible  wares  beset  the  pilgrims,  for 
the  great  feasts  were,  as  has  been  said,  the  harvest  time  of  all 
trades  at  Jerusalem,  just  as,  at  Mecca,  even  at  this  day,  the  time 
of  the  great  concourse  of  worshippers  at  the  tomb  of  the 
Prophet,  is  that  of  the  busiest  trade  among  the  merchant  pil- 
grims, who  form  the  caravans  from  all  parts  of  the  Mohammedan 
world. 

"Inside  the  Temple  space,  the  noise  and  pressure  were,  if 
possible,  worse.  Directions  were  posted  up  to  keep  to  the  right 
or  the  left,  as  in  the  densest  thoroughfares  of  London.  The 
outer  court,  which  others  than  Jews  might  enter,  and  which  was, 
therefore,  known  as  the  Court  of  the  Heathen,  was  in  part,  cov- 
ered with  pens  for  sheep,  goats,  and  cattle,  for  the  feast  and  the 
thank-offerings.  Sellers  shouted  the  merits  of  their  beasts,  sheep 
bleated,  and  oxen  lowed.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  great  yearly  fair  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  crowds  added  to  the  din  and  tumult,  till  the 
services  in  the  neighboring  courts  were  sadly  disturbed.  Sellers 
of  doves,  for  poor  women  coming  for  purification  from  all  parts 
of  the  country,  and  for  others,  had  a  space  set  apart  for  them. 
Indeed,  the  sale  of  doves  was,  in  great  measure,  secretly,  in  the 
hands  of  the  priests  themselves :  Hannas,  the  high  priest,  espe- 
cially, gaining  great  profits  from  his  dove  cotes  on  Mount  Olivet. 
The  rents  of  the  sheep  and  cattle  pens,  and  the  profits  on  the 
doves,  had  led  the  priests  to  sanction  the  incongruity  of  thus 
turning  the  Temple  itself  into  a  noisy  market.  Nor  was  this  all 


168  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

Potters  pressed  on  the  pilgrims  their  day  dishes  and  ovens  for 
the  Passover  lamb;  hundreds  of  traders  recommended  their 
wares  aloud;  shops  for  wine,  oil,  salt,  and  all  else  needed  for 
sacrifices,  invited  customers ;  and,  in  addition,  persons  going 
across  the  city,  with  all  kinds  of  burdens,  shortened  their 
journey  by  crossing  the  Temple  grounds.  The  provision  for 
paying  the  tribute,  levied  on  all,  for  the  support  of  the  Temple, 
added  to  the  distraction.  On  both  sides  of  the  east  Temple 
gate,  stalls  had  for  generations  been  permitted  for  changing 
foreign  money.  From  the  fifteenth  of  the  preceding  month 
money-changers  had  been  allowed  to  set  up  their  tables  in  the 
city,  and  from  the  twenty-first, — or  twenty  days  before  the  Pass- 
over,— to  ply  their  trade  in  the  Temple  itself.  Purchasers  of 
materials  for  offerings  paid  the  amount  at  special  stalls,  to  an 
officer  of  the  Temple,  and  received  a  leaden  cheque  for  which 
they  got  what  they  had  bought,  from  the  seller.  Large  sums, 
moreover,  were  changed,  to  be  cast,  as  free  offerings,  into  one 
of  the  thirteen  chests  which  formed  the  Temple  treasury.  Every 
Jew,  no  matter  how  poor,  was,  in  addition,  required  to  pay  yearly 
a  half-shekel — about  eighteen  pence — as  atonement  money  for 
his  soul,  and  for  the  support  of  the  Temple.  As  this  would  not 
be  received  except  in  a  native  coin,  called  the  Temple  shekel, 
which  was  not  generally  current,  strangers  had  to  change  their 
Roman,  Greek,  or  Eastern  money,  at  the  stalls  of  the  money- 
changers, to  get  the  coin  required.  The  trade  gave  ready  means 
for  fraud,  which  was  only  top  common.  Five  per  cent,  exchange 
was  charged,  but  this  was  indefinitely  increased  by  tricks  and 
chicanery,  for  which  the  class  had  everywhere  earned  so  bad  a 
name,  that  like  the  publicans,  their  witness  would  not  be  taken 
before  a  court." 

Touching  the  matter  of  the  defilement  to  which  the  temple 
courts*  had  been  subjected  by  traffickers  acting  under  priestly 
license,  Farrar,  (Life  of  Christ,  p.  152),  gives  us  the  following: 
"And  this  was  the  entrance-court  to  the  Temple  of  the  Most 
High !  The  court  which  was  a  witness  that  that  house  should 
be  a  House  of  Prayer  for  all  nations  had  been  degraded  into  a 
place  which,  for  foulness,  was  more  like  shambles,  and  for  bust- 
ling commerce  more  like  a  densely-crowded  bazaar ;  while  the 
lowing  of  oxen,  the  bleating  of  sheep,  the  Babel  of  many  lan- 
guages, the  huckstering  and  wrangling,  and  the  clinking  of 
money  and  of  balances  (perhaps  not  always  just),  might  be 
heard  in  the  adjoining  courts,  disturbing  the  chant  of  the  Levites 
and  the  prayers  of  priests  !" 

5.     The  Servility  of  the  Jews  in  the  Presence  of  Jesus. — The 

record  of  the  achievement  of  Jesus,  in  ridding  the  temple  courts 
of  those  who  had  made  the  House  of  the  Lord  a  market  place, 
contains  nothing  to  suggest  the  inference  that  He  exercized 
superhuman  strength  or  more  than  manly  vigor.  He  employed 
a  whip  of  His  own  making,  and  drove  all  before  Him.  They  fled 
helter-skelter.  None  are  said  to  have  voiced  an  objection  until 
the  expulsion  had  been  made  complete.  Why  did  not  some 
among  the  multitude  object?  The  submission  appears  to  have 


NOTES.  169 

been  abject  and  servile  in  the  extreme.  Farrar,  (Life  of  Christ, 
pp.  151,  152)  raises  the  question  and  answers  it  with  excellent 
reasoning  and  in  eloquent  lines :  ''Why  did  not  this  multitude  of 
ignorant  pilgrims  resist?  Why  did  these  greedy  charterers  con- 
tent themselves  with  dark  scowls  and  muttered  maledictions, 
while  they  suffered  their  oxen  and  sheep  to  be  chased  into  the 
streets  and  themselves  ejected,  and  their  money  flung  Tolling  on 
the  floor,  by  one  who  was  then  young  and  unknown,  and  in  the 
garb  of  despised  Galilee?  Why,  in  the  same  way  we  might  ask, 
did  Saul  suffer  Samuel  to  beard  him  in  the  very  presence  of  his 
army?  Why  did  David  abjectly  obey  the  orders  of  Joab?  Why 
did  Ahab  not  dare  to  arrest  Elijah  at  the  door  of  Naboth's  vine- 
yard? Because  sin  is  weakness;  because  there  is  in  the  world 
nothing  so  abject  as  a  guilty  conscience,  nothing  so  invincible 
as  the  sweeping  tide  of  a  Godlike  indignation  against  all  that  is 
base  and  wrong.  How  could  these  paltry  sacrilegious  buyers  and 
sellers,  conscious  of  wrongdoing,  oppose  that  scathing  rebuke, 
or  face  the  lightnings  of  those  eyes  that  were  enkindled  by  an 
outraged  holiness?  When  Phinehas  the  priest  was  zealous  for 
the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  drove  through  the  bodies  of  the  prince 
of  Simeon  and  the  Midianitish  woman  with  one  glorious  thrust 
of  his  indignant  spear,  why  did  not  guilty  Israel  avenge  that 
splendid  murder?  Why  did  not  every  man  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon 
become  a  Goel  to  the  dauntless  assassin?  Because  Vice  cannot 
stand  for  one  moment  before  Virtue's  uplifted  arm.  Base  and 
grovelling  as  they  were,  these  money-mongering  Jews  felt,  in  all 
that  remnant  of  their  souls  which  was  not  yet  eaten  away  by 
infidelity  and  avarice,  that  the  Son  of  Man  was  right. 

"Nay,  even  the  Priests  and  Pharisees,  and  Scribes  and 
Levites,  devoured  as  they  were  by  pride  and  formalism,  could 
not  condemn  an  act  which  might  have  been  performed  by  a 
Nehemiah  or  a  Judas  Maccabaeus,  and  which  agreed  with  all  that 
was  purest  and  best  in  their  traditions.  But  when  they  had 
heard  of  this  deed,  or  witnessed  it,  and  had  time  to  recover  from 
the  breathless  mixture  of  admiration,  disgust,  and  astonishment 
which  it  inspired,  they  came  to  Jesus,  and  though  they  did  not 
dare  to  condemn  what  He  had  done,  yet  half  indignantly  asked 
Him  for  some  sign  that  He  had  a  right  to  act  thus." 

6.  Jewish  Regard  for  the  Temple. — The  Jews  professed 
high  regard  for  the  temple.  "An  utterance  of  the  Savior,  con- 
strued by  the  dark-minded  as  an  aspersion  upon  the  temple,  was 
used  against  Him  as  one  of  the  chief  accusations  on  which  His 
death  was  demanded.  Wrhen  the  Jews  clamored  for  a  sign  of 
His  authority  He  predicted  His  own  death  and  subsequent  resur- 
rection, saying,  'Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will 
raise  it  up.'  (John  2:19-22;  see  also  Matt.  26:61;  27:40;  Mark 
14:58;  15:29).  They  blindly  regarded  this  remark  as  a  disre- 
spectful allusion  to  their  temple,  a  structure  built  by  human 
hands,  and  they  refused  to  forget  or  forgive.  That  this  venera- 
tion continued  after  the  crucifixion  of  our  Lord  is  evident  from 
accusations  brought  against  Stephen,  and  still  later  against  Paul. 
In  their  murderous  rage  the  people  accused  Stephen  of  disrespect 


170  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    12. 

for  the  temple,  and  brought  false  witnesses,  who  uttered  perjured 
testimony  saying,  'This  man  ceaseth  not  to  speak  blasphemous 
words  against  this  holy  place.'  (Acts  6:13.)  And  Stephen  was 
numbered  with  the  martyrs.  When  it  was  claimed  that  Paul  had 
brought  with  him  into  the  temple  precincts,  a  Gentile,  the  whole 
city  was  aroused,  and  the  infuriated  mob  dragged  Paul  from  the 
place  and  sought  to  kill  him.  (Acts  21:26-31.)" — The  author; 
House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  60,  61. 

7.  Some  of  the  "Chief  Rulers"  Believed. — Nicodemus  was 
not  the  only  one  among  the  ruling  classes  who  believed  in  Jesus ; 
but  of  most  of  these  we  learn  nothing  to  indicate  that  they  had 
sufficient   courage    to   come    even    by   night   to    make    independent 
and  personal   inquiry.     They   feared  the   result   in   loss   of   popu- 
larity and  standing.    We  read  in  John   12:42,  43:     "Nevertheless 
among  the  chief  rulers  also  many  believed  on  him;  but  because 
of  the   Pharisees  they  did  not  confess   him,   lest  they  should  be 
put  out  of  the  synagogue:  for  they  loved  the  praise  of  men  more 
than  the  praise  of   God."     Note   also  the   instance   of   the   scribe 
who  proffered   to  become   a  professed   disciple,  but,  probably  be- 
cause of  some  degree  of  insincerity  or  unfitness,  was  rather  dis- 
couraged than  approved  by  Jesus.     (Matt  8:19,  20.) 

8.  Nicodemus. — The  course  followed  by  this  man  evidences 
at  once  that  he  really  believed  in  Jesus  as  one  sent  of  God,  and 
that  his  belief  failed  of  development  into  a  condition  of  true  faith, 
which,  had  it  but  been  realized,  might  have  led  to  a  life  of  de- 
voted service  in  the  Master's  cause.     When  at  a  later  stage  than 
that  of  his  interview  with   Christ  the  chief  priests  and   Pharisees 
upbraided   the    officers    whom   they   had    sent   to    take    Jesus    into 
custody  and  who  returned  to  report  their  failure,  Nicodemus,  one 
of   the  council,   ventured   to  mildly  expostulate   against  the   mur- 
derous determination  of  the  rulers,  by  stating  a  general  proposi- 
tion in  interrogative  form:     "Doth  our  law  judge  any  man  before 
it  hear  him  and  know  what  he  doeth?"     He  was  answered  by  his 
colleagues    with    contempt,    and    appears    to    have    abandoned    his 
well-intended  effort   (John  7:50-53;  read  preceding  verses  30-49). 
We  next  hear  of  him  bringing  a  costly  contribution  of  myrrh  and 
aloes,  about  a  hundred-weight,  to  be  used  in  the  burial  of  Christ's 
then  crucified  body;  but  even  in  this  deed  of  liberality  and  devo- 
tion, in  which  his  sincerity  of  purpose  cannot  well  be  questioned, 
he  had  been   preceded  by  Joseph   of    Arimathea,   a  man   of   rank, 
who    had    boldly    asked    for    and    secured    the    body    for    reverent 
burial    (John    19:38-42).     Nevertheless    Nicodemus   did   more   than 
did   most  of   his   believing   associates    among   the   noble   and  great 
ones ;  and  to  him  let  all  due  credit  be  given ;  he  will  not  fail  of 
his  reward. 

9.  "The  Jews"  or  "A  Jew." — We  read  that  "there  arose  a 
question  between  some  of  John's  disciples  and  the  Jews  about 
purifying"  (John  3:25).  Bearing  in  mind  that  the  expression 
"the  Jews"  is  very  commonly  used  by  the  author  of  the  fourth 
Gospel  to  designate  the  officials  or  rulers  among  the  people,  the 
passage  quoted  may  be  understood  to  mean  that  the  Baptist's 
disciples  were  engaged  in  disputation  with  the  priestly  rulers. 


NOTES.  171 

It  is  held,  however,  by  Biblical  scholars  generally,  that  "the 
Jews"  in  this  passage  is  a  mistranslation,  and  that  the  true  ren- 
dering is  "a  Jew."  The  disputation  concerning  purifying  appears 
to  have  arisen  between  some  of  the  Baptist's  followers  and  a 
single  opponent;  and  the  passage  as  it  appears  in  the  King  James 
version  of  the  Bible  is  an  instance  of  scripture  not  translated 
correctly. 

10.  Friend  of  the  Bridegroom. — Judean  marriage  customs 
in  the  days  of  Christ  required  the  apoointing  of  a  chief  grooms- 
man, who  attended  to  all  the  preliminaries  and  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  marriage  feast,  in  behalf  'of  the  bridegroom.  He 
was  distinctively  known  as  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom.  When 
the  ceremonial  requirements  had  been  complied  with,  and  the 
bride  had  been  legally  and  formally  given  unto  her  spouse,  the 
joy  of  the  bridegroom's  friend  was  fulfilled  inasmuch  as  his  ap- 
pointed duties  had  been  successfully  discharged.  (John  3:29.) 
According  to  Edersheim,  (Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
vol.  i,  p.  148),  by  the  simpler  customs  prevalent  in  Galilee  a 
"friend  of  the  bridegroom"  was  not  often  chosen ;  and  (pp.  663-4) 
the  expression  "children  of  the  bridechamber"  (Matt.  9:15; 
Mark  2:19;  Luke  5:34,  in  all  of  which  citations  the  expression  is 
used  by  Jesus),  was  applied  collectively  to  all  the  invited  guests 
at  a  wedding  festival.  He  says:  "As  the  institution  of  'friends 
of  the  bridegroom'  prevailed  in  Judea,  but  not  in  Galilee,  this 
marked  distinction  of  the  'friend  of  the  bridegroom'  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Judean  John,  and  'sons  (children)  of  the  bridechamber'  in 
that  of  the  Galilean  Jesus,  is  itself  evidential  of  historic  ac- 
curacy." 


172  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13. 


CHAPTER   13. 
HONORED  BY  STRANGERS,  REJECTED  BY  HIS  OWN. 

JESUS   AND   THE)   SAMARITAN    WOMAN. 

The  direct  route  from  Judea  to  Galilee  lay  through 
Samaria;  but  many  Jews,  particularly  Galileans,  chose  to 
follow  an  indirect  though  longer  way  rather  than  traverse 
the  country  of  a  people  so  despized  by  them  as  were  the 
Samaritans.  The  ill-feeling  between  Jews  and  Samaritans 
had  been  growing  for  centuries,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
Lord's  earthly  ministry  had  developed  into  most  intense 
hatred.0  The  inhabitants  of  Samaria  were  a  mixed  people, 
in  whom  the  blood  of  Israel  was  mingled  with  that  of  the 
Assyrians  and  other  nations ;  and  one  cause  of  the  animosity 
existing  between  them  and  their  neighbors  both  on  the  north 
and  the  south  was  the  Samaritans'  claim  for  recognition  as 
Israelites ;  it  was  their  boast  that  Jacob  was  their  father ;  but 
this  the  Jews  denied.  The  Samaritans  had  a  version  of  the 
Pentateuch,  which  they  revered  as  the  law,  but  they  rejected 
all  the  prophetical  writings  of  what  is  now  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, because  they  considered  themselves  treated  with  in- 
sufficient respect  therein. 

To  the  orthodox  Jew  of  the  time  a  Samaritan  was  more 
unclean  than  a  Gentile  of  any  other  nationality.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  note  the  extreme  and  even  absurd  restrictions  then 
in  force  in  the  matter  of  regulating  unavoidable  relations  be- 
tween the  two  peoples.  The  testimony  of  a  Samaritan  could 
not  be  heard  before  a  Jewish  tribunal.  For  a  Jew  to  eat 
food  prepared  by  a  Samaritan  was  at  one  time  regarded  by 
rabbinical  authority  as  an  offense  as  great  as  that  of  eating 

a  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


JESUS    IN    SAMARIA.  173 

the  flesh  of  swine.  While  it  was  admitted  that  produce  from 
a  field  in  Samaria  was  not  unclean,  inasmuch  as  it  sprang 
directly  from  the  soil,  such  produce  became  unclean  if  sub- 
jected to  any  treatment  at  Samaritan  hands.  Thus,  grapes 
and  grain  might  be  purchased  from  Samaritans,  but  neither 
wine  nor  flour  manufactured  therefrom  by  Samaritan  labor. 
On  one  occasion  the  epithet  "Samaritan"  was  hurled  at 
Christ  as  an  intended  insult.  "Say  we  not  well  that  thou 
art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil  ?"&  The  Samaritan  con- 
ception of  the  mission  of  the  expected  Messiah  was  some- 
what better  founded  than  was  that  of  the  Jews,  for  the 
Samaritans  gave  greater  prominence  to  the  spiritual  king- 
dom the  Messiah  would  establish,  and  were  less  exclusive  in 
their  views  as  to  whom  the  Messianic  blessings  would  be  ex- 
tended. 

In  His  journey  to  Galilee  Jesus  took  the  shorter  course, 
through  Samaria;  and  doubtless  His  choice  was  guided  by 
purpose,  for  we  read  that  "He  must  needs  go"  that  way.c 
The  road  led  through  or  by  the  town  called  Sychar,d  "near  to 
the  parcel  of  ground  that  Jacob  gave  to  his  son  Joseph."* 
There  was  Jacob's  well,  which  was  held  in  high  esteem,  not 
only  for  its  intrinsic  worth  as  an  unfailing  source  of  water, 
but  also  because  of  its  association  with  the  great  patriarch's 
life.  Jesus,  travel- worn  and  weary,  rested  at  the  well,  while 
His  disciples  went  to  the  town  to  buy  food.  A  woman  came 
to  fill  her  water-jar,  and  Jesus  said  to  her:  "Give  me  to 
drink."  By  the  rules  of  oriental  hospitality  then  prevailing, 
a  request  for  water  was  one  that  should  never  be  denied  if 
possible  to  grant ;  yet  the  woman  hesitated,  for  she  was 
amazed  that  a  Jew  should  ask  a  favor  of  a  Samaritan,  how- 
ever great  the  need.  She  expressed  her  surprize  in  the  ques- 
tion :  "How  is  it  that  thou,  being  a  Jew,  askest  drink  of  me, 


fcjohn  8:48. 

c  John  4:4;  for  incidents  following  see  verses  5-43. 

d  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

<?Gen.   33:19;   and  Josh.  24:32. 


174  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13, 

which  am  a  woman  of  Samaria  ?  for  the  Jews  have  no  deal- 
ings with  the  Samaritans."  Jesus,  seemingly  forgetful  of 
thirst  in  His  desire  to  teach,  answered  her  by  saying:  "If 
thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  saith  to  thee, 
Give  me  to  drink ;  thou  wouldest  have  asked  of  him,  and  he 
would  have  given  thee  living  water."  The  woman  reminded 
Him  that  He  had  no  bucket  or  cord  witK  which  to  draw  from 
the  deep  well,  and  inquired  further  as  to  His  meaning,  add- 
ing: "Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob,  which  gave 
us  the  well,  and  drank  thereof  himself,  and  his  children,  and 
his  cattle?" 

Jesiis  found  in  the  woman's  words  a  spirit  similar  to  that 
with  which  the  scholarly  Nicodemus  had  received  His  teach- 
ings ;  each  failed  alike  to  perceive  the  spiritual  lesson  He 
would  impart.  He  explained  to  her  that  water  from  the 
well  would  be  of  but  temporary  benefit;  to  one  who  drank 
of  it  thirst  would  return ;  "But,"  he  added,  "whosoever 
drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst ; 
but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life."  The  woman's  in- 
terest was  keenly  aroused,  either  from  curiosity  or  as  an 
emotion  of  deeper  concern,  for  she  now  became  the  peti- 
tioner, and,  addressing  Him  by  a  title  of  respect,  said :  "Sir, 
give  me  this  water,  that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  hither  to 
draw."  She  could  see  nothing  beyond  the  material  advantage 
attaching  to  water  that  would  once  and  for  all  quench  thirst. 
The  result  of  the  draught  she  had  in  mind  would  be  to  give 
her  immunity  from  one  bodily  need,  and  save  her  the  labor 
of  coming  to  draw  from  the  well. 

The  subject  of  the  conversation  was  abruptly  changed  by 
Jesus  bidding  her  to  go,  call  her  husband,  and  return.  To 
her  reply  that  she  had  no  husband  Jesus  revealed  to  her  His 
superhuman  powers  of  discernment,  by  telling  her  she  had 
spoken  truthfully,  inasmuch  as  she  had  had  five  husbands, 
while  the  man  with  whom  she  was  then  living  was  not  her 


JESUS   AND   THE   SAMARITAN    WOMAN.  175 

husband.  Surely  no  ordinary  being  could  have  so  read  the 
unpleasing  story  of  her  life ;  she  impulsively  confessed  her 
conviction,  saying:  "Sir,  I  perceive  that  thou  art  a  prophet." 
She  desired  to  turn  the  conversation,  and,  pointing  to  Mount 
Gerizirn,  upon  which  the  sacrilegious  priest  Manasseh  had 
erected  a  Samaritan  temple,  she  remarked  with  little  per- 
tinence to  what  had  been  said  before :  "Our  fathers  wor- 
shipped in  this  mountain ;  and  ye  say,  that  in  Jerusalem  is 
the  place  where  men  ought  to  worship."  Jesus  replied  in 
yet  deeper  vein,  telling  her  that  the  time  was  near  when 
neither  that  mountain  nor  Jerusalem  would  be  preeminently 
a  place  of  worship;  and  he  clearly  rebuked  her  presumption 
that  the  traditional  belief  of  the  Samaritans  was  equally  good 
with  that  of  the  Jews ;  for,  said  He :  "Ye  worship  ye  know 
not  what :  we  know  what  we  worship :  for  salvation  is  of  the 
Jews."  Changed  and  corrupted  as  the  Jewish  religion  had 
become,  it  was  better  than  that  of  her  people ;  for  the  Jews 
did  accept  the  prophets,  and  through  Judah  the  Messiah  had 
come.  But,  as  Jesus  expounded  the  matter  to  her,  the  place 
of  worship  was  of  lesser  importance  than  the  spirit  of  the 
worshiper.  "God  is  a  Spirit:  and  they  that  worship  him 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth." 

Unable  or  unwilling  to  understand  Christ's  meaning,  the 
woman  sought  to  terminate  the  lesson  by  a  remark  that  prob- 
ably was  to  her  but  casual :  "I  know  that  Messias  cometh, 
which  is  called  Christ :  when  he  is  come,  he  will  tell  us  all 
things."  Then,  to  her  profound  amazement,  Jesus  rejoined 
with  the  awe-inspiring  declaration :  "I  that  speak  unto  thee 
am  he."  The  language  was  unequivocal,  the  assertion  one 
that  required  no  elucidation.  The  woman  must  regard  Him 
thereafter  as  either  an  imposter  or  the  Messiah.  She  left 
her  pitcher  at  the  well,  and  hastening  to  the  town. told  of  her 
experience,  saying:  "Come,  see  a  man,  which  told  me  all 
things  that  ever  I  did :  is  not  this  the  Christ  ?" 

Near  the  conclusion  of  the  interview  between  Jesus  and 


176  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13. 

the  woman,  the  returning  disciples  arrived  with  the  pro- 
visions they  had  gone  to  procure.  They  marveled  at  finding 
the  Master  in  conversation  with  a  woman,  and  a  Samaritan 
woman  at  that,  yet  none  of  them  asked  of  Him  an  explana- 
tion. His  manner  must  have  impressed  them  with  the 
seriousness  and  solemnity  of  the  occasion.  When  they  urged 
Him  to  eat  He  said :  "I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not 
of."  To  them  His  words  had  no  significance  beyond  the 
literal  sense,  and  they  queried  among  themselves  as  to 
whether  some  one  had  brought  Him  food  during  their  ab- 
sence ;  but  He  enlightened  them  in  this  way :  "My  meat  is 
to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work." 

A  crowd  of  Samaritans  appeared,  coming  from  the  city. 
Looking  upon  them  and  upon  the  grain  fields  nearby,  Jesus 
continued:  "Say  not  ye,  There  are  yet  four  months,  and 
then  cometh  harvest?  behold,  I  say  unto  you,  Lift  up  your 
eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields;  for  they  are  white  already  to 
harvest."  The  import  of  the  saying  seems  to  be  that  while 
months  would  elapse  before  the  wheat  and  the  barley  were 
ready  for  the  sickle,  the  harvest  of  souls,  exemplified  by  the 
approaching  crowd,  was  even  then  ready ;  and  that  from 
what  He  had  sown  the  disciples  might  reap,  to  their  ines- 
timable advantage,  since  they  would  have  wages  for  their 
hire  and  would  gather  the  fruits  of  other  labor  than  their 
own. 

Many  of  the  Samaritans  believed  on  Christ,  at  first  on 
the  strength  of  the  woman's  testimony,  then  because  of  their 
own  conviction ;  and  they  said  to  the  woman  at  whose  behest 
they  had  at  first  gone  to  meet  Him :  "Now  we  believe,  not 
because  of  thy  saying :  for  we  have  heard  him  ourselves,  and 
know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world."  Graciously  He  acceded  to  their  request  to  remain, 
and  tarried  with  them  two  days.  It  is  beyond  question  that 
Jesus  did  not  share  in  the  national  prejudice  of  the  Jews 
against  the  people  of  Samaria ;  an  honest  soul  was  acceptable 


HEALING   OF   THE    NOBLEMAN^    SON.  177 

to  Him  come  whence  he  may.  Probably  the  seed  sown  dur- 
ing this  brief  stay  of  our  Lord  among  the  despized  people  of 
Samaria  was  that  from  which  so  rich  a  harvest  was  reaped 
by  the  apostles  in  after  years/ 

JESUS   AGAIN    IN   GALILEE:   AT   CANA   AND    NAZARETH. 

Following  the  two  days'  sojourn  among  the  Samaritans, 
Jesus,  accompanied  by  the  disciples  who  had  traveled  with 
Him  from  Judea,  resumed  the  journey  northward  into  Gal- 
ilee, from  which  province  He  had  been  absent  several 
months.  Realizing  that  the  people  of  Nazareth,  the  town  in 
which  He  had  been  brought  up,  would  be  probably  loath  to 
acknowledge  Him  as  other  than  the  carpenter,  or,  as  He 
stated,  knowing  that  "a  prophet  hath  no  honour  in  his  own 
country,"*?  He  went  first  to  Cana.  The  people  of  that  sec- 
tion, and  indeed  the  Galileans  generally,  received  Him  glad- 
ly; for  many  of  them  had  attended  the  last  Passover  and 
probably  had  been  personal  witnesses  of  the  wonders  He 
had  wrought  in  Judea.  While  at  Cana  He  was  visited  by  a 
nobleman,  most  likely  a  high  official  of  the  province,  who 
entreated  Him  to  proceed  to  Capernaum  and  heal  his  son, 
who  was  then  lying  at  the  point  of  death.  With  the  prob- 
able design  of  showing  the  man  the  true  condition  of  his 
mind,  for  we  cannot  doubt  that  Jesus  could  read  his  thoughts, 
our  Lord  said  to  him :  "Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders, 
ye  will  not  believe."^  As  observed  in  earlier  instances, 
notably  in  the  refusal  of  Jesus  to  commit  Himself  to  the  pro- 
fessing believers  at  Jerusalem,  whose  belief  rested  solely  on 
their  wonder  at  the  things  He  did,4'  our  Lord  would  not  re- 
gard miracles,  though  wrought  by  Himself,  as  a  sufficient 
and  secure  foundation  for  faith.  The  entreating  nobleman, 
in  anguish  over  the  precarious  state  of  his  son,  in  no  way 

/Acts  8:5;  9:31;  15:3. 

f/John  4:44;  compare  Matt.  13:57;  Mark  6:4;  Luke  4:24. 

h  John  4:48;  read  verses  46-54. 

jjohn  2:23,  24. 


178  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  .       [CHAP.    13. 

resented  the  rebuke  such  as  a  captious  mind  may  have  found 
in  the  Lord's  reply ;  but  with  sincere  humility,  which  showed 
his  belief  that  Jesus  could  heal  the  boy,  he  renewed  and  em- 
phasized his  plea :  "Sir,  come  down  ere  my  child  die." 

Probably  the  man  had  never  paused  to  reason  as  to  the 
direct  means  or  process  by  which  death  might  be  averted  and 
healing  be  insured  through  the  words  of  any  being;  but  in 
his  heart  he  believed  in  Christ's  power,  and  with  pathetic 
earnestness  besought  our  Lord  to  intervene  in  behalf  of  his 
dying  son.  He  seemed  to  consider  it  necessary  that  the 
Healer  be  present,  and  his  great  fear  was  that  the  boy  would 
not  live  until  Jesus  could  arrive.  "Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Go 
thy  way ;  thy  son  liveth.  And  the  man  believed  the  word  that 
Jesus  had  spoken  unto  him,  and  he  went  his  way."  The 
genuineness  of  the  man's  trust  is  shown  by  his  grateful  ac- 
ceptance of  the  Lord's  assurance,  and  by  the  contentment 
that  he  forthwith  manifested.  Capernaum,  where  his  son 
lay,  was  about  twenty  miles  away;  had  he  been  still  solic- 
itous and  doubtful  he  would  probably  have  tried  to  return 
home  that  day,  for  it  was  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
Jesus  spoke  the  words  that  had  brought  him  such  relief ; 
but  he  journeyed  leisurely,  for  on  the  following  day  he  was 
still  on  the  road,  and  was  met  by  some  of  his  servants  who 
had  been  sent  to  cheer  him  with  the  glad  word  of  his  son's 
recovery.  He  inquired  when  the  boy  had  begun  to  amend, 
and  was  told  that  at  the  seventh  hour  on  the  yesterday  the 
fever  had  left  him.  That  was  the  time  at  which  Christ  had 
said,  "Thy  son  liveth."  The  man's  belief  ripened  fast,  and 
both  he  and  his  household  accepted  the  gospel.''  This  was 
the  second  miracle  wrought  by  Jesus  when  in  Cana,  though 
in  this  instance  the  subject  of  the  blessing  was  in  Capernaum. 

Our  Lord's  fame  spread  through  all  the  region  round 
about.  During  a  period  not  definitely  stated,  He  taught  in 
the  synagogs  of  the  towns  and  was  received  with  favor, 


y  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


IN    THE   SYNAGOG   AT   NAZARETH.  179 

being  "glorified  of  all."^  He  then  returned  to  Nazareth, 
His  former  home,  and,  as  was  His  custom,  attended  the 
synagog  service  on  the  Sabbath  day.  Many  times  as  boy 
and  man  He  had  sat  in  that  house  of  worship,  listening  to 
the  reading  of  the  law  and  the  prophets  and  to  the  com- 
mentaries or  Targums;  relating  thereto,  as  delivered  by  ap- 
pointed readers;  but  now,  as  a  recognized  teacher  of  legal 
age  He  was  eligible  to  take  the  reader's  place.  On  this  occa- 
sion He  stood  up  to  read,  when  the  service  had  reached  the 
stage  at  which  extracts  from  the  prophetical  books  were  to 
be  read  to  the  congregation.  The  minister  in  charge  handed 
Him  the  roll,  or  book,  of  Isaiah ;  He  turned  to  the  part 
known  to  us  as  the  beginning  of  the  sixty-first  chapter,  and 
read :  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor ;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at  lib- 
erty them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of 
the  Lord.""1  Handing  the  book  to  the  minister,  He  sat 
down.  It  was  allowable  for  the  reader  in  the  service  of  the 
Jewish  synagog  to  make  comments  in  explanation  of  what 
had  been  read ;  but  to  do  so  he  must  sit.  When  Jesus  took 
His  seat  the  people  knew  that  He  was  about  to  expound  the 
text,  and  "the  eyes  of  all  them  that  were  in  the  synagogue 
were  fastened  on  him."  The  scripture  He  had  quoted  was 
one  recognized  by  all  classes  as  specifically  referring  to  the 
Messiah,  for  whose  coming  the  nation  waited.  The  first 
sentence  of  our  Lord's  commentary  was  startling ;  it  involved 
no  labored  analysis,  no  scholastic  interpretation,  but  a  direct 
and  unambiguous  application:  "This  day  is  this  scripture 
fulfilled  in  your  ears."  There  was  such  graciousness  in  His 
words  that  all  wondered,  and  they  said,  "Is  not  this  Joseph's 
son?"" 


k  Luke  4:14,  15;  read  verses  16-32. 
/  Note  4,   end   of   chapter. 
m  Luke  4:18,   19;   compare  Isa.  61:1,  2. 
nLuke  4:22;  compare  Matt.   13:55-57;  Mark  6:3;  John  6:42. 


180  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13. 

Jesus  knew  their  thoughts  even  if  He  heard  not  their 
words,  and,  forestalling  their  criticism,  He  said:  "Ye  will 
surely  say  unto  me  this  proverb,  Physician,  heal  thyself : 
whatsoever  we  have  heard  done  in  Capernaum,  do  also  here 
in  thy  country.  And  he  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  No 
prophet  is  accepted  in  his  own  country."  In  their  hearts  the 
people  were  eager  for  a  sign,  a  wonder,  a  miracle.  They 
knew  that  Jesus  had  wrought  such  in  Cana,  and  a  boy  in 
Capernaum  had  been  healed  by  His  word ;  at  Jerusalem  too 
He  had  astonished  the  people  with  mighty  works.  Were 
they,  his  townsmen,  to  be  slighted?  Why  would  he  not 
treat  them  to  some  entertaining  exhibition  of  His  powers? 
He  continued  His  address,  reminding  them  that  in  the  days 
of  Elijah,  when  for  three  years  and  a  half  no  rain  had  fallen, 
and  famine  had  reigned,  the  prophet  had  been  sent  to  but 
one  of  the  many  widows,  and  she  a  woman  of  Sarepta  in 
Sidon,  a  Gentile,  not  a  daughter  of  Israel.  And  again, 
though  there  had  been  many  lepers  in  Israel  in  the  days  of 
Elisha,  but  one  leper,  and  he  a  Syrian,  not  an  Israelite,  had 
been  cleansed  through  the  prophet's  ministration,  for 
Naaman  alone  had  manifested  the  requisite  faith. 

Then  great  was  their  wrath.  Did  he  dare  to  class  them 
with  Gentiles  and  lepers?  Were  they  to  be  likened  unto 
despized  unbelievers,  and  that  too  by  the  son  of  the  village 
carpenter,  who  had  grown  from  childhood  in  their  com- 
munity? Victims  of  diabolical  rage,  they  seized  the  Lord 
and  took  Him  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  the  slopes  of  which 
the  town  was  built,  determined  to  avenge  their  wounded 
feelings  by  hurling  Him  from  the  rocky  cliffs.  Thus  early 
in  His  ministry  did  the  forces  of  opposition  attain  murderous 
intensity.  But  our  Lord's  time  to  die  had  not  yet  come. 
The  infuriated  mob  was  powerless  to  go  one  step  farther 
than  their  supposed  victim  would  permit.  "But  he  passing 
through  the  midst  of  them  went  his  way."  Whether  they 
were  overawed  by  the  grace  of  His  presence,  silenced  by  the 


A  DEMONIAC    HEALED.  181 

power  of  His  words,  or  stayed  by  some  more  appalling  in- 
tervention, we  are  not  informed.  He  departed  from  the  un- 
believing Nazarenes,  and  thenceforth  Nazareth  was  no 
longer  His  home. 

IN   CAPERNAUM. 

Jesus  wended  His  way  to  Capernaum,0  which  became  to 
Him  as  nearly  a  place  of  abode  as  any  He  had  in  Galilee. 
There  He  taught,  particularly  on  Sabbath  days ;  and  the  peo- 
ple were  astonished  at  His  doctrine,  for  He  spoke  with  au- 
thority and  power/  In  the  synagog,  on  one  of  these  occa- 
sions, was  a  man  who  was  a  victim  of  possession,  and  sub- 
ject to  the  ravages  of  an  evil  spirit,  or,  as  the  text  so  force- 
fully states,  one  who  "had  a  spirit  of  an  unclean  devil."  It  is 
significant  that  this  wicked  spirit,  which  had  gained  such 
power  over  the  man  as  to  control  his  actions  and  utterances, 
was  terrified  before  our  Lord  and  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice, 
though  pleadingly :  "L,et  us  alone ;  what  have  we  to  do  with 
thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  art  thou  come  to  destroy  us? 
I  know  thee  who  thou  art ;  the  Holy  One  of  God."  Jesus  re- 
buked the  unclean  spirit,  commanding  him  to  be  silent,  and 
to  leave  the  man ;  the  demon  obeyed  the  Master,  and  after 
throwing  the  victim  into  violent  though  harmless  paroxysm, 
left  him.  Such  a  miracle  caused  the  beholders  to  wonder 
the  more,  and  they  exclaimed :  "What  a  word  is  this !  for 
with  authority  and  power  he  commandeth  the  unclean  spirits, 
and  they  come  out.  And  the  fame  of  him  went  out  into 
every  place  of  the  country  round  about. "g 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  when  the  sun  had  set, 
and  therefore  after  the  Sabbath  had  passed/  the  people 
flocked  about  Him,  bringing  their  afflicted  friends  and  kin- 


o  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 

/'Luke  4:32;  compare  Matt.   7:28,  29;   13:54;   Mark  1:22. 
q  Luke  4:33-37;  and  Mark  1:23-28. 

r  The  Jews'  Sabbath  began  at  sunset  Friday  and  *uded  with  the  setting 
of  the  sun  on  Saturday: 


182  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   13. 

dred ;  and  these  Jesus  healed  of  their  divers  maladies  whether 
of  body  or  of  mind.  Among  those  so  relieved  were  many 
who  had  been  possessed  of  devils,  and  these  cried  out,  testi- 
fying perforce  of  the  Master's  divine  authority :  "Thou  art 
Christ  the  Son  of  God."* 

On  these  as  on  other  occasions,  we  find  evil  spirits  voic- 
ing through  the  mouths  of  their  victims  their  knowledge 
that  Jesus  was  the  Christ ;  and  in  all  such  instances  the  Lord 
silenced  them  with  a  word  ;  for  He  wanted  no  such  testimony 
as  theirs  to  attest  the  fact  of  His  Godship.  Those  spirits 
were  of  the  devil's  following,  members  of  the  rebellious  and 
defeated  hosts  that  had  been  cast  down  through  the  power  of 
the  very  Being  whose  authority  and  power  they  now  ac- 
knowledged in  their  demoniac  frenzy.  Together  with  Satan 
himself,  their  vanquished  chief,  they  remained  unembodied, 
for  to  all  of  them  the  privileges  of  the  second  or  mortal 
estate  had  been  denied  ;*  their  remembrance  of  the  scenes 
that  had  culminated  in  their  expulsion  from  heaven  was 
quickened  by  the  presence  of  the  Christ,  though  He  stood  in 
a  body  of  flesh. 

Many  modern  writers  have  attempted  to  explain  the 
phenomenon  of  demoniacal  possession ;  and  beside  these 
there  are  not  a  few  who  deny  the  possibility  of  actual  dom- 
ination of  the  victim  by  spirit  personages.  Yet  the  scrip- 
tures are  explicit  in  showing  the  contrary.  Our  Lord  dis- 
tinguished between  this  form  of  affliction  and  that  of  simple 
bodily  disease  in  His  instructions  to  the  Twelve :  "Heal  the 
sick,  cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead,  cast  out  devils.""  In 
the  account  of  the  incidents  under  consideration,  the  evan- 
gelist Mark  observes  the  same  distinction,  thus :  "They 
brought  unto  him  all  that  were  diseased,  and  them  that  were 
possessed  with  devils."  In  several  instances,  Christ,  in  re- 
buking demons,  addressed  them  as  individuals  distinct  from 

.yLuke  4:41;   compare  Mark  1:34;  3:11,  12;  5:1-18;   Matt.  8:28-34. 

*  Pages  6,  7. 

wMatt.  10:8;  see  verse  1;  compare  4:24;  Mark  1;32;  16:17,  18;   Luke  9:1. 


DEMONIACAL    POSSESSION.  183 

the  human  being  afflicted,r  and  in  one  such  instance  com- 
manded the  demon  to  "come  out  of  him,  and  enter  no  more 
onto  him."w 

In  this  matter  as  in  others  the  simplest  explanation  is  the 
pertinent  truth ;  theory  raised  on  other  than  scriptural  found- 
ation is  unstable.  Christ  unequivocally  associated  demons 
with  Satan,  specifically  in  His  comment  on  the  report  of  the 
Seventy  whom  He  authorized  and  sent  forth,  and  who  testi- 
fied with  joy  on  their  return  that  even  the  devils  had  been 
subject  unto  them  through  His  name ;  and  to  those  faithful 
servants  He  said:  "I  beheld  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from 
heaven."*  The  demons  that  take  possession  of  men,  over- 
ruling their  agency  and  compelling  them  to  obey  Satanic 
bidding,  are  the  unembodied  angels  of  the  devil,  whose  tri- 
umph it  is  to  afflict  mortals,  and  if  possible  to  impel  them  to 
sin.  To  gain  for  themselves  the  transitory  gratification  of 
tenanting  a  body  of  flesh,  these  demons  are  eager  to  enter 
even  into  the  bodies  of  beasts.^ 

Possibly  it  was  during  the  interval  between  the  rebuking 
of  the  evil  spirit  in  the  synagog  and  the  miracles  of  heal- 
ing and  casting  out  devils  in  the  evening  of  that  Sabbath, 
that  Jesus  went  to  the  house  of  Simon,  whom  He  had  before 
named  Peter,  and  there  found  the  mother-in-law  of  His 
disciple  lying  ill  of  fever.  Acceding  to  the  request  of  faith 
He  rebuked  the  disease;  the  woman  was  healed  forthwith, 
rose  from  her  bed,  and  ministered  the  hospitality  of  her 
home  unto  Jesus  and  those  who  were  with  Him.* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  13. 

i.  Animosity  Between  Jews  and  Samaritans. — In  any  con- 
sideration of  the  Samaritans,  it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  a  cer- 
tain city  and  the  district  or  province  in  which  it  was  situated 
were  both  known  as  Samaria.  The  principal  facts  pertaining  to 

t/Matt.  8:32;  Mark  1:25;  Luke  4:35. 

wMark  9:25. 

AT  Luke  10:17,  18;  compare  Rev.  12:7-9. 

AT  Matt.   8:29-33;    Mark   5:11-14;    Luke   8:32-34. 

*Matt.  8:14,   15;  Mark  1:29-31;  Luke  4:38,  39. 


184  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13. 

the  origin  of  the  Samaritans  and  the  explanation  of  the  mutual 
animosity  existing  between  that  people  and  the  Jews  in  the  time 
of  Christ,  have  been  admirably  summarized  by  Geikie  {Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  vol.  i,  pp.  495-6).  Omitting  his  citation  of  au- 
thorities, we  quote:  "After  the  deportation  of  the  Ten  Tribes 
to  Assyria,  Samaria  had  been  repeopled  by  heathen  colonists 
from  various  provinces  of  the  Assyrian  empire,  by  fugitives  from 
the  authorities  of  Judea,  and  by  stragglers  of  one  or  other  of  the 
Ten  Tribes,  who  found  their  way  home  again.  The  first  heathen 
settlers,  terrified  at  the  increase  of  wild  animals,  especially  lions, 
and  attributing  it  to  their  not  knowing  the  proper  worship  of 
the  God  of  the  country,  sent  for  one  of  the  exiled  priests,  and, 
under  his  instructions,  added  the  worship  of  Jehovah  to  that  of 
their  idols — an  incident  in  their  history  from  which  later  Jewish 
hatred  and  derision  taunted  them  as  'proselytes  of  the  lions,'  as  it 
branded  them,  from  their  Assyrian  origin,  with  the  name  of 
Cuthites.  Ultimately,  however,  they  became  even  more  rigidly 
attached  to  the  Law  of  Moses  than  the  Jews  themselves.  Anx- 
ious to  be  recognized  as  Israelites,  they  set  their  hearts  on  join- 
ing the  Two  Tribes,  on  their  return  from  captivity,  but  the  stern 
Puritanism  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  admitted  no  alliance  between 
the  pure  blood  of  Jerusalem  and  the  tainted  race  of  the  north. 
Resentment  at  this  affront  was  natural,  and  excited  resentment 
in  return,  till,  in  Christ's  day,  centuries  of  strife  and  mutual 
injury,  intensified  by  theological  hatred  on  both  sides,  had  made 
them  implacable  enemies.  The  Samaritans  had  built  a  temple  on 
Mount  Gerizim,  to  rival  that  of  Jerusalem,  but  it  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  John  Hyrcanus,  who  had  also  levelled  Samaria  to  the 
ground.  They  claimed  for  their  mountain  a  greater  holiness 
than  that  of  Moriah ;  accused  the  Jews  of  adding  to  the  word  of 
God,  by  receiving  the  writings  of  the  prophets,  and  prided  them- 
selves on  owning  only  the  Pentateuch  as  inspired;  favoured 
Herod  because  the  Jews  hated  him,  and  were  loyal  to  him  and 
the  equally  hated  Romans ;  had  kindled  false  lights  on  the  hills, 
to  vitiate  the  Jewish  reckoning  by  the  new  moons,  and  thus 
throw  their  feasts  into  confusion,  and,  in  the  early  youth  of 
Jesus,  had  even  defiled  the  very  Temple  itself,  by  strewing  human 
bones  in  it,  at  the  Passover. 

"Nor  had  hatred  slumbered  on  the  side  of  the  Jews.  They 
knew  the  Samaritans  only  as  Cuthites,  or  heathens  from  Cuth. 
'The  race  that  I  hate  is  no  race/  says  the  son  of  Sirach.  It  was 
held  that  a  people  who  once  had  worshipped  five  gods  could 
have  no  part  in  Jehovah.  The  claim  of  the  Samaritans  that 
Moses  had  buried  the  Tabernacle  and  its  vessels  on  the  top  of 
Gerizim,  was  laughed  to  scorn.  It  was  said  that  they  had  dedi- 
cated their  temple,  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  to  the  Greek 
Jupiter.  Their  keeping  the  commands  of  Moses  even  more 
strictly  than  the  Jews,  that  it  might  seem  they  were  really  of 
Israel,  was  not  denied;  but  their  heathenism,  it  was  said,  had 
been  proved  by  the  discovery  of  a  brazen  dove,  which  they 
worshipped,  on  the  top  of  Gerizim.  It  would  have  been  enough 
that  they  boasted  of  Herod  as  their  good  king,  who  had  married 
a  daughter  of  their  people;  that  he  had  been  free  to  follow,  in 


NOTES.  185 

theirTcountry,  his  Roman  tastes,  so  hated  in  Judea ;  that  they  had 
remained  quiet,  after  his  death,  when  Judea  and  Galilee  were  in 
uproar,  and  that  for  their  peacefulness  a  fourth  of  their  taxes 
had  been  remitted  and  added  to  the  burdens  of  Judea.  Their 
friendliness  to  the  Romans  was  an  additional  provocation.  While 
the  Jews  were  kept  quiet  only  by  the  sternest  severity,  and  strove 
to  the  utmost  against  the  introduction  of  anything  foreign,  the 
Samaritans  rejoiced  in  the  new  importance  which  their  loyalty  to 
the  empire  had  given  them.  Shechem  flourished :  close  by,  in 
Csesarea,  the  procurator  held  his  court :  a  division  of  cavalry,  in 
barracks  at  Sebaste — the  old  Samaria — had  been  raised  in  the 
territory.  The  Roman  strangers  were  more  than  welcome  to 
while  away  the  summer  in  their  umbrageous  valleys. 

"The  illimitable  hatred,  rising  from  so  many  sources,  found 
vent  in  the  tradition  that  a  special  curse  had  been  uttered  against 
the  Samaritans,  by  Ezra,  Zerubbabel,  and  Joshua.  It  was  said 
that  these  great  ones  assembled  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel 
in  the  Temple,  and  that  three  hundred  priests,  with  three  hun- 
dred trumpets,  and  three  hundred  books  of  the  Law,  and  three 
hundred  scholars  of  the  Law,  had  been  employed  to  repeat, 
amidst  the  most  solemn  ceremonial,  all  the  curses  of  the  Law 
against  the  Samaritans.  They  had  been  subjected  to  every  form 
of  excommunication;  by  the  incommunicable  name  of  Jehovah; 
by  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  and  by  the  heavenly  and  earthly  syna- 
gogues. The  very  name  became  a  reproach.  'We  know  that 
Thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil,'  said  the  Jews,  to  Jesus, 

in  Jerusalem A  Samaritan  egg,  as  the  hen  laid  it, 

could  not  be  unclean,  but  what  of  a  boiled  egg?  Yet  interest 
and  convenience  strove,  by  subtle  casuistry,  to  invent  excuses  for 
what  intercourse  was  unavoidable.  The  country  of  the  Cuthites 
was  clean,  so  that  a  Jew  might,  without  scruple,  gather  and  eat 
its  produce.  The  waters  of  Samaria  were  clean,  so  that  a  Jew 
might  drink  them  or  wash  in  them.  Their  dwellings  were  clean, 
so  that  he  might  enter  them,  and  eat  or  lodge  in  them.  Their 
roads  were  clean,  so  that  the  dust  of  them  did  not  defile  a  Jew's 
feet.  The  Rabbis  even  went  so  far  in  their  contradictory  utter- 
ances, as  to  say  that  the  victuals  of  the  Cuthites  were  allowed, 
if  none  of  their  wine  or  vinegar  were  mixed  with  them,  and  even 
their  unleavened  bread  was  to  be  reckoned  fit  for  use  at  the 
Passover.  Opinions  thus  wavered,  but,  as  a  rule,  harsher  feeling 
prevailed." 

That  the  hostile  sentiment  has  continued  unto  this  day,  at 
least  on  the  part  of  the  Jews,  is  affirmed  by  Frankl  and  others. 
Thus,  as  quoted  by  Farrar  (p.  166  note):  "'Are  you  a  Jew?' 
asked  Salameh  Cohen,  the  Samaritan  high  priest,  of  Dr.  Frankl; 
'and  do  you  come  to  us,  the  Samaritans,  who  are  despised  by 
the  Jews?'  (Jews  in  the  Hast,  ii,  329).  He  added  that  they  would 
willingly  live  in  friendship  with  the  Jews,  but  _that  the  Jews 
avoided  all  intercourse  with  them.  Soon  after,  visiting  Sephared- 
ish  Jews  of  Nablous,  Dr.  Frankl  asked  one  of  that  sect,  'if  he  had 
any  intercourse  with  the  Samaritans  ?'  The  women  retreated 
with  a  cry  of  horror,  and  one  of  them  said,  'Have  you  been 


186  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    13. 

among  the  worshipers  of  the  pigeons?'  I  said  that  I  had.  The 
women  again  fell  back  with  the  same  expression  of  repugnance 
and  one  of  them  said,  'Take  a  purifying  bath!'"  (idem,  p.  334). 
Canon  Farrar  adds,  "I  had  the  pleasure  of  spending  a  day  among 
the  Samaritans  encamped  on  Mount  Gerizim,  for  their  annual 
passover,  and  neither  in  their  habits  nor  apparent  character  could 
I  see  any  cause  for  all  this  horror  and  hatred." 

2.  Sychar. — The  town  where  dwelt  the  Samaritan  woman 
with  whom  Jesus  conversed  at  Jacob's  well,  is  named  Sychar  in 
John  4:5;  the  name  occurs  nowhere  else  in  the  Bible.     Attempts 
have  been  made  to  identify  the  place  with  Shechem,  a  city  dear 
to  the  Jewish  heart  because  of  its  prominence  in  connection  with 
the  lives   of  the  early  patriarchs.     It  is  now  generally  admitted, 
however,  that  Sychar  was  a  small  village  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent  Askar,   which   is,   says   Zenos,    "a  village    with   a   spring   and 
some  ancient  rock-hewn  tombs,  about  five  eighths  of  a  mile  north 
of  Jacob's  well." 

3.  The  Nobleman  of  Capernaum. — The  name  of  the  noble- 
man whose  son  was  healed  by  the  word  of  Jesus   is  not  given. 
Attempts    to    identify    him    with    Chuza,    the    steward    of    Herod 
Antipas,   are   based   on    unreliable   tradition.     The    family    of   the 
nobleman  accepted  the  teachings  of  Christ.     "Joanna  the  wife  of 
Chuza  Herod's  steward"   (Luke  8:3)    was  among  the  grateful  and 
honorable  women  who  had  been  recipients  of  our  Lord's  healing 
ministry,  and  who  contributed  of  their  substance  for  the  further- 
ance  of   His    work.      Unconfirmed   tradition    should    not   be    con- 
founded with  authentic  history. 

4.  The   Targums   are   ancient   Jewish   paraphrases   on   the 
scriptures,    which    were    delivered    in    the    synagogs    in    the    lan- 
guages  of   the  common   people.     In   the   time   of    Christ  the   lan- 
guage spoken  by  the  Jews  was  not  Hebrew,  but  an  Aramaic  dia- 
lect.    Edersheim    states    that   pure    Hebrew    was    the    language   of 
scholars   and  of   the   synagog,   and  that   the   public   readings    from 
the  scriptures  had  to  be  rendered  by  an  interpreter.     "In  earliest 
times   indeed,"    says   he,    "it   was    forbidden    to   the    Methurgeman 
[interpreter]   to  read  his  translation,  or  to  write  down  a  Targum, 
lest  the  paraphrase  should  be  regarded  as  of  equal  authority  with 
the   original."    The   use   of    written   targums    was    "authoritatively 
sanctioned    before    the    end    of    the    second    century    after    Christ. 
This  is  the  origin  of  our  two  oldest  extant  Targumim — that  of 
Onkelos    (as   it   is   called)    on   the    Pentateuch;    and   that   on   the 
Prophets,  attributed  to  Jonathan  the  son  of  Uzziel.     These  names 
do  not  indeed,  accurately  represent  the  authorship  of  the  oldest 
Targumim,   which   may  more  correctly  be   regarded   as   later  and 
authoritative   recensions  of  what,  in  some   form,  had  existed  be- 
fore.    But  although  these  works  had  their  origin  in  Palestine,  it 
is  noteworthy  that  in  the   form  in   which  at  present   we   possess 
them,  they  are  the  outcome  of  the   schools  of   Babylon."      (Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  vol.  i,  pp.  10,  n.) 

5.  Capernaum. — "The  name  Capernaum  signifies,  according 
to  some  authorities,  'the  Village  of  Nahum,'  according  to  others, 
'the  Village  of   Consolation.'    As  we  follow  the  history  of  Jesus 


NOTES.  187 

we  shall  discover  that  many  of  His  mighty  works  were  wrought, 
and  many  of  His  most  impressive  words  were  spoken  in  Caper- 
naum. The  infidelity  of  the  inhabitants,  after  all  the  discourses 
and  wonderful  works  which  He  had  done  among  them,  brought 
out  the  saying  of  Jesus,  'And  thou,  Capernaum,  which  art  exalted 
unto  heaven,  shalt  be  cast  down  to  hell.'  (Matt.  11:23.)  So 
thoroughly  has  this  prediction  been  fulfilled  that  no  trace  of  the 
city  remains,  and  the  very  site  which  it  occupied  is  now  a  matter 
of  conjecture,  there  being  even  no  ecclesiastical  tradition  of  the 
locality.  At  the  present  day  two  spots  have  claims  which  are 
urged,  each  with  such  arguments  of  probability  as  to  make  the 

whole  question   the  most   difficult  in   sacred  topography 

.  .  We  shall  probably  never  be  able  to  know  the  exact  fact. 
Jesus  damned  it  to  oblivion,  and  there  it  lies.  We  shall  content 
ourselves  with  the  New  Testament  notices  as  bearing  on  the 
work  of  Jesus. 

"We  learn  that  it  was  somewhere  on  the  borders  of  Zabulun 
and  Nephtali,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  (com- 
pare Matt.  4:13,  with  John  6:24).  It  was  near  or  in  'the  land  of 
Gennesaret'  (compare  Matt.  14:34,  with  John  6:17,  21,  24),  a  plain 
about  three  miles  long  and  one  mile  wide,  which  we  learn  from 
Josephus  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  crowded  districts 
of  Palestine.  It  was  probably  on  the  great  road  leading  from 
Damascus  to  the  south,  'by  the  way  of  the  sea.'  (Matt.  4:15.) 
There  was  great  wisdom  in  selecting  this  as  a  place  to  open  a 
great  public  ministry.  It  was  full  of  a  busy  population.  The 
exceeding  richness  of  the  wonderful  plain  of  Gennesaret  sup- 
ported the  mass  of  inhabitants  it  attracted.  Josephus  (B.  J.,  iii, 
10 :8)  gives  a  glowing  description  of  this  land." — Deems  Light  of 
the  Nations,  pp.  167,  168. 


188  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 


CHAPTER  14. 

CONTINUATION  OF  OUR  LORD'S  MINISTRY  IN 
GALILEE. 

A  LEPER  MADE  CLEAN. 

Early  in  the  morning  following  that  eventful  Sabbath  in 
Capernaum,  our  Lord  arose  "a  great  while  before  day"  and 
went  in  quest  of  seclusion  beyond  the  town.  In  a  solitary 
place  He  gave  Himself  to  prayer,  thus  demonstrating  the  fact 
that,  Messiah  though  He  was,  He  was  profoundly  conscious 
of  His  dependence  upon  the  Father,  whose  work  He  had 
come  to  do.  Simon  Peter  and  other  disciples  found  the  place 
of  His  retirement,  and  told  Him  of  the  eager  crowds  who 
sought  Him.  Soon  the  people  gathered  about  Him,  and 
urged  that  He  remain  with  them ;  but  "he  said  unto  them,  I 
must  preach  the  k'ingdom  of  God  to  other  cities  also:  for 
therefore  am  I  sent."0  And  to  the  disciples  He  said:  "Let 
us  go  into  the  next  towns,  that  I  may  preach  there  also :  f or 
therefore  came  I  forth. "&  Thence  He  departed,  accompanied 
by  the  few  whom  He  had  already  closely  associated  with 
Himself,  and  ministered  in  many  towns  of  Galilee,  preaching 
in  the  synagogs,  healing  the  sick,  and  casting  out  devils. 

Among  the  afflicted  seeking  the  aid  that  He  alone  could 
give  came  a  leper,0  who  knelt  before  Him,  or  bowed  with  his 
face  to  the  ground,  and  humbly  professed  his  faith,  saying : 
"If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean."  The  petition  im- 
plied in  the  words  of  this  poor  creature  was  pathetic;  the 
confidence  he  expressed  is  inspiring.  The  question  in  his 
mind  was  not — Can  Jesus  heal  me  ?  but — Will  He  heal  me  ? 

a  Luke  4:42-44. 

fcMark  1:38. 

cMark  1:40-45;  Matt.  8:2-4;  Luke  5:12-15. 


THE    HEALING    OF    A    LEPER.  •  189 

In  compassionate  mercy  Jesus  laid  His  hand  upon  the  suf- 
ferer, unclean  though  he  was,  both  ceremonially  and  physic- 
ally, for  leprosy  is  a  loathsome  affliction,  and  we  know  that 
this  man  was  far  advanced  in  the  disease  since  we  are  told 
that  he  was  "full  of  leprosy."  Then  the  Lord  .said :  "I  will : 
be  thou  clean."  The  leper  was  immediately  healed.  Jesus 
instructed  him  to  show  himself  to  the  priest,  and  make  the 
offerings  prescribed  in  the  law  of  Moses  for  such  cases  as 
his.rf 

In  this  instruction  we  see  that  Christ  had  not  come  to 
destroy  the  law,  but,  as  He  affirmed  at  another  time,  to  fulfil 
it  \e  and  at  this  stage  of  His  work  the  fulfilment  was  incom- 
plete. Moreover,  had  the  legal  requirements  been  disre- 
garded in  as  serious  a  matter  as  that  of  restoring  an  outcast 
leper  to  the  society  of  the  community  from  which  he  had 
been  debarred,  priestly  opposition,  already  waxing  strong 
and  threatening  against  Jesus,  would  have  been  augmented, 
and  further  hindrance  to  the  Lord's  work  might  have  re- 
sulted. There  was  to  be  no  delay  in  the  man's  compliance 
with  the  Master's  instruction;  Jesus  "straitly  charged  him, 
and  forthwith  sent  him  away."  Furthermore  He  explicitly 
directed  the  man  to  tell  nobody  of  the  manner  of  his  healing. 
There  was  perhaps  good  reason  for  this  injunction  of  silence, 
aside  from  the  very  general  course  of  our  L,ord  in  discoun- 
tenancing undesirable  notoriety  ;  for,  had  word  of  the  miracle 
preceded  the  man's  appearing  before  the  priest,  obstacles 
might  have  been  thrown  in  the  way  of  his  L,evitical  recogni- 
tion as  one  who  was  clean.  The  man,  however,  could  not 
keep  the  good  word  to  himself,  but  went  about  "and  began 
to  publish  it  much,  and  to  blaze  abroad  the  matter,  insomuch 
that  Jesus  could  no  more  openly  enter  into  the  city,  but  was 
without  in  desert  places :  and  they  came  to  him  from  every 
quarter."^ 


d  Lev.  14:2-10.    Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 
eMatt.  5:17. 
/Mark  1:45. 


190  •  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

A  PALSIED  MAN   HEADED  AND  FORGIVEN. 

.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  no  one  of  the  evangelists 
attempts  to  give  a  detailed  history  of  all  the  doings  of  Jesus, 
nor  do  all  follow  the  same  order  in  relating  the  incidents  with 
which  they  associate  the  great  lessons  of  the  Master's  teach- 
ings. There  is  much  uncertainty  as  to  the  actual  sequence  of 
events. 

"Some  days"  after  the  healing  of  the  leper,  Jesus  was 
again  in  Capernaum.  The  details  of  His  employment  dur- 
ing the  interval  are  not  specified ;  but,  we  may  be  sure  that 
His  work  continued,  for  His  characteristic  occupation  was 
that  of  going  about  doing  good.*7  His  place  of  abode  in  Ca- 
pernaum was  well  known,  and  word  was  soon  noised  about 
that  He  was  in  the  house.71  A  great  throng  gathered,  so  that 
there  was  no  room  to  receive  them ;  even  the  doorway  was 
crowded,  and  later  comers  could  not  get  near  the  Master. 
To  all  who  were  within  hearing  Jesus  preached  the  gospel. 
A  little  party  of  four  approached  the  house  bearing  a  litter 
or  pallet  on  which  lay  a  man  afflicted  with  palsy,  a  species 
of  paralysis  which  deprived  the  subject  of  the  power  of  vol- 
untary motion  and  usually  of  speech ;  the  man  was  helpless. 
His  friends,  disappointed  at  finding  themselves  unable  to 
reach  Jesus  because  of  the  press,  resorted  to  an  unusual  ex- 
pedient, which  exhibited  in  an  unmistakable  way  their  faith 
in  the  I<ord  as  One  who  could  rebuke  and  stay  disease,  and 
their  determination  to  seek  the  desired  blessing  at  His  hands. 
By  some  means  they  carried  the  afflicted  man  to  the  flat 
roof  of  the  house,  probably  by  an  outside  stairway  or  by  the 
use  of  a  ladder,  possibly  by  entering  an  adjoining  house, 
ascending  the  stairs  to  its  roof  and  crossing  therefrom  to  the 
house  within  which  Jesus  was  teaching.  They  broke  away 
part  of  the  roof,  making  an  opening,  or  enlarging  that  of  the 


g  Acts  10:38. 

h  Mark   2:1-12;    compare   Matt.   9:2-8;    Luke   5:17-24. 


191 

trapdoor  such  as  the  houses  of  that  place  and  time  were 
usually  provided  with;  and  to  the  surprize  of  the  assembled 
crowd,  they  then  let  down  through  the  tiling  the  portable 
couch  upon  which  the  palsied  sufferer  lay.  Jesus  was  deeply 
impressed  by  the  faith  and  works1'  of  those  who  had  thus 
labored  to  place  a  helpless  paralytic  before  Him ;  doubtless, 
too,  He  knew  of  the  trusting  faith  in  the  heart  of  the  suf- 
ferer ;  and,  looking  compassionately  upon  the  man,  He  said : 
"Son,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee." 

Among  the  people  there  assembled  were  scribes,  Phari- 
sees, and  doctors  of  the  law,  not  only  representatives  of  the 
local  synagog  but  some  who  had  come  from  distant  towns  in 
Galilee,  and  some  from  Judea,  and  even  from  Jerusalem. 
The  official  class  had  opposed  our  Lord  and  His  works  on 
earlier  occasions,  and  their  presence  in  the  house  at  this  time 
boded  further  unfriendly  criticism  and  possible  obstruction. 
They  heard  the  words  spoken  to  the  paralytic,  and  were 
angered  thereat.  In  their  hearts  they  accused  Jesus  of  the 
awful  offense  of  blasphemy,  which  consists  essentially  in 
claiming  for  human  or  demon  power  the  prerogatives  of  God, 
or  in  dishonoring  God  by  ascribing  to  Him  attributes  short 
of  perfection.''  These  unbelieving  scholars,  who  incessantly 
wrote  and  talked  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  yet  rejected 
Him  when  He  was  there  present,  murmured  in  silence,  say- 
ing to  themselves :  "Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  only  ?" 
Jesus  knew  their  inmost  thoughts,*  and  made  reply  thereto, 
saying:  "Why  reason  ye  these  things  in  your  hearts? 
WTiether  is  it  easier  to  say  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Thy  sins 
be  forgiven  thee ;  or  to  say,  Arise,  and  take  up  thy  bed,  and 
walk  ?"  And  then  to  emphasize,  and  to  put  beyond  question 
His  possession  of  divine  authority,  He  added :  "But  that  ye 
may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  for- 


i  Compare  James  2:14-18. 
j  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

k  See   another   instance   of  our  Lord   reading  unuttered   thoughts,   Luke 
7:39-50. 


192  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

give  sins,  (he  saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,)  I  say  unto  thee, 
Arise,  and  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  thy  way  into  thine  house." 
The  man  arose,  fully  restored ;  and,  taking  up  the  mattress 
upon  which  he  had  been  brought,  walked  out  before  them. 
The  amazement  of  the  people  was  mingled  with  reverence, 
and  many  glorified  God,  of  whose  power  they  were  wit- 
nesses. 

The  incident  demands  our  further  study.  According  to 
one  of  the  accounts,  the  Lord's  first  words  to  the  afflicted 
one  were :  "Son,  be  of  good  cheer ;"  followed  directly  by  the 
comforting  and  authoritative  assurance :  "Thy  sins  be  for- 
given thee.";  The  man  was  probably  in  a  state  of  fear ;  he 
may  have  known  that  his  ailment  was  the  result  of  wicked 
indulgences ;  nevertheless,  though  he  may  have  considered 
the  possibility  of  hearing  only  condemnation  for  his  trans- 
gression, he  had  faith  to  be  brought.  In  this  man's  condi- 
tion, there  was  plainly  a  close  connection  between  his  past 
sins  and  his  present  affliction ;  and  in  this  particular  his  case 
is  not  unique,  for  we  read  that  Christ  admonished  another, 
whom  He  healed,  to  sin  no  more  lest  a  worse  thing  befall 
him.w  We  are  not  warranted,  however,  in  assuming  that 
all  bodily  ills  are  the  result  of  culpable  sin ;  and  against  such 
a  conception  stands  the  Lord's  combined  instruction  and  re- 
buke to  those  who,  in  the  case  of  a  man  born  blind,  asked 
who  had  sinned,  the  man  or  his  parents  to  bring  so  grievous 
an  affliction  upon  him,  to  which  inquiry  our  Lord  replied  that 
the  man's  blindness  was  due  neither  to  his  own  sin  nor  to  that 
of  his  parents.11 

In  many  instances,  however,  disease  is  the  direct  result  of 
individual  sin.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  measure  of 
past  offense  on  the  part  of  the  man  suffering  from  palsy, 
Christ  recognized  his  repentance  together  with  the  faith  that 
accompanied  it,  and  it  was  the  Lord's  rightful  prerogative 

/Matt.  9:2. 

mjohn  5:14.     Page  208. 

/»John  9:1-3. 


A    MUTTERED   CHARGE   OF  BLASPHEMY.  193 

to  decide  upon  the  man's  fitness  to  receive  remission  of  his 
sins  and  relief  from  his  bodily  affliction.  The  interrogative 
response  of  Jesus  to  the  unuttered  criticism  of  the  scribes, 
Pharisees,  and  doctors,  has  been  interpreted  in  many  ways. 
He  inquired  which  was  easier,  to  say,  "Thy  sins  be  forgiven 
thee,"  or  to  say,  "Arise,  and  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk." 
Is  it  not  a  rational  explanation  that,  when  spoken  authorita- 
tively by  Him,  the  two  expressions  were  of  allied  meaning? 
The  circumstance  should  have  been  a  sufficient  demonstra- 
tion to  all  who  heard,  that  He,  the  Son  of  Man,  claimed  and 
possessed  the  right  and  the  power  to  remit  both  physical 
and  spiritual  penalties,  to  heal  the  body  of  visible  disease, 
and  to  purge  the  spirit  of  the  no  less  real  malady  of  sin.  In 
the  presence  of  people  of  all  classes  Jesus  thus  openly  as- 
serted His  divinity,  and  affirmed  the  same  by  a  miraculous 
manifestation  of  power. 

The  charge  of  blasphemy,  which  the  rabbinical  critics 
formulated  in  their  minds  against  the  Christ,  was  not  to  end 
as  a  mental  conception  of  theirs,  nor  to  be  nullified  by  our 
Lord's  later  remarks.  It  was  through  perjured  testimony 
that  He  finally  received  unrighteous  condemnation  and  was 
sent  to  His  death.0  Already,  in  that  house  at  Caper- 
naum, the  shadow  of  the  cross  had  fallen  athwart  the  course 
of  His  life. 

• 

PUBLICANS   AND   SINNERS. 

From  the  house  Jesus  repaired  to  the  seaside,  whither  the 
people  followed  Him ;  there  He  taught  them  again.  At  the 
close  of  His  discourse  He  walked  farther  and  saw  a  man 
named  L,evi,  one  of  the  publicans^  or  official  collectors  of 
taxes,  sitting  at  the  custom-house  where  the  tariff  levied 
under  Roman  law  had  to  be  paid.  This  man  was  known 
also  as  Matthew,  a  name  less  distinctively  Jewish  than  is 


o  Compare  John  10:33,   and  5:18;   Matt.   26:65,   66., 
p  Note   3,    end   of    chapter. 


194  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 


He  afterward  became  one  of  the  Twelve  and  the 
author  of  the  first  of  the  evangelical  Gospels.  To  him  Jesus 
said,  "Follow  me."  Matthew  left  his  place  and  followed  the 
L,ord.  Some  time  later  the  new  disciple  provided  a  great 
feast  at  his  house,  in  honor  of  the  Master  ;  and  other  disciples 
were  present.  So  obnoxious  to  the  Jews  was  the  power  of 
Rome  to  which  they  were  subject,  that  they  regarded  with 
aversion  all  officials  in  Roman  employ.  Particularly  humil- 
iating to  them  was  the  system  of  compulsory  taxation,  by 
which  they,  the  people  of  Israel,  had  to  pay  tribute  to  an 
alien  nation,  which  in  their  estimation  was  wholly  pagan  and 
heathen. 

Naturally,  the  collectors  of  these  taxes  were  abhorred  ; 
and  they,  known  as  publicans,  probably  resented  the  dis- 
courteous treatment  by  inconsiderate  enforcement  of  the  tax 
requirements,  and,  as  affirmed  by  historians,  often  inflicted 
unlawful  extortion  upon  the  people.  If  publicans  in  general 
were  detested,  we  can  readily  understand  how  bitter  would 
be  the  contempt  in  which  the  Jews  would  hold  one  of  their 
own  nation  who  had  accepted  appointment  as  such  an  official. 
In  this  unenviable  status  was  Matthew  when  Jesus  called 
him.  The  publicans  formed  a  distinct  social  class,  for  from 
the  community  in  general  they  were  practically  ostracized. 
All  who  associated  with  them  were  made  to  share  in  the 
popular  odium,  and  "publicans  and  sinners"  became  a  com- 
mon designation  for  the  degraded  caste.  To  Matthew's 
feast  many  of  his  friends  and  some  of  his  fellow  officials 
jWere  invited,  so  that  the  gathering  was  largely  made  up  of 
these  despized  "publicans  and  sinners."  And  to  such  an 
assemblage  went  Jesus  with  His  disciples. 

The  scribes  and  Pharisees  could  not  let  pass  such  an  op- 
portunity for  faultfinding  and  caustic  criticism.  They  hesi- 
tated to  address  themselves  directly  to  Jesus,  but  of  the  dis- 
ciples they  asked  in  disdain:  "Why  eateth  your  Master 

«  Matt.  9:9-13;  Mark  2:13-17;  Luke  5:27-32. 


PUBLICANS    AND    SINNERS.  195 

with  publicans  and  sinners?"  The  Master  heard,  and  re- 
plied with  edifying  incisiveness  mingled  with  splendid  irony. 
Citing  one  of  the  common  aphorisms  of  the  day,  He  said: 
"They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  they  that  are 
sick."  To  this  He  added:  "I  aril  not  come  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance."  The  hypercritical 
Pharisees  were  left  to  make  their  own  application  of  the 
rejoinder,  which  some  may  have  understood  to  mean  that 
their  self-righteousness  was  arraigned  and  their  claims  to 
superiority  derided.  Aside  from  the  veiled  sarcasm  in  the 
Master's  words,  they  ought  to  have  perceived  the  wisdom 
enshrined  in  His  answer  and  to  have  profited  thereby.  Is 
not  the  physician's  place  among  the  afflicted  ones?  Would 
he  be  justified  in  keeping  aloof  from  the  sick  and  the  suffer- 
ing? His  profession  is  that  of  combating  disease,  prevent- 
ing when  possible,  curing  when  necessary,  to  the  full  extent 
of  his  ability.  If  the  festive  assembly  at  Matthew's  house 
really  did  comprize  a  number  of  sinners,  was  not  the  occa- 
sion one  of  rare  opportunity  for  the  ministrations  of  the 
Physician  of  Souls?  The  righteous  need  no  call  to  repent- 
ance ;  but  are  the  sinners  to  be  left  in  sin,  because  those  who 
profess  to  be  spiritual  teachers  will  not  condescend  to  ex- 
tend a  helping  hand? 

THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW. 

Shortly  after  the  entertainment  provided  by  Matthew,  the 
Pharisees  were  ready  with  another  criticism,  and  in  this  they 
were  associated  with  some  of  the  Baptist's  adherents.  John 
was  in  prison;  but  many  of  those  who  had  been  drawn  to 
his  baptism,  and  had  professed  discipleship  to  him,  still  clung 
to  his  teachings,  and  failed  to  see  that  the  Greater  One  of 
whom  he  had  testified  was  then  ministering  amongst  them. 
The  Baptist  had  been  a  scrupulous  observer  of  the  law ;  his 
strict  asceticism  vied  with  the  rigor  of  Pharisaic  profession. 


196  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

His  non-progressive  disciples,  now  left  without  a  leader, 
naturally  fell  in  with  the  Pharisees.  Some  of  John's  disci- 
ples came  to  Jesus,  and  questioned  Him  concerning  His 
seeming  indifference  in  the  matter  of  fasting.  They  pro- 
pounded a  plain  question:  "Why  do  the  disciples  of  John 
and  of  the  Pharisees  fast,  but  thy  disciples  fast  not  ?"r  To 
the  friends  of  the  now  imprisoned  Baptist  our  Lord's  reply 
must  have  brought  memories  of  their  beloved  leader's  words, 
when  he  had  compared  himself  to  the  Bridegroom's  friend, 
and  had  plainly  told  them  who  was  the  real  Bridegroom/ 
"Jesus  said  unto  them,  Can  the  children  of  the  bridechamber 
fast,  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them  ?  as  long  as  they  have 
the  bridegroom  with  them,  they  cannot  fast.  But  the  days 
will  come,  when  the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  away  from 
them,  and  then  shall  they  fast  in  those  days."* 

If  the  questioners  were  able  to  comprehend  the  true  im- 
port of  this  reply,  they  could  not  fail  to  find  therein  an  im- 
plied abrogation  of  purely  ceremonial  observances  comprized 
in  the  code  of  rabbinical  rules  and  the  numerous  traditions 
associated  with  the  law.  But  to  make  the  subject  clearer 
to  their  biased  minds,  Jesus  gave  them  illustrations,  which 
may  be  classed  as  parabolic.  "No  man  also,"  said  He,  "sew- 
eth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  on  an  old  garment :  else  the  new 
piece  that  filled  it  up  taketh  away  from  the  old,  and  the  rent 
is  made  worse.  And  no  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old 
bottles;  else  the  new  wine  doth  burst  the  bottles,  and  the 
wine  is  spilled,  and  the  bottles  will  be  marred :  but  new  wine 
must  be  put  into  new  bottles."" 

In  such  wise  did  our  Lord  proclaim  the  newness  and 
completeness  of  His  gospel.  It  was  in  no  sense  a  patching 
up  of  Judaism.  He  had  not  come  to  mend  old  and  torn 
garments ;  the  cloth  He  provided  was  new,  and  to  sew  it  on 

rMark  2:18-22;  Matt.  9:14-17;  Luke  5:33-39. 
s  Page  164. 
<Mark  2:19,  20. 
wMark  2:21,  22. 


OLD  CLOTH  AND  OLD  BOTTLES.  197 

the  old  would  be  but  to  tear  afresh  the  threadbare  fabric  and 
leave  a  more  unsightly  rent  than  at  first.  Or  to  change  the 
figure,  new  wine  could  not  safely  be  entrusted  to  old  bottles. 
The  bottles  here  referred  to  were  really  bags,  made  of  the 
skins  of  animals,  and  of  course  they  deteriorated  with  age. 
Just  as  old  leather  splits  or  tears  under  even  slight  strain, 
so  the  old  bottle-skins  would  burst  from  the  pressure  of  fer- 
menting juice,  and  the  good  wine  would  be  lost.  The  gospel 
taught  by  Christ  was  a  new  revelation,  superseding  the  past, 
and  marking  the  fulfilment  of  the  law;  it  was  no  mere 
addendum,  nor  was  it  a  reenactment  of  past  requirements ; 
it  embodied  a  new  and  an  everlasting  covenant.  Attempts 
to  patch  the  Judaistic  robe  of  traditionalism  with  the  new 
fabric  of  the  covenant  could  result  in  nothing  more  sightly 
than  a  rending  of  the  fabric.  The  new  wine  of  the  gospel 
could  not  be  held  in  the  old  time-worn  containers  of  Mosaic 
libations.  Judaism  would  be  belittled  and  Christianity  per- 
verted by  any  such  incongruous  association.^ 

tflSHERS   OF    MEN. 

It  is  improbable  that  the  disciples  who  followed  Jesus  in 
the  early  months  of  His  ministry  had  remained  with  Him 
continuously  down  to  the  time  now  under  consideration.  We 
find  that  some  of  those  who  were  later  called  to  the  apostle- 
ship  were  following  their  vocation  as  fishermen  even  while 
Jesus  was  actively  engaged  as  a  Teacher  in  their  own  neigh- 
borhood. One  day,  as  the  Lord  stood  by  the  lake  or  sea  of 
Galilee,  the  people  pressed  about  Him  in  great  numbers, 
eager  to  hear  more  of  the  wondrous  words  He  was  wont  to 
speak.1*'  Near  the  place  were  two  fishing  boats  drawn  in 
upon  the  beach;  the  owners  were  close  by,  washing  and 
mending  their  nets.  One  of  the  boats  belonged  to  Simon 
Peter,  who  had  already  become  identified  with  the  Master's' 

z>See  "The  Great  Apostasy"  7:5. 

a;  Luke  5::M1;   compare  Matt.   4:18-22;   Mark  1:16-20. 


198  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

work;  this  boat  Jesus  entered,  and  then  asked  Simon  to 
thrust  out  a  little  from  the  land.  Seating  Himself,  as 
teachers  of  that  time  usually  did  in  delivering  discourses,  the 
Lord  preached  from  this  floating  pulpit  to  the  multitude  on 
shore.  The  subject  of  the  address  is  not  given  us. 

When  the  sermon  was  ended,  Jesus  directed  Simon  to 
launch  out  into  deep  water  and  then  let  down  the  nets  for  a 
draught.  Presumably  Andrew  was  with  his  brother  and 
possibly  other  assistants  were  in  the  boat.  Simon  replied  to 
Jesus :  "Master,  we  have  toiled  all  night,  and  have  taken 
nothing :  nevertheless  at  thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  net." 
It  was  soon  filled  with  fishes ;  so  great  was  the  haul  that  the 
net  began  to  break,  and  the  busy  fishermen  signalled  to  those 
in  the  other  boat  to  come  to  their  assistance.  The  catch 
filled  both  boats  so  that  they  appeared  to  be  in  danger  of 
sinking.  Simon  Peter  was  overcome  with  this  new  evi- 
dence of  the  Master's  power,  and,  falling  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
he  exclaimed :  "Depart  from  me ;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O 
Lord."  Jesus  answered  graciously  and  with  promise :  "Fear 
not;  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men."-r  The  occu- 
pants of  the  second  boat  were  Zebedee  and  his  two  sons 
James  and  John,  the  last  named  being  he  who  with  Andrew 
had  left  the  Baptist  to  follow  Jesus  at  the  Jordan.^  Zebedee 
and  his  sons  were  partners  with  Simon  in  the  fishing  busi- 
ness. When  the  two  boats  were  brought  to  land*,  the  brothers 
Simon  and  Andrew,  and  Zebedee's  two  sons  James  and  John, 
left  their  boats  and  accompanied  Jesus. 

The  foregoing  treatment  is  based  on  Luke's  record ;  the 
briefer  and  less  circumstantial  accounts  given  by  Matthew 
and  Mark  omit  the  incident  of  the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes,  and  emphasize  the  calling  of  the  fishermen.  To  Simon 
and  Andrew  Jesus  said:  "Come  ve  after  me,  and  I  will 
make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men."  The  contrast  thus 


x  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 
y  Page  140. 


NOTES.  199 

presented  between  their  former  vocation  and  their  new  call- 
ing is  strikingly  forceful.  Theretofore  they  had  caught  fish, 
'and  the  fate  of  the  fish  was  death;  thereafter  they  were  to 
draw  men — to  a  life  eternal.  To  James  and  John  the  call 
was  no  less  definite ;  and  they  too  left  their  all  to  follow  the 
Master. 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  14. 

x.  Leprosy. — In  Biblical  usage  this  name  is  applied  to  sev- 
eral diseases,  all,  however  having  some  symptoms  in  common, 
at  least  in  the  earlier  stages  of  the  malady.  The  real  leprosy  is 
a  scourge  and  a  plague  in  many  oriental  lands  to-day.  Zenos,  in 
Standard  Bible  Diet.,  says :  'True  leprosy,  as  known  in  modern 
times,  is  an  affection  characterized  by  the  appearance  of  nodules 
in  the  eye-brows,  the  cheeks,  the  nose,  and  the  lobes  of  the  ears, 
also  in  the  hands  and  feet,  where  the  disease  eats  into  the  joints, 
causing  the  falling  off  of  fingers  and  toes.  If  nodules  do  not 
appear,  their  place  is  taken  by  spots  of  blanched  or  discolored 
skin  (Mascular  leprosy).  Both  forms  are  based  upon  a  func- 
tional degeneration  of  the  nerves  of  the  skin.  Its  cause  was  dis- 
covered by  Hansen  in  1871  to  be  a  specific  bacillus.  Defective 
diet,  however,  seems  to  serve  as  a  favorable  condition  for  the 
culture  of  the  bacillus.  Leprosy  was  one  of  the  few  abnormal 
conditions  of  the  body  which  the  Levitical  law  declared  unclean. 
Elaborate  provision  was  therefore  made  for  testing  its  existence 
and  for  the  purification  of  those  who  were  cured  of  it." 

Deems,  Light  of  the  Nations,  p.  185,  summing  up  the  condi- 
tions incident  to  the  advanced  stages  of  the  dread  disease,  writes : 
"The  symptoms  and  the  effects  of  this  disease  are  very  loath- 
some. There  comes  a  white  swelling  or  scab,  with  a  change  of 
the  color  of  the  hair  on  the  part  from  its  natural  hue  to  yellow  ; 
then  the  appearance  of  a  taint  going  deeper  than  the  skin,  or  raw 
flesh  appearing  in  the  swelling.  Then  it  spreads  and  attacks  the 
cartilaginous  portions  of  the  body.  The  nails  loosen  and  drop 
offv  the  gums  are  absorbed,  and  the  teeth  decay  and  fall  out ;  the 
breath  is  a  stench,  the  nose  decays ;  fingers,  hands,  feet,  may  be 
lost,  or  the  eyes  eaten  out.  The  human  beauty  has  gone  into 
corruption,  and  the  patient  feels  that  he  is  being  eaten  as  by  a 
fiend,  who  consumes  him  slowly  in  a  long  remorseless  meal  that 
will  not  end  until  he  be  destroyed.  He  is  shut  out  from  his  fel- 
lows. As  they  approach  he  must  cry,  'Unclean !  unclean !'  that 
all  humanity  may  be  warned  from  his  precincts.  He  must  aban- 
don wife  and  child.  He  must  go  to  live  with  other  lepers,  in 
disheartening  view  of  miseries  similar  to  his  own.  He  must  dwell 
in  dismantled  houses  or  in  the  tombs.  He  is,  as  Trench  says,  a 
dreadful  parable  of  death.  By  the  laws  of  Moses  (Lev.  13:45; 
Numb.  6:9;  Ezek.  24:17)  he  was  compelled,  as  if  he  were  mourn- 


200  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

ing  for  his  own  decease,  to  bear  about  him  the  emblems  of  death, 
the  rent  garments ;  he  was  to  keep  his  head  bare  and  his  lip  cov- 
ered, as  was  the  custom  with  those  who  were  in  communion  with 
the  dead.  When  the  Crusaders  brought  the  leprosy  from  the 
East,  it  was  usual  to  clothe  the  leper  in  a  shroud,  and  to  say  for 
him  the  masses  for  the  dead In  all  ages  this  in- 
describably horrible  malady  has  been  considered  incurable.  The 
Jews  believed  that  it  was  inflicted  by  Jehovah  directly,  as  a  punr 
ishment  for  some  extraordinary  perversity  or  some  transcendent 
act  of  sinfulness,  and  that  only  God  could  heal  it.  When  Naaman 
was  cured,  and  his  flesh  came  back  like  that  of  a  little  child,  he 
said,  'Now  I  know  that  there  is  no  God  in  all  the  earth  but  in 
Israel.'  (2  Kings  5:14,  15.)" 

The  fact  that  leprosy  is  not  ordinarily  communicable  by  mere 
outward  contact  is  accentuated  by  Trench,  Notes  on  the  Miracles, 
pp.  165-168,  and  the  isolation  of  lepers  required  by  the  Mosaic 
law  is  regarded  by  him  as  an  intended  object  lesson  and  figure  to 
illustrate  spiritual  uncleanness.  He  says :  "I  refer  to  the  mis- 
taken assumption  that  leprosy  was  catching  from  one  person  to 
another;  and  that  the  lepers  were  so  carefully  secluded  from  their 
fellowmen  lest  they  might  communicate  the  disease  to  others,  as 
in  like  manner  that  the  torn  garment,  the  covered  lip,  the  cry, 
'Unclean,  unclean'  (Lev.  13:45)  were  warnings  to  all  that  they 
should  keep  aloof,  lest  unawares  touching  a  leper,  or  drawing 
unto  too  great  a  nearness,  they  should  become  partakers  of  this 
disease.  So  far  from  any  danger  of  the  kind  existing,  nearly  all 
who  have  looked  closest  into  the  matter  agree  that  the  sickness 
was  incommunicable  by  ordinary  contact  from  one  person  to  an- 
other. A  leper  might  transmit  it  to  his  children,  or  the  mother 
of  a  leper's  children  might  take  it  from  him ;  but  it  was  by  no 
ordinary  contact  communicable  from  one  person  to  another.  All 
the  notices  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  well  as  in  other  Jewish 
books,  confirm  the  statement  that  we  have  here  something  very 
much  higher  than  a  mere  sanitary  regulation.  Thus,  when  the 
law  of  Moses  was  not  observed,  no  such  exclusion  necessarily 
found  place ;  Naaman  the  leper  commanded  the  armies  of  Syria 
(2  Kings  5:1);  Gehazi,  with  his  leprosy  that  never  should  be 
cleansed,  (2  Kings  5  '.27)  talked  familiarly  with  the  king  of  apos- 
tate Israel  (2  Kings  8:5) How,  moreover,  should  the 

Levitical  priests,  had  the  disease  been  this  creeping  infection, 
have  ever  themselves  escaped  it,  obliged  as  they  were  by  their 
very  office  to  submit  the  leper  to  actual  handling  and  closest 
examination?  ....  Leprosy  was  nothing  short  of  a  living 
death,  a  corrupting  of  all  the  humors,  a  poisoning  of  the  very 
springs,  of  life;  a  dissolution,  little  by  little,  of  the  whole  body, 
so  that  one  limb  after  another  actually  decayed  and  fell  away. 
Aaron  exactly  describes  the  appearance  which  the  leper  presented 
to  the  eyes  of  the  beholders,  when,  pleading  for  Miriam,  he  says, 
'Let  her  not  be  as  one  dead,  of  whom  the  flesh  is  half  consumed 
when  he  cometh  out  of  his  mother's  womb.'  (Numb.  12:12.) 
The  disease,  moreover,  was  incurable  by  the  art  and  skill  of  man; 
not  that  the  leper  might  not  return  to  health;  for,  however  rare, 


NOTES.  201 

such  cases  are  contemplated  in  the  Levitical  law The 

leper,    thus    fearfully    bearing    about    the    body    the    outward    and 
visible   tokens    of    sin   in   the   soul,   was    treated   throughout   as    a 
sinner,  as  one  in  whom  sin  had  reached  its  climax,  as  one  dead 
in   trespasses   and   sins.     He  was   himself   a   dreadful  parable  of 
death.     He  bore  about  him  the  emblems  of  death   (Lev.   13:45); 
the  rent  garments,  mourning  for  himself  as  one  dead;  the  head 
bare   as   they   were   wont   to   have   it   who   were    defiled  by   com- 
munion with  the  dead  (Numb.  6:9;  Ezek.  24:27)  ;  and  the  lip  cov- 
ered  (Ezek.  24:17).    .....     But  the  leper  was  as  one  dead, 

and  as  such  was  shut  out  of  the  camp  (Lev.  13:46;  Numb.  5:2-4), 
and  the  city  (2  Kings  7:3),  this  law  being  so  strictly  enforced 
that  even  the  sister  of  Moses  might  not  be  exempted,  from  it 
(Numb.  12^:14,  15)  ;  and  kings  themselves,  as  Uzziah  (2  Chron. 
26:21;  2  Kings  15:5)  must  submit  to  it;  men  being  by  this  exclu- 
sion taught  that  what  here  took  place  in  a  figure,  should  take 
place  in  the  reality  with  every  one  who  was  found  in  the  death 
of  sin." 

For  the  elaborate  ceremonies   incident  to  the   cleansing  of   a 
recovered  leper  see  Lev.  chap.  14. 

2.  Blasphemy. — The  essence  of  the  deep  sin  of  blasphemy 
lies  not,  as  many  suppose,  in  profanity  alone,  but  as   Dr.   Kelso, 
Stand.  Bible  Diet.,  summarizes:     'Every  improper  use  of  the  di- 
vine name  (Lev.  24:11),  speech  derogatory  to  the  Majesty  of  God 
(Matt.  26:65),  arid  sins  with  a  high  hand — i.  e.  premeditated  trans- 
gressions  of   the  basal  principles   of   the  theocracy    (Numb.   9:13; 
15:30;    Exo.    31:14) — were    regarded    as    blasphemy;    the    penalty 
was  death  by  stoning   (Lev.  24:16)."     Smith's  Bible  Diet,   states: 
"Blasphemy,  in  its  technical   English  sense,  signifies  the   speaking 
evil  of  God,  and  in  this  sense  it  is  found  in  Psalm  74:18;  Isa.  52:5; 

Rom.  2:24  etc On  this   charge  both  our  Lord  and 

Stephen  were  condemned  to  death  by  the  Jews.     When  a  person 
heard  blasphemy  he  laid  his  hand  on  the  head  of  the  offender,  to 
symbolize  his   sole   responsibility   for  the  guilt,  and  rising   on  his 
feet,  tore  his  robe,  which  might  never  again  be  mended."      (See 
Matt.  26:65.) 

3.  Publican. — "A  word  originally  meaning  a  contractor  for 
public   works  or  supplies,  or  a   farmer   of   public  lands,   but  later 
applied  to  Romans  who  bought  from  the  government  the  right  to 
collect  taxes  in  a  given  territory.     These   buyers,   always   knights 
(senators   were   excluded   by   their   rank),   became  capitalists   and 
formed    powerful    stock    companies,    whose    members    received    a 
percentage    on    the    capital    invested.      Provincial    capitalists    could 
not  buy  taxes,  which  were  sold  in  Rome  to  the  highest  bidders, 
who  to   recoup  themselves   sublet  their  territory    (at  a  great  ad- 
vance  on   the   price  paid  the   government)    to   the   native    (local) 
publicans,  who  in  their  turn  had  to  make  a  profit  on  their  pur- 
chase money,  and  being  assessors  of  property  as  well  as  collectors 
of   taxes,  had   abundant   opportunities    for   oppressing  the   people, 
who  hated  them  both   for  that   reason   and  also  because  the  tax 
itself  was  the  mark  of  their  subjection  to  foreigners." — J.  R.  Ster- 
rett  in  Stand.  Bible  Diet. 


202  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    14. 

4.  Fishers  of  Men. — "Follow  me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers 
of  men,"  said  Jesus  to  fishermen  who  afterward  became  His 
apostles  (Matt.  4:19).  Mark's  version  is  nearly  the  same  (1:17), 
while  that  of  Luke  (5:10)  reads:  "From  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch 
men."  The  correct  translation  is,  as  commentators  practically 
agree,  "From  henceforth  thou  shalt  take  men  alive."  This  read- 
ing emphasizes  the  contrast  given  in  the  text — that  between  cap- 
turing fish  to  kill  them  and  winning  men  to  save  them.  Consider 
in  this  connection  the  Lord's  prediction  through  Jeremiah  (16: 
16),  that  in  reaching  scattered  Israel,  "Behold,  I  will  send  for 
many  fishers,  saith  the  Lord,  and  they  shall  fish  them;"  etc. 


ANTIQUITY    OF    SABBATH    OBSERVANCE.  203 


CHAPTER  15. 
LORD  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

THE   SABBATH    DISTINCTIVELY   SACRED   TO   ISRAEX. 

The  observance  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  holy  day  was  prom- 
inent among  the  Lord's  requirements  of  His  people,  Israel, 
from  a  very  early  period  in  their  history  as  a  nation.  In- 
deed, the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  surcease  from 
ordinary  toil  was  a  national  characteristic,  by  which  the 
Israelites  were  distinguished  from  pagan  peoples,  and  rightly 
so,  for  the  holiness  of  the  Sabbath  was  made  a  mark  of  the 
covenant  between  the  chosen  people  and  their  God.  The 
sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  had  been  prefigured  in  the  account  of 
the  creation,  antedating  the  placing  of  man  upon  the  earth, 
as  shown  by  the  fact  that  God  rested  after  six  periods  or 
days  of  creative  work,  and  blessed  the  seventh  day  and  hal- 
lowed it.a  In  the  course  of  Israel's  exodus,  the  seventh  day 
was  set  apart  as  one  o.f  rest,  upon  which  it  was  not  allowed  to 
bake,  seethe,  or  otherwise  cook  food.  A  double  supply  of 
manna  had  to  be  gathered  on  the  sixth  day,  while  on  other 
days  the  laying-by  of  a  surplus  of  this  daily  bread  sent  from 
heaven  was  expressly  forbidden.  The  Lord  observed  the 
sacredness  of  the  holy  day  by  giving  no  manna  thereon.^ 

The  commandment  to  celebrate  the  Sabbath  in  strictness 
was  made  definite  and  explicit  in  the  decalog,  written  by  the 
hand  of  God  amidst  the  awful  glory  of  Sinai ;  and  the  in- 
junction was  kept  before  the  people  through  frequent  procla- 
mation.0 It  was  unlawful  to  kindle  a  fire  on  that  day ;  and 
record  is  made  of  a  man  who  was  put  to  death  for  gathering 

a  Gen.  2:3. 
&Exo.   16:16-31. 

20:8-11;  23:12;  31:13-15;  34:21;  Lev.  19:3;  23:3;  Deut.  5:12-14. 


204  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

sticks  on  the  seventh  day.d  Under  the  administration  of 
later  prophets,  the  holiness  of  the  Sabbath,  the  blessings 
promised  to  those  who  sanctified  the  day  unto  themselves, 
and  the  sin  of  Sabbath  desecration  were  reiterated  in  words 
of  inspired  forcefulness/  Nehemiah  admonished  and  re- 
proved in  the  matter,  and  attributed  the  affliction  of  the  na- 
tion to  the  forfeiture  of  Jehovah's  favor  through  Sabbath 
violation/  By  the  mouth  of  Ezekiel  the  Lord  affirmed  that 
the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  was  a  sign  of  the  covenant 
between  Himself  and  the  people  of  Israel ;  and  with  stern 
severity  He  upbraided  those  who  heeded  not  the  day.*7  To 
the  separate  branch  of  the  Israelitish  nation  that  had  been 
colonized  on  the  western  hemisphere,  regard  for  the  sanctity 
of  the  Sabbath  was  no  less  an  imperative  requirement/1 

The  observance  demanded,  however,  was  the  very  oppo- 
site of  affliction  and  burden ;  the  Sabbath  was  consecrated  to 
rest  and  righteous  enjoyment,  and  was  to  be  a  day  of  spir- 
itual feasting  before  the  Lord.  It  was  not  established  as  a 
day  of  abstinence ;  all  might  eat,  but  both  mistress  and  maid 
were  to  be  relieved  from  the  work  of  preparing  food ;  neither 
master  nor  man  was  to  plow,  dig  or  otherwise  toil ;  and  the 
weekly  day  of  rest  was  as  much  the  boon  of  the  cattle  as  of 
their  owners. 

In  addition  to  the  weekly  Sabbath,  the  Lord  in  mercy 
prescribed  also  a  sabbatic  year ;  in  every  seventh  year  the 
land  was  to  rest,  and  thereby  its  fertility  was  enhanced.* 
After  seven  times  seven  years  had  passed,  the  fiftieth  was 
to  be  celebrated  throughout  as  a  year  of  jubilee,  during 
which  the  people  should  live  on  the  accumulated  increase  of 
the  preceding  seasons  of  plenty,  and  rejoice  in  liberality  by 


dExo.  35:3;  Numb.  15:32-36. 

<?Isa.  56:2;  58:13;  Jer.   17:21-24. 

/Neh.  8:9-12;  13:15-22. 

0Ezek.   20:12-24. 

hE.  of  M.,  Jarom  1:5;  Mosiah  13:16-19;  18:23. 

t'Lev.  25:1-8;  compare  26:34,  35. 


RABBINICAL   RULES    CONCERNING   THE   SABBATH.        205 

granting  to  one  another  redemption  from  mortgage  and 
bond,  forgiveness  of  debt,  and  general  relief  from  burdens — 
all  of  which  had  to  be  done  in  mercy  and  justice.''  The  Sab- 
baths established  by  the  Lord,  whether  of  days,  of  years,  or 
of  weeks  of  years,  were  to  be  times  of  refreshing,  relief, 
blessing,  bounty,  and  worship. 

To  the  many  who  profess  to  regard  the  necessity  of  toil 
as  a  part  of  the  curse  evoked  through  Adam's  fall,  the  Sab- 
bath should  appeal  as  a  day  of  temporary  reprieve,  a  time  of 
exemption  from  labor,  and  as  affording  blessed  opportunity 
of  closer  approach  to  the  Presence  from  which  mankind  has 
been  shut  out  through  sin.  And  to  those  who  take  the 
higher  view  of  life,  and  find  in  work  both  happiness  and 
material  blessing,  the  periodical  relief  brings  refreshment 
and  gives  renewed  zest  for  the  days  that  follow. 

But  long  before  the  advent  of  Christ,  the  original  purpose 
of  the  Sabbath  had  come  to  be  largely  ignored  in  Israel ; 
and  the  spirit  of  its  observance  had  been  smothered  under 
the  weight  of  rabbinical  injunction  and  the  formalism  of  re- 
straint. In  the  time  of  the  Lord's  ministry,  the  technicalities 
prescribed  as  rules  appended  to  the  law  were  almost  innum- 
erable ;  and  the  burden  thus  forced  upon  the  people  had  be- 
come well  nigh  unbearable.  Among  the  many  wholesome 
requirements  of  the  Mosaic  law,  which  the  teachers  and 
spiritual  rulers  of  the  Jews  had  made  thus  burdensome,  that 
of  Sabbath  observance  was  especially  prominent.  The, 
"hedge,"  which  by  unwarranted  assumption  they  professedly 
set  about  the  law,&  was  particularly  thorny  in  the  sections 
devoted  to  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  Even  trifling  infractions  of 
traditional  rules  were  severely  punished,  and  the  capital 
penalty  was  held  before  the  eyes  of  the  people  as  a  supreme 
threat  for  extreme  desecration.' 


/Lev.    25:10-55. 

k  Page   64. 

/  Note.  1,  end  of  chapter. 


206  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 


THE.    HSAUNG   OF   A   CRIPPLE   ON    THE   SABBATH. 

In  view  of  these  conditions,  we  are  not  surprized  to  find 
our  L,ord  confronted  with  charges  of  Sabbath  violation  rela- 
tively early  in  the  course  of  His  public  work.  An  instance 
attended  with  many  great  developments  is  recorded  by 
John,™  whose  narrative  covers  the  incident  of  a  very  impres- 
sive miracle.  Jesus  was  again  in  Jerusalem,  at  the  time  of 
one  of  the  Jewish  festivals."  There  was  a  pool  of  water, 
called  Bethesda,  near  the  sheep  market  in  the  city.  From  the 
recorded  description,  we  may  understand  this  to  have  been 
a  natural  spring;  possibly  the  water  was  rich  in  dissolved 
solids  or  gases,  or  both,  making  it  such  as  we  would  call 
today  a  mineral  spring ;  for  we  find  that  the  water  was  re- 
puted to  possess  curative  virtues,  and  many  afHicted  folk 
came  to  bathe  therein.  The  spring  was  of  the  pulsating 
variety ;  at  intervals  its  waters  rose  with  bubbling  dis- 
turbance, and  then  receded  to  the  normal  level.  Mineral 
springs  of  this  kind  are  known  today  in  many  parts  of  the 
world.  Some  believed  that  the  periodical  upwelling  of  the 
Bethesda  waters  was  the  result  of  supernatural  agency ;  and 
it  was  said  that  "whosoever  then  first  after  the  troubling  of 
the  water  stepped  in  was  made  whole  of  whatsoever  disease 
he  had."  The  Bethesda  pool  was  wholly  or  partly  enclosed  ; 
and  five  porches  had  been  built  for  the  shelter  of  those  who 
waited  at  the  spring  for  the  intermittent  bubbling  up  of  the 
water. 

On  a  certain  Sabbath  day,  Jesus  visited  the  pool  and  saw 
many  afHicted  folk  thus  waiting.  Among  them  lay  a  man 
who  for  thirty-eight  years  had  been  grievously  afHicted. 
From  the  man's  statement  of  his  helplessness  we  may  infer 
that  his  malady  was  paralysis,  or  possibly  an  extreme  form 
of  rheumatism;  whatever  his  affliction,  it  was  so  disabling 

m  John,  chapter  5. 

n  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


A    SABBATH    HEALING    AT    BETHESDA    POOL.  207 

as  to  give  him  little  chance  of  getting  into  the  pool  at  the 
critical  time,  for  others  less  crippled  crowded  him  away; 
and,  according  to  the  legends  regarding  the  curative  proper- 
ties of  the  spring,  only  the  first  to  enter  the  pool  after  the 
agitation  of  the  water  might  expect  to  be  healed. 

Jesus  recognized  in  the  man  a  fit  subject  for  blessing, 
and  said  to  him :  "Wilt  thou  be  made  whole  ?"  The  ques- 
tion was  so  simple  as  almost  to  appear  superfluous.  Of 
course  the  man  wanted  to  be  made  well,  and  on  the  small 
chance  of  being  able  to  reach  the  water  at  the  right  moment 
was  patiently  yet  eagerly  waiting.  There  was  purpose,  how- 
ever, in  these  as  in  all  other  words  of  the  Master.  The 
man's  attention  was  drawn  to  Him,  fixed  upon  Him ;  the 
question  aroused  in  the  sufferer's  heart  renewed  yearning  for 
the  health  and  strength  of  which  he  had  been  bereft  since 
the  days  of  his  youth.  His  answer  was  pitiful,  and  revealed 
his  almost  hopeless  state  of  mind ;  he  thought  only  of  the 
rumored  virtues  of  Bethesda  pool,  as  he  said :  "Sir,  I  have 
no  man,  when  the  water  is  troubled,  to  put  me  into  the  pool : 
but  while  I  am  coming,  another  steppeth  down  before  me." 
Then  spake  Jesus :  "Rise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk."  Im- 
mediately strength  returned  to  the  man,  who  for  nearly  four 
decades  had  been  a  helpless  invalid ;  he  obeyed  the  Master, 
and,  taking  up  the  little  mattress  or  pallet  on  which  he  had 
rested,  walked  away. 

He  had  not  gone  far  before  the  Jews,  that  is  to  say,  some 
of  the  official  class,  for  so  the  evangelist  John  employs  the 
term,  saw  him  carrying  his  bed ;  and  it  was  the  Sabbath  day. 
To  their  peremptory  reprimand  he  replied  out  of  the  grati- 
tude and  honest  simplicity  of  his  heart,  that  He  who  had 
healed  him  had  told  him  to  take  up  his  bed  and  walk.  The 
interest  of  the  inquisitors  was  instantly  turned  from  the  man 
toward  Him  who  had  wrought  the  miracle ;  but  the  erstwhile 
cripple  could  not  name  his  Benefactor,  as  he  had  lost  sight  of 
Jesus  in  the  crowd  before  he  had  found  opportunity  for  ques- 


208  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

tion  or  thanks.  The  man  who  had  been  healed  went  to  the 
temple,  possibly  impelled  by  a  desire  to  express  in  prayer 
his  gratitude  and  joy.  There  Jesus  found  him,  and  said 
unto  him :  "Behold,  thou  art  made  whole :  sin  no  more,  lest 
a  worse  thing  come  unto  thee."0  The  man  had  probably 
brought  about  his  affliction  through  his  own  sinful  habits. 
The  Lord  decided  that  he  had  suffered  enough  in  body,  and 
terminated  his  physical  suffering  with  the  subsequent  ad- 
monition to  sin  no  more. 

The  man  went  and  told  the  rulers  who  it  was  that  had 
healed  him.  This  he  may  have  done  with  a  desire  to  honor 
and  glorify  the  Giver  of  his  boon ;  we  are  not  justified  in 
ascribing  to  him  any  unworthy  purpose,  though  by  his  act 
he  was  instrumental  in  augmenting  the  persecution  of  his 
Lord.  So  intense  was  the  hatred  of  the  priestly  faction,  that 
the  rulers  sought  a  means  of  putting  Jesus  to  death,  under 
the  specious  pretense  of  His  being  a  Sabbath-breaker.  We 
may  well  ask  of  what  act  they  could  possibly  have  hoped  to 
convict  Him,  even  under  the  strictest  application  of  their 
rules.  There  was  no  proscription  against  speaking  on  the 
Sabbath ;  and  Jesus  had  but  spoken  to  heal.  He  had  not  car- 
ried the  man's  bed,  nor  had  He  attempted  even  the  lightest 
physical  labor.  By  their  own  interpretation  of  the  law  they 
had  no  case  against  Him. 

OUR  LORD'S  REPLY  TO  THE  ACCUSING  JEWS. 

Nevertheless,  the  Jewish  officials  confronted  Jesus  with 
accusations.  Whether  the  interview  took  place  within  the 
temple  walls,  on  the  open  street,  at  the  market  place,  or  in 
the  judgment  hall,  matters  not.  His  reply  to  their  charges 
is  not  confined  to  the  question  of  Sabbath  observance ;  it 
stands  as  the  most  comprehensive  sermon  in  scripture  on  the 
vital  subject  of  the  relationship  between  the  Eternal  Father 
and  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ. 


o  See   another   instance,   pages   190-192. 


JESUS    THE   LORD   OF   LIFE.  209 

His  first  sentence  added  to  the  already  intense  anger  of 
the  Jews.  Referring  to  the  work  He  had  done  on  the  holy 
day,  He  said :  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 
This  remark  they  construed  to  be  a  blasphemy  .^  "Therefore 
the  Jews  sought  the  more  to  kill  him,  because  he  not  only 
had  broken  the  Sabbath,  but  said  also  that  God  was  his 
Father,  making  himself  equal  with  God."  To  their  spoken 
or  unuttered  protest,  Jesus  replied,  that  He,  the'  Son,  was  not 
acting  independently,  and  in  fact  could  do  nothing  except 
what  was  in  accordance  with  the  Father's  will,  and  what  He 
had  seen  the  Father  do ;  that  the  Father  so  loved  the  Son  as 
to  show  unto  Him  the  Father's  works. 

Be  it  observed  that  Jesus  in  no  way  attempted  to  explain 
away  their  construction  of  His  words ;  on  the  contrary  He 
confirmed  their  deductions  as  correct.  He  did  associate 
Himself  with  the  Father,  even  in  a  closer  and  more  exalted 
relationship  than  they  had  conceived.  The  authority  given 
to  Him  by  the  Father  was  not  limited  to  the  healing  of 
bodily  infirmities;  He  had  power  even  to  raise  the  dead-  — 
"For  as  the  Father  raiseth  up  the  dead,  and  quickeneth 
them;  even  so  the  Son  quickeneth  whom  he  will."  More- 
over, the  judgment  of  men  had  been  committed  unto  Him; 
and  no  one  could  honor  the  Father  except  by  honoring  the 
Son.  Then  followed  this  incisive  declaration:  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  be- 
lieveth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall 
not  come  iiito  condemnation ;  but  is  passed  from  death  unto 
life." 

Christ's  realm  was  not  bounded  by  the  grave;  even  the 
dead  were  wholly  dependent  upon  Him  for  their  salvation ; 
and  to  the  terrified  ears  of  His  dumbfounded  accusers  He 
proclaimed  the  solemn  truth,  that  even  then  the  hour  was 
near  in  which  the  dead  should  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 


p  Pages  191  and  201.    For  further  justification  of  this  act  of  healing  on  the 
Sabbath,    see   John   7:21-24. 


210  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

God.  Ponder  His  profound  affirmation :  "Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead 
shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God :  and  they  that  hear 
shall  live."  The  murderous  rage  of  the  Jews  was  rebuffed 
by  the  declaration  that  without  His  submission  they  could 
not  take  His  life :  "For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself  ; 
so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  himself."  An- 
other utterance  was  equally  portentous:  "And  hath  given 
him  authority  to  execute  judgment  also,  because  he  is  the 
Son  of  man."  He,  the  Son  of  the  exalted  and  glorified  Man 
of  Holiness  and  now  Himself  a  mortal  Man,s  was  to  be 
the  judge  of  men. 

No  wonder  they  marveled ;  such  doctrine  they  had  never 
before  heard  or  read;  it  was  not  of  the  scribes  nor  of  the 
rabbis,  of  neither  the  Pharisaic  nor  Sadducean  schools.  But 
He  reproved  their  amazement,  saying :  "Marvel  not  at  this : 
for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth;  they  that 
have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that 
have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation.'''' 

This  enunciation  of  the  resurrection,  so  plainly  made  that 
the  most  unlettered  could  understand,  must  have  offended 
any  Sadducees  present,  for  they  emphatically  denied  the 
actuality  of  the  resurrection.  The  universality  of  a  resur- 
rection is  here  unquestionably  affirmed ;  not  only  the  right- 
eous but  even  those  who  merit  condemnation  are  to  come 
forth  from  their  graves  in  their  bodies  of  flesh  and  bones/ 

Then,  renewing  His  solemn  asseveration  of  the  unity  of 
His  Father's  will  and  His  own,  Christ  discussed  the  matter 
of  witnesses  to  His  work.  He  admitted  what  was  a  recog- 
nized tenet  of  the  time,  that  no  man's  unsupported  witness  of 
himself  was  sufficient;  but,  He  added:  "There  is  another 

q  Page  142. 

r  Compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  76:16,  17.    See  page  24  herein. 

s  Page  25. 


SEEKERS    AFTER   THE    HONORS    OF    MEN.  211 

that  beareth  witness  of  me;  and  I  know  that  the  witness 
which  he  witnesseth  of  me  is  true."  He  cites  John  the  Bap- 
tist, and  reminds  them  that  they  had  sent  a  delegation  to  him, 
and  that  John  had  answered  them  by  bearing  testimony  of 
the  Messiah;  and  John  had  been  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light,  in  whose  illuminating  ministry  many  had  temporarily 
rejoiced.  The  hostile  Jews  were  left  to  see  that  the  witness 
of  John  was  valid  under  their  strictest  construction  of  the 
rules  of  evidence ;  "But,"  He  continued,  "I  receive  not  testi- 
mony from  man: But  I  have  greater 

witness  than  that  of  John :  for  the  works  which  the  Father 
hath  given  me  to  finish,  the  same  works  that  I  do,  bear  wit- 
ness of  me,  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me.  And  the  Father 
himself,  which  hath  sent  me,  hath  borne  witness  of  me." 

Then  in  terms  of  unqualified  condemnation,  He  told  them 
they  were  devoid  of  the  Father's  word,  for  they  refused  to 
accept  Himself  whom  the  Father  had  sent.  With  humiliat- 
ing directness  He  admonished  these  learned  men  of  the  law, 
these  interpreters  of  the  prophets,  these  professional  ex- 
pounders of  sacred  writ,  to  betake  themselves  to  reading  and 
study.  "Search  the  scriptures,"  said  He,  "for  in  them  ye 
think  ye  have  eternal  life :  and  they  are  they  which  testify 
of  me."  Convictingly  He  continued — that  they  who  ad- 
mitted and  taught  that  in  the  scriptures  lay  the  way  to  eternal 
life,  refused  to  come  to  Him,  of  whom  those  same  scriptures 
testified,  though  by  coming  they  might  obtain  eternal  life. 
"I  receive  not  honour  from  men,"  He  added,  "But  I  know 
you,  that  ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you."  They  knew 
that  they  sought  for  honor  among  men,  received  honors  from 
one  another,  were  made  rabbis  and  doctors,  scribes  and 
teachers,  by  the  bestowal  of  titles  and  degrees — all  of  men ; 
but  they  rejected  Him  who  came  in  the  name  of  One  in- 
finitely greater  than  all  their  schools,  or  societies — He  had 
come  in  the  supreme  name  of  the  Father.  The  cause  of 
their  spiritual  ignorance  was  pointed  out — they  relied  upon 


212  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

the  honors  of  men,  and  sought  not  the  honor  of  real  service 
in  the  cause  of  God.  v 

He  had  spoken  of  the  authority  of  judgment  that  had 
been  committed  to  Himself ;  now  He  explained  that  they 
should  not  think  He  would  accuse  them  before  the  Father; 
a  lesser  one  than  He  would  accuse,  even  Moses,  another  of 
His  witnesses  in  whom  they  professed  such  trust — Moses 
whom  they  all  were  said  to  believe — and,  driving  home  the 
full  effect  of  His  powerful  arraignment,  the  Lord  continued : 
"For  had  ye  believed  Moses,  ye  would  have  believed  me :  for 
he  wrote  of  me.  But  if  ye  believe  not  his  writings,  how 
shall  ye  believe  my  words  ?"  Such  was  the  illuminating  in- 
struction combined  with  burning  denunciation  that  these 
men  had  called  forth  by  their  futile  attempt  to  convict  Jesus 
on  the  charge  of  Sabbath  desecration.  This  was  but  one  of 
many  evil  machinations  by  which  they  so  determinedly 
plotted,  and  strove  to  attach  the  stigma  and  invoke  the  pen- 
alty of  Sabbath-breaking  upon  the  very  One  who  had  or- 
dained the  Sabbath  and  was  in  truth  and  verity  the  one  and 
only  Lord  thereof. 

THE   DISCIPLES    CHARGED    WITH    SABBATH-BREAKING. 

We  may  profitably  consider  in  this  connection  other  in- 
stances of  good  work  done  by  our  Lord  on  Sabbath  days; 
and  this  we  may  do  without  undue  regard  to  the  order  of  the 
events  in  time.  We  again  find  Jesus  in  Galilee,  whether 
prior  to  or  after  His  visit  to  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  the 
unidentified  feast,  on  which  occasion  He  wrought  the  mira- 
cle of  healing  at  the  Bethesda  pool,  matters  not.  On  a  cer- 
tain Sabbath,  He  and  the  disciples  walked  through  a  field  of 
grain/  and,  being  hungry,  the  disciples  began  to  pluck  some 
of  the  ripening  ears ;  rubbing  out  the  kernels  between  their 
hands,  they  ate.  There  was  no  element  of  theft  in  what  they 

<Matt.    12:1-8;    compare   Mark  2:23-28;    Luke   6:1-5. 


213 

did,  for  the  Mosaic  law  provided  that  in  passing  through 
another's  vineyard  or  corn  field,  one  might  pluck  grapes  or 
corn  to  relieve  hunger ;  but  it  was  forbidden  to  use  a  sickle 
in  the  field,  or  to  carry  away  any  of  the  grapes  in  a  vessel.1' 
The  permission  extended  only  to  the  relief  of  present  need. 
When  the  disciples  of  Jesus  availed  themselves  of  this  lawful 
privilege,  there  were  Pharisees  on  the  watch,  and  these 
came  at  once  to  the  Master,  saying:  "Behold,  thy  disciples 
do  that  which  is  not  lawful  to  do  upon  the  sabbath  day." 
The  accusers  doubtless  had  in  mind  the  rabbinical  dictum 
that  rubbing  out  an  ear  of  grain  in  the  hands  was  a  species 
of  threshing;  that  blowing  away  the  chaff  was  winnowing; 
and  that  it  was  unlawful  to  thresh  or  winnow  on  the  Sabbath. 
Indeed,  some  learned  rabbis  had  held  it  to  be  a  sin  to  walk 
on  grass  during  the  Sabbath,  inasmuch  as  the  grass  might  be 
in  seed,  and  the  treading  out  of  the  seed  would  be  as  the 
threshing  of  grain. 

Jesus  defended  the  disciples  by  citing  a  precedent  applic- 
able to  the  case,  and  of  much  greater  import.  The  instance 
was  that  of  David,  who  with  a  small  company  of  men  had 
asked  bread  of  the  priest  Ahimelech ;  for  they  were  hungry 
and  in  haste.  The  priest  had  none  but  consecrated  bread, 
the  loaves  of  shewbread  which  were  placed  in  the  sanctuary 
at  intervals,  and  which  none  but  the  priests  were  allowed  to 
eat.  In  view  of  the  condition  of  urgent  need  the  priest  had 
given  the  shewbread  to  the  hungry  men.''  Jesus  also  re- 
minded the  critical  Pharisees  that  the  priests  in  the  temple 
regularly  did  much  work  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  slaughtering 
of  sacrificial  victims  and  in  altar  service  generally,  yet  were 
held  blameless  because  of  the  higher  requirements  of  wor- 
ship which  rendered  such  labor  necessary ;  and  added  with 
solemn  emphasis :  "But  I  say  unto  you,  That  in  this  place  is 
one  greater  than  the  temple."  He  cited  the  word  of  God 


«Deut.  23:24,  25. 

v  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


214  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

spoken  through  Hosea,  "I  will  have  mercy,  and  not  sacri- 
fice,"™ and  reproved  at  once  their  ignorance  and  their  un- 
righteous zeal  by  telling  them  that  had  they  known  what  that 
scripture  meant  they  would  not  have  condemned  the  guilt- 
less. Be-  it  remembered,  "The  sabbath  was  made  for  man, 
and  not  man  for  the  sabbath. "a 

His  reproof  was  followed  by  the  affirmation  of  His  per- 
sonal supremacy :  "For  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  even  of  the 
sabbath  day."  What  can  we  gather  from  that  declaration 
but  that  He,  Jesus,  there  present  in  the  flesh,  was  the  Being 
through  whom  the  Sabbath  had  been  ordained,  that  it  was 
He  who  had  given  and  written  in  stone  the  decalog,  including 
"Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,"  and,  "the  sev- 
enth day  is  the  sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God"  ? 

A   PHARISAICAL   PLOT. 

Again  on  a  Sabbath,  Jesus  went  into  a  synagog,  and  saw 
in  the  congregation  a  man  whose  right  hand  was  withered.* 
There  were  Pharisees  present,  and  they  watched  to  see 
whether  Jesus  would  heal  the  man,  their  purpose  being  to 
accuse  Him  if  He  did  so.  The  Pharisees  asked :  "Is  it  law- 
ful to  heal  on  the  sabbath  days  ?"  Our  Lord  countered  their 
poorly  veiled  purpose  by  asking :  "Is  it  lawful  to  do  good 
on  the  sabbath  days?"  and  extended  the  question,  "or  to  do 
evil?  to  save  life,  or  to  kill?"  They  held  their  peace,  for 
the  question  was  double-edged.  To  reply  in  the  affirmative 
would  have  been  to  justify  the  work  of  healing;  a  negative 
answer  would  have  stultified  them.  He  put  another  ques- 
tion :  "What  man  shall  there  be  among  you,  that  shall  have 
one  sheep,  and  if  it  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  sabbath  day,  will  he 
not  lay  hold  on  it,  and  lift  it  out?  How  much  then  is  a  man 
better  than  a  sheep?" 

As  the  Pharisees  could  not  or  would  not  reply,  He 
summed  up  the  whole  matter  thus :  "Wherefore  it  is  lawful 


w  Hos.  6:6;  compare  Micah  6:6-9. 

a  Mark   2:27. 

#Matt.   12:10-13;   Mark  3:1-6;   Luke  6:6-8. 


PHARISAICAL  RAGE. 

to  do  well  on  the  sabbath  days."  He  called  upon  the  man 
with  the  withered  hand  to  stand  forth  before  the  congrega- 
tion. Grief  and  anger  were  mingled  in  His  penetrating  and 
sweeping  glance;  but,  turning  with  compassion  toward  the 
afflicted  one,  He  commanded  him  to  stretch  forth  his  hand ; 
the  man  obeyed,  and  lo !  the  hand  "was  restored  whole,  like 
as  the  other." 

The  discomfited  Pharisees  were  furious,  ''filled  with  mad- 
ness" Luke  says ;  and  they  went  out  to  plot  anew  against  the 
Lord.  So  bitter  was  their  hatred  that  they  allied  themselves 
with  the  Herodians,  a  political  party  generally  unpopular 
among  the  Jews.^  The  rulers  of  the  people  were  ready  to 
enter  into  any  intrigue  or  alliance  to  accomplish  their  avowed 
purpose  of  bringing  about  the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Aware  of  the  wicked  determination  against  Him,  Jesus  with- 
drew Himself  from  the  locality.  Other  accusations  of  Sab- 
bath-breaking, brought  against  Christ  by  Jewish  casuists, 
will  be  considered  later/ 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  15. 

i.  Rabbinical  Requirements  Concerning  Sabbath  Observ- 
ance.— "No  feature  of  the  Jewish  system  was  so  marked  as  their 
extraordinary  strictness  in  the  outward  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath, as  a  day  of  entire  rest.  The  Scribes  had  elaborated  from 
the  command  of  Moses,  a  vast  array  of  prohibitions  and  injunc- 
tions, covering  the  whole  of  social,  individual,  and  public  life, 
and  carried  it  to  the  extreme  of  ridiculous  caricature.  Length- 
ened rules  were  prescribed  as  to  the  kinds  of  knots  which  might 
legally  be  tied  on  the  Sabbath.  The  camel-driver's  knot  and  the 
sailor's  were  unlawful,  and  it  was  equally  illegal  to  tie  or  to  loose 
them.  A  knot  which  could  be  untied  with  one  hand  might  be 
undone.  A  shoe  or  sandal,  a  woman's  cup,  a  wine  or  oil-skin,  or 
a  flesh-pot  might  be  tied.  A  pitcher  at  a  spring  might  be  tied 

to   the   body-sash,   but  not   with   a   cord To   kindle   or 

extinguish  a  fire  on  the  Sabbath  was  a  great  desecration  of  the 
day,  nor  was  even  sickness  allowed  to  violate  Rabbinical  rules. 
It  was  forbidden  to  give  an  emetic  on  the  Sabbath — to  set  a  broken 
bone,  or  put  back  a  dislocated  joint,  though  some  Rabbis,  more 
liberal,  held  that  whatever  endangered  life  made  the  Sabbath  law 
void,  'for  the  commands  were  given  to  Israel  only  that  they 
might  live  by  them.'  One  who  was  buried  under  ruins  on  the  Sab- 

3-  Page   68. 

2  For   instances,    see  Luke   13:14-16;   14:3-6;   John  9:14-16. 


216  JESUS    THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    15. 

bath,  might  be  dug  for  and  taken  out,  if  alive,  but,  if  dead,  he 
was  to  be  left  where  he  was,  till  the  Sabbath  was  over." — Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap.  38. 

2.  The  Unnamed  Feast. — There  has  been  no  little  discussion 
as  to  the  particular  festival  referred  to  in  John  5:1,  at  the  time 
of  which  Jesus  healed  the  cripple  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda.     Many 
writers  hold  that  it  was  the  Passover,  others  that  it  was  the  feast 
of  Purim,  or  some  other  Jewish  celebration.  t  The  only  semblance 
of    importance    attaching    to    the    question    is    the    possibility    of 
learning   from  the   fact,  if  it  could  be  proved,  something  of  the 
chronological   order  of  events   at  this  period  of  our  Lord's   life. 
We  are  not  told   which   feast  this  was,  neither  the  year  nor  the 
time  of  the  year  when  it  occurred.     The  miracle  wrought  on  the 
occasion,  and  the  doctrinal  discourse  delivered  as  a  result  thereof, 
depend  for  their  value  in  no  degree  on  the  determination  of  date. 

3.  ^  Shewbread. — The  name  means  "bread  of  the  presence," 
signifying  that  it   was   placed   in   the   presence  of  Jehovah.     The 
bread    so    sanctified    consisted    of    twelve    loaves,    made    without 
leaven.      They   were   to   be    deposited    in   the    Holy   Place    in   two 
columns  of  six  loaves  each.     Zenos,  in  Stand.  Bible  Diet,  writes : 
"They  were  allowed  to  remain  there  for  a  whole  week,  at  the  end 
of  which  period  they  were  removed,  and  eaten  by  the  priest  upon 
holy    ground,    i.  e.    within    the    precincts    of    the    sanctuary.      For 
other  persons  than  priests  to  eat  of  the  loaves  of  the  shewbread 
was   regarded   as   sacrilegious,    for  they   were   'holy.' "     See   Exo. 
25:30;  Lev.  24:5-9;  i  Sam.  21:1-6. 


ORDINATION   OF  THE  TWELVE.  217 


CHAPTER    16. 
THE  CHOSEN  TWELVE. 

CALL,    AND   ORDINATION/1 


The  night  preceding  the  morn  on  which  the  Twelve 
Apostles  were  called  and  ordained  was  spent  by  the  Lord  in 
solitary  seclusion  ;  He  had  "continued  all  night  in  prayer  to 
God."&  Then,  when  day  had  come,  and  while  many  people 
were  gathering  to  hear  more  of  the  new  and  wonderful  gos- 
pel of  the  kingdom,  He  called  to  come  closer  some  who  had 
theretofore  been  devotedly  associated  together  as  His  disci- 
ples or  followers,  and  from  among  them  He  chose  twelve, 
whom  he  ordained  and  named  apostles.c  Prior  to  that  time 
none  of  these  had  been  distinguished  by  any  special  delega- 
tion of  authority  or  appointment;  they  had  been  numbered 
with  the  disciples  in  general,  though,  as  we  have  seen,  seven 
had  received  a  preliminary  call,  and  had  promptly  responded 
thereto  by  abandoning  wholly  or  in  part  their  business  af- 
fairs, and  had  followed  the  Master.  These  were  Andrew, 
John,  Simon  Peter,  Philip,  Nathanael,  James,  and  Levi 
Matthew.  Prior  to  this  eventful  day,  however,  none  of  the 
Twelve  had  been  ordained  or  set  apart  to  their  sacred  office. 

The  three  Gospel-writers  who  make  record  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Twelve  place  Simon  Peter  first  and  Judas 
Iscariot  last  in  the  category;  they  agree  also  in  the  relative 
position  of  some  but  not  of  all  the  others.  Following  the 
order  given  by  Mark,  and  this  may  be  the  most  convenient 
since  he  names  as  the  first  three  those  who  later  became 
most  prominent,  we  have  the  following  list:  Simon  Peter, 

a  Matt.  10:1-4;  Mark  3:13-19;  Luke  6:12-16. 

fcLuke    6:12, 

c  Luke  3:13;  compare  John  15:16;  see  also  Acts  1:22. 


218  JESUS  THE   CHRIST*  [CHAP.   16. 

James  (son  of  Zebedee),  John  (brother  of  the  last-named), 
Andrew  (brother  of  Simon  Peter),  Philip,  Bartholomew 
(or  Nathanael),  Matthew,  Thomas,  James  (son  of  Al- 
pheus),  Judas  (also  known  as  Lebbeus  or  Thaddeus),  Simon 
(distinguished  by  his  surname  Zelotes,  also  known  as  the 
Canaanite),  and  Judas  Iscariot. 

THE   TWELVE   CONSIDERED   INDIVIDUALLY. 

Simon,  named  as  the  first  apostle,  is  more  commonly 
known  as  Peter — the  appellation  given  him  by  the  Lord  on 
the  occasion  of  their  first  meeting,  and  afterward  con- 
firmed. d  He  was  the  son  of  Jona,  or  Jonas,  and  by  vocation 
was  a  fisherman.  He  and  his  brother  Andrew  were  partners 
with  James  and  John,  the  sons  of  Zebedee ;  and  apparently 
the  fishing  business  was  a  prosperous  one  with  them,  for 
they  owned  their  boats  and  gave  employment  to  other 
men/  Peter's  early  home  had  been  at  the  little  fishery  town 
of  Bethsaida/  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee ;  but 
about  the  time  of  his  first  association  with  Jesus,  or  soon 
thereafter,  he  with  others  of  his  family,  removed  to  Ca- 
pernaum, where  he  appears  to  have  become  an  independent 
householder.^  Simon  Peter  was  a  married  man  before  his 
call  to  the  ministry.  He  was  well  to  do  in  a  material  way ; 
and  when  he  once  spoke  of  having  left  all  to  follow  Jesus, 
the  Lord  did  not  deny  that  Peter's  sacrifice  of  temporal  pos- 
sessions was  as  great  as  had  been  implied.  We  are  not  justi- 
fied in  regarding  him  as  unlettered  or  ignorant.  True,  both 
he  and  John  were  designated  by  the  council  of  rulers  as  "un- 
learned and  ignorant  men,"7*  but  this  was  spoken  of  them  as 
indicating  their  lack  of  training  in  the  schools  of  the  rabbis ; 
and  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  the  members  of  that  same 

d  John  1:42;  compare  Matt.  16:18. 
<?Mark  1:16-20;   Luke  5:10. 
/John   1:44;   12:21. 
0Matt.  8:14;  Mark  1:29;  Luke  4:38. 
h  Acts  4:13. 


THE    APOSTLES    INDIVIDUALLY    CONSIDERED.  219 

council  were  amazed  at  the  wisdom  and  power  manifested 
by  the  two  apostles,  whom  they  professed  to  despize. 

In  temperament  Peter  was  impulsive  and  stern,  and,  un- 
til trained  by  severe  experience,  was  lacking  in  firmness.  He 
had  many  human  weaknesses,  yet  in  spite  of  them  all  he 
eventually  overcame  the  temptations  of  Satan  and  the  frail- 
ties of  the  flesh,  and  served  his  Lord  as  the  appointed  and 
acknowledged  leader  of  the  Twelve.  Of  the  time  and  place 
of  his  death  the  scriptures  do  not  speak;  but  the  manner 
thereof  was  prefigured  by  the  resurrected  Lord,1'  and  in  part 
was  foreseen  by  Peter  himself J  Tradition,  originating  in 
the  writings  of  the  early  Christian  historians  other  than  the 
apostles,  states  that  Peter  met  death  by  crucifixion  as  a  mar- 
tyr during  the  persecution  incident  to  the  reign  of  Nero, 
probably  between  A.  D.  64  and  68.  Origen  states  that  the 
apostle  was  crucified  with  his  head  downward.  Peter,  with 
James  and  John,  his  associates  in  the  presidency  of  the 
Twelve,  has  ministered  as  a  resurrected  being  in  the  present 
dispensation,  in  restoring  to  earth  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood, including  the  Holy  Apostleship,  which  had  been  taken 
away  because  of  the  apostasy  and  unbelief  of  men.* 

James  and  John,  brothers  by  birth,  partners  in  business 
as  fishermen,  brethren  in  the  ministry,  were  associated  to- 
gether and  with  Peter  in  the  apostolic  calling.  The  Lord 
bestowed  upon  the  pair  a  title  in  common — Boanerges,  or 
Sons  of  Thunder/ — possibly  with  reference  to  the  zeal  they 
developed  in  His  service,  which,  indeed,  at  times  had  to  be 
restrained,  as  when  they  would  have  had  fire  called  from 
heaven  to  destroy  the  Samaritan  villagers  who  had  refused 
hospitality  to  their  Master."1  They  and  their  mother  aspired 
to  the  highest  honors  of  the  kingdom,  and  asked  that  the 
two  be  given  places,  one  on  the  right  the  .other  on  the  left  of 

tjohn   21:18,    19. 

;2   Peter  1:14. 

A;  Doc.    and   Cov.   27:12.     Page   768   herein. 

/Mark   3:17. 

m  Luke  9:54.     See  also  Mark  9:38,  for  instance  of  John's  impulsive  zeal. 


220  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    16. 

Christ  in  His  glory.  This  ambition  was  gently  reproved  by 
the  Lord,  and  the  request  gave  offense  to  the  other 
apostles."  With  Peter  these  two  brothers  were  witnesses  of 
many  of  the  most  important  incidents  in  the  life  of  Jesus  ; 
thus,  the  three  were  the  only  apostles  admitted  to  witness 
the  raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus  from  death  to  life  ;° 
they  were  the  only  members  of  the  Twelve  present  at  the 
transfiguration  of  Christ  ;^  they  were  nearest  the  Lord  dur- 
ing the  period  of  His  mortal  agony  in  Gethsemane  ;q  and,  as 
heretofore  told,  they  have  ministered  in  these  modern  days 
in  the  restoration  of  the  Holy  Apostleship  with  all  its 
ancient  authority  and  power  of  blessing/  James  is  com- 
monly-designated in  theological  literature  as  James  I,  to  dis- 
tinguish him  from  the  other  apostle  bearing  the  same  name. 
James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  was  the  first  of  the  apostles  to 
meet  a  martyr's  violent  death  ;  he  was  beheaded  by  order  of 
the  king,  Herod  Agrippa/  John  had  been  a  disciple  of  the 
Baptist,  and  had  demonstrated  his  confidence  in  the  latter's 
testimony  of  Jesus  by  promptly  turning  from  the  forerunner 
and  following  the  Lord/  He  became  a  devoted  servant,  and 
repeatedly  refers  to  himself  as  the  disciple  "whom  Jesus 
loved.  "u  At  the  last  supper  John  sat  next  to  Jesus  leaning 
his  head  upon  the  Master's  breast  ;v  and  next  day  as  he  stood 
beneath  the  cross  he  received  from  the  dying  Christ  the  spe- 
cial charge  to  care  for  the  Lord's  mother  ;w  and  to  this  he 
promptly  responded  by  conducting  the  weeping  Mary  to  his 
own  house.  He  was  the  first  to  recognize  the  risen  Lord  on 
the  shores  of  Galilee,  and  received  from  His  immortal  lips 
encouragement  of  his  hope  that  his  life  would  be  continued 
in  the  body,  in  order  that  he  might  minister  among  men 

nMark  10:35-41;  compare  Matt.  20:20-24. 

0Mark  5:37;  Luke  8:51. 

pMatt.   17:1-2;   Luke  9:28-29. 

q  Matt.    26:36,    37. 

rDoc.   and   Cov.   27:12.    Page   768   herein. 

s  Acts    12:    1,    2. 


John  1:35-40;  see  page  140. 
wjohn  13:23;  19: 
vjohn  13:23,  25. 


pag 

ohn  13:23;  19:26;  20:2. 
ohn  13:23,  25. 
Wjohn  19:25-27. 


THE    APOSTLES    INDIVIDUALLY    CONSIDERED.  221 

until  the  Christ  shall  come  in  His  glory  *  The  realization  of 
that  hope  has  been  attested  by  revelation  in  modern  days.y 

Andrew,  son  of  Jona  and  brother  of  Simon  Peter,  is 
mentioned  less  frequently  than  the  three  already  considered. 
He  had  been  one  of  the  Baptist's  followers,  and  with  John, 
the  son  of  Zebedee,  left  the  Baptist  to  learn  from  Jesus ;  and 
having  learned  he  went  in  search  of  Peter,  solemnly  aver- 
red to  him  that  the  Messiah  had  been  found,  and  brought 
his  brother  to  the  Savior's  feet/  He  shared  with  Peter  in 
the  honor  of  the  call  of  the  Lord  on  the  sea  shore,  and  in 
the  promise  "I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men."0  In  one  in- 
stance we  read  of  Andrew  as  present  with  Peter,  James  and 
John,  in  a  private  interview  with  the  Lord  f  and  he  is  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  miraculous  feeding  of  the  five 
thousand/  and  as  associated  with  Philip  in  arranging  an  in- 
terview between  certain  inquiring  Greeks  and  Jesus.rf  He  is 
named  with  others  in  connection  with  our  Lord's  ascen- 
sion/ Tradition  is  rife  with  stories  about  this  man,  but  of 
the  extent  of  his  ministry,  the  duration  of  his  life,  and  the 
circumstances  of  his  death,  we  have  no  authentic  record. 

Philip  may  have  been  the  first  to  receive  the  authori- 
tative call  "Follow  me"  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  and  we  find 
him  immediately  testifying  that  Jesus  was  the  long  expected 
Messiah.  His  home  was  in  Bethsaida,  the  town  of  Peter, 
Andrew,  James,  and  John.  It  is  said  that  Jesus  found  him/ 
whereas  the  others  concerned  in  that  early  affiliation  seem 
to  have  come  of  themselves  severally  to  Christ.  We  find  brief 
mention  of  him  at  the  time  the  five  thousand  were  fed,  on 
which  occasion  Jesus  asked  him  "Whence  shall  we  buy 
bread,  that  these  may  eat?"  This  was  done  to  test  and 

x  John  21:7,  21-23. 

y  Doc.  and  Cov.  Sec.  7;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  28:1-12. 

z  John   1:35-40. 

a  Matt.  4:18,  19. 

b  Mark  13:3. 

cjohn  6:8. 

djohn  12:20-22. 

e  Acts.  1:13. 

/John    1:43-45. 


222  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    16. 

prove  him,  for  Jesus  knew  what  He  would  do ;  Philip's  reply 
was  based  on  a  statement  of  the  small  amount  of  money  at 
hand,  and  showed  no  expectation  of  miraculous  interven- 
tion.^ It  was  to  him  the  Greeks  applied  when  they  sought 
a  meeting  with  Jesus  as  noted  in  connection  with  Andrew. 
He  was  mildly  reproved  for  his  misunderstanding  when  he 
asked  Jesus  to  show  to  him  and  the  others  the  Father — 
"Have  I  been  so  long  time  with  you,  and  yet  hast  thou  not 
known  me,  Philip  ?"°  Aside  from  incidental  mention  of  his 
presence  as  one  of  the  Eleven  after  the  ascension,  the  scrip- 
tures tell  us  nothing  more  concerning  him. 

Bartholomew  is  mentioned  in  scripture  by  this  name 
only  in  connection  with  his  ordination  to  the  apostleship,  and 
as  one  of  the  Eleven  after  the  ascension.  The  name  means 
son  of  Tolmai.  It  is  practically  certain,  however,  that  he 
is  the  man  called  Nathanael  in  John's  Gospel — the  one 
whom  Christ  designated  as  "an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is 
no  guile. "/l  He  is  named  again  as  among  those  who  went 
fishing  with  Peter  after  the  resurrection  of  Christ.*'  His 
home  was  in  Cana  of  Galilee.  The  reasons  for  assuming 
that  Bartholomew  and  Nathanael  are  the  same  persons  are 
these :  Bartholomew  is  named  in  each  of  the  three  synoptic 
Gospels  as  an  apostle,  but  Nathanael  is  not  mentioned.  Na- 
thanael is  named  twice  in  John's  Gospel,  and  Bartholomew 
not  at  all ;  Bartholomew  and  Philip,  or  Nathanael  and  Philip, 
are  mentioned  together. 

Matthew,  or  Levi,  son  of  Alpheus,  was  one  of  the  seven 
who  received  a  call  to  follow  Christ  before  the  ordination 
of  the  Twelve.  He  it  was  who  gave  a  feast,  for  attend- 
ing which  Jesus  and  the  disciples  were  severely  criticized  by 
the  Pharisees/  on  the  charge  that  it  was  unseemly  for  Him 
to  eat  with  publicans  and  sinners.  Matthew  was  a  pub- 


yjohn  6:5-7. 

a  John  14:8,  9. 

h  John  1:45-51;  see  page  141. 

ijohn  21:2,  3. 

/Page  194. 


THE    APOSTLES    INDIVIDUALLY    CONSIDERED.  223 

lican ;  he  so  designates  himself  in  the  Gospel  he  wrote  ;*  but 
the  other  evangelists  omit  the  mention  when  including  him 
with  the  Twelve.  His  Hebrew  name,  Levi,  is  understood 
by  many  as  an  indication  of  priestly  lineage.  Of  his 
ministry  we  have  no  detailed  account ;  though  he  is  the 
author  of  the  first  Gospel,  he  refrains  from  special  mention 
of  himself  except  in  connection  with  his  call  and  ordination. 
He  is  spoken  of  by  other  than  scriptural  writers  as  one  of 
the  most  active  of  the  apostles  after  Christ's  death,  and  as 
operating  in  lands  far  from  Palestine. 

Thomas,  also  known  as  Didymus,  the  Greek  equivalent 
of  his  Hebrew  name,  meaning  "a  twin,"  is  mentioned  as  a 
witness  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus.  His  devotion  to  Jesus  is 
shown  by  his  desire  to  accompany  the  Lord  to  Bethany, 
though  persecution  in  that  region  was  almost  certain.  To 
his  fellow  apostles  Thomas  said :  "Let  us  also  go,  that  we 
may  die  with  him."'  Even  as  late  in  his  experience  as  the 
night  before  the  crucifixion,  Thomas  had  failed  to  compre- 
hend the  impending  necessity  of  the  Savior's  sacrifice;  and 
when  Jesus  referred  to  going  away  and  leaving  the  others 
to  follow,  Thomas  asked  how  they  could  know  the  way. 
For  his  lack  of  understanding  he  stood  reproved.m  He  was 
absent  when  the  resurrected  Christ  appeared  to  the  assem- 
bled disciples  in  the  evening  of  the  day  of  His  rising;  and 
on  being  informed  by  the  others  that  they  had  seen  the  Lord, 
he  forcefully  expressed  his  doubt,  and  declared  he  would  not 
believe  unless  he  could  see  and  feel  for  himself  the  wounds 
in  the  crucified  body.  Eight  days  later  the  Lord  visited  the 
apostles  again,  when,  as  on  the  earlier  occasion,  they  were 
within  closed  doors ;  and  to  Thomas  the  Lord  said :  "Reach 
hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands;  and  reach  hither 
thy  hand  and  thrust  it  into  my  side."  Then  Thomas,  no 
longer  doubting  but  with  love  and  reverence  filling  his  soul, 

A:  Matt.  10:3. 
/John  11:16. 
wjohn  14:1-7. 


224:  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    1G. 

exclaimed  "My  Lord  and  my  God."  The  Lord  said  unto 
him :  "Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  be- 
lieved :  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have 
believed.""  Of  Thomas  no  further  record  appears  in  the 
New  Testament  aside  from  that  of  his  presence  with  his 
fellows  after  the  ascension. 

James,  son  of  Alpheus,  is  mentioned  in  literature  as 
James  II,  James  the  Little,  James  the  Less,  to  distinguish 
him  from  James  the  son  of  Zebedee.  He  is  not  mentioned 
in  the  Gospels  except  in  the  matter  of  his  ordination  to  the 
apostleship.  After  the  departure  of  Christ,  however,  he 
appears  to  have  been  particularly  zealous,  active,  and  effi- 
cient. He  was  with  the  brethren  praying  for  Peter's  deliv- 
erance from  prison,0  and  was  earnest  in  advising  liberality 
concerning  the  application  of  ceremonial  requirements  to 
converted  Gentiles ;  his  judgment  was  approved  and  acted 
upon  by  the  council.*  He  rejoiced  over  the  success  of  Paul's 
ministry,  when  at  Jerusalem?  where  he  was  temporarily  pre- 
siding. He  is  cited  by  Paul  to  the  Corinthians  as  a  special 
witness  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ/  In  writing  to  the 
Galatians  Paul  gives  James  first  mention  as  one  of  the  pil- 
lars of  the  Church,  and  refers  to  missionaries  whom  James 
had  sent  to  Antioch/ 

Judas  is  called  Lebbeus  Thaddeus  by  Matthew,  Thad- 
deus  by  Mark,  and  Judas  the  brother  of  James  by  Luke.' 
The  only  other  specific  reference  to  this  apostle  is  made  by 
John,  and  is  incident  to  the  last  long  interview  between 
Jesus  and  the  apostles,  when  this  Judas,  "not  Iscariot," 
asked  how  or  why  Jesus  would  manifest  Himself  to  His 
chosen  servants  and  not  to  the  world  at  large.  The  man's 

n  John  20:24-29.    Page  689  herein. 

oActs   12:17. 

/>Acts  15:13-22. 

gActs  21:18. 

rl  Cor.   15:7. 

s  Gal.  2:9,  12.  Observe  that  the  James  mentioned  by  Paul  was  James  II, 
son  of  Alpheus,  as  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  other  James,  the  brother  of 
John,  had  been  put  to  death  by  Herod,  prior  to  the  incidents  in  the  ministry 
of  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  which,  Paul  refers^  See  Acts  12:2;  compare  13:1,  2. 

iNote  1,  end  of  chapter. 


THE   APOSTLES    INDIVIDUALLY    CONSIDERED,  225 

question  shows  that  the  really  distinguishing  character  of 
the  apostleship  was  not  fully  comprehended  by  him  at  that 
time. 

Simon  Zelotes,  so  designated  in  Acts,"  and  as  Simon 
called  Zelotes  in  Luke's  Gospel,  is  distinguished  by  both 
Matthew  and  Mark  as  the  Canaanite.  The  last  designation 
has  no  reference  to  the  town  of  Cana,  nor  to  the  land  of 
Canaan,  neither  is  it  in  any  sense  of  geographical  significa- 
tion; it  is  the  Syro-Chaldaic  equivalent  of  the  Greek  word 
which  is  rendered  in  the  English  translation  "Zelotes."  The 
two  names,  therefore,  have  the  same  fundamental  meaning, 
and  each  refers  to  the  Zealots,  a  Jewish  sect  or  faction, 
known  for  its  zeal  in  maintaining  the  Mosaic  ritual.  Doubt- 
less Simon  had  learned  moderation  and  toleration  from  the 
teachings  of  Christ ;  otherwise  he  would  scarcely  have  been 
suited  to  the  apostolic  ministry.  His  zealous  earnestness, 
properly  directed,  may  have  developed  into  a  most  service- 
able trait  of  character.  This  apostle  is  nowhere  in  the  scrip- 
tures named  apart  from  his  colleagues. 

Judas  Iscariot  is  the  only  Judean  named  among  the 
Twelve ;  all  the  others  were  Galileans.  He  is  generally  un- 
derstood to  have  been  a  resident  of  Kerioth,  a  small  town 
in  the  southerly  part  of  Judea,  but  a  few  miles  west  from 
the  Dead  Sea,  though  for  this  tradition,  as  also  for  the  sig- 
nification of  his  surname,  we  lack  direct  authority.  So 
too  we  are  uninformed  as  to  his  lineage,  except  that  his 
father's  name  was  Simon.r  He  served  as  treasurer  or  agent 
of  the  apostolic  company,  receiving  and  disbursing  such  of- 
ferings as  were  made  by  disciples  and  friends,  and  purchas- 
ing supplies  as  required.1"  That  he  was  unprincipled  and 
dishonest  in  the  discharge  of  this  trust  is  attested  by  John. 
His  avaricious  and  complaining  nature  revealed  itself  in  his 
murmuring  against  what  he  called  a  waste  of  costly  spike- 

•u  Acts   1:13;   compare   Luke   6:15. 
vjohn   6:71;   12:4;   13:26. 
wjohn   12:6;   13:29. 

8 


226  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    16. 

nard,  in  the  anointing  of  the  Lord  by  Mary  but  a  few  days 
before  the  crucifixion ;  he  hypocritically  suggested  that  the 
precious  ointment  could  have  been  sold  and  the  proceeds 
given  to  the  poor.*  The  crowning  deed  of  perfidy  in  the 
career  of  Iscariot  was  his  deliberate  betrayal  of  his  Master 
to  death ;  and  this  the  infamous  creature  did  for  a  price,  and 
accomplished  the  foul  deed  with  a  kiss.  He  brought  his 
guilty  life  to  a  close  by  a  revolting  suicide  and  his  spirit 
went  to  the  awful  fate  reserved  for  the  sons  of  perdition.? 

GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   TWELVE. 

A  survey  of  the  general  characteristics  and  qualifications 
of  this  body  of  twelve  men  reveals  some  interesting  facts. 
Before  their  selection  as  apostles  they  h  <d  all  become  close 
disciples  of  the  Lord ;  they  believed  in  Him ;  several  of  them, 
possibly  all,  had  openly  confessed  that  He  was  the  Son  of 
God ;  and  yet  it  is  doubtful  that  any  one  of  them  fully  under- 
stood the  real  significance  of  the  Savior's  work.  It  is  evi- 
•  dent  by  the  later  remarks  of  many  of  them,  and  by  the 
instructions  and  rebuke  they  called  forth  from  the  Master, 
that  the  common  Jewish  expectation  of  a  Messiah  who 
would  reign  in  splendor  as  an  earthly  sovereign  after  He 
had  subdued  all  other  nations,  had  a  place  even  in  the  hearts 
of  these  chosen  ones.  After  long  experience,  Peter's  con- 
cern was :  "Behold,  we  have  forsaken  all,  and  followed 
thee ;  what  shall  we  have  therefore  ?"*  They  were  as  children 
to  be  trained  and  taught;  but  they  were  mostly  willing  pu- 
pils, receptive  of  soul,  and  imbued  with  a  sincere  eagerness 
to  serve.  To  Jesus  they  were  His  little  ones,  His  children, 
His  servants,  and  His  friends,  as  they  merited.0  They  were 
all  of  the  common  people,  not  rabbis,  scholars,  nor  priestly 
officials.  Their  inner  natures,  not  their  outward  accomplish- 

*John   12:1-7;   compare  Matt.   26:6-13;   Mark   14:3-9. 

y  Matt.  27:5;  compare  Acts  1:18;   see  also  John  17:12;  Doc.  and  Cov.  78; 
81-48;  132:27. 

z  Matt.  19:27. 

a  Matt.  10:42;  John  21:5;  13:10,  compare  verse  13;  15:14.  15. 


THE    HOLY   APOSTLESHIP.  227 

ments,  were  taken  into  prime  account  in  the  Lord's  choos- 
ing. The  Master  chose  them;  they  did  not  choose  them- 
selves ;  by  Him  they  were  ordained,6  and  they  could  in  con- 
sequence rely  the  more  implicitly  upon  His  guidance  and 
support.  To  them  much  was  given;  much  of  them  was 
required.  With  the  one  black  exception  they  all  became 
shining  lights  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  vindicated  the 
Master's  selection.  He  recognized  in  each  the  characteris- 
tics of  fitness  developed  in  the  primeval  world  of  spirits.* 

DISCIPLES   AND  APOSTLES. 

Discipleship  is  general ;  any  follower  of  a  man  or  devotee 
to  a  principle  may  be  called  a  disciple.  The  Holy  Apostle- 
ship  is  an  office  and  calling  belonging  to  the  Higher  or  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood,  at  once  exalted  and  specific,  compriz- 
ing as  a  distinguishing  function  that  of  personal  and  spe- 
cial witness  to  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  one  and 
only  Redeemer  and  Savior  of  mankind.**  The  apostleship 
is  an  individual  bestowal,  and  as  such  is  conferred  only 
through  ordination.  That  the  Twelve  did  constitute  a  coun- 
cil or  "quorum"  having  authority  in  the  Church  established 
by  Jesus  Christ,  is  shown  by  their  ministrations  after  the 
Lord's  resurrection  and  ascension.  Their  first  official  act 
was  that  of  filling  the  vacancy  in  their  organization  occa- 
sioned by  the  apostasy  and  death  of  Judas  Iscariot ;  and  in 
connection  with  this  procedure,  the  presiding  apostle,  Peter, 
set  forth  the  essential  qualifications  of  the  one  who  would  be 
chosen  and  ordained,  which  comprized  such  knowledge  of 
Jesus,  His  life,  death,  and  resurrection,  as  would  make  the 
new  apostle  one  with  the  Eleven  as  special  witnesses  of  the 
Lord's  work.* 

The  ordination  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  marked  the  in- 

6  John   15:16. 

c  Pages   8   and   17. 

dDoc.   and   Cov.   18:27-33;  20:38-44;   107:1-9,   23,  24,  39. 

<?Acts   1:15-26. 


228  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    16. 

auguration  of  an  advanced  epoch  in  the  earthly  ministry  of 
Jesus,  an  epoch  characterized  by  the  organization  of  a  body 
of  men  invested  with  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood, 
upon  whom  would  rest,  more  particularly  after  the  Lord's 
departure,  the  duty  and  responsibility  of  continuing  the 
work  He  had  begun,  and  of  building  up  the  Church  estab- 
lished by  Him. 

The  word  "apostle"  is  an  Anglicized  form  derived  from 
the  Greek  apostolos,  meaning  literally  "one  who  is  sent," 
and  connoting  an  envoy  or  official  messenger,  who  speaks 
and  acts  by  the  authority  of  one  superior  to  himself.  In  this 
sense  Paul  afterward  applied  the  title  to  Christ  as  one  spe- 
cially sent  and  commissioned  of  the  Father/ 

The  Lord's  purpose  in  choosing  and  ordaining  the 
Twelve  is  thus  enunciated  by  Mark:  "And  he  ordained 
twelve,  that  they  should  be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send 
them  forth  to  preach,  and  to  have  power  to  heal  sicknesses, 
and  to  cast  out  devils. "^  For  a  season  following  their  or- 
dination the  apostles  remained  with  Jesus,  being  specially 
trained  and  instructed  by  Him  for  the  work  then  before 
them;  afterward  they  were  specifically  charged  and  sent 
forth  to  preach  and  to  administer  in  the  authority  of  their 
priesthood,  as  shall  be  hereafter  considered. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  16. 

1.  Judas  Lebbeus  Thaddeus. — This  Judas  (not  Iscariot)  is 
designated  in  the  authorized  version  of  Luke  6:16,  and  Acts  1:13, 
as  "the  brother  of  James."     That  the  words  "the  brother"  are  an 
addition  to  the  original  text  is  indicated  by  italics.     The  revised 
version    of    these    passages    reads    in    each    instance    "the    son    of 
James,"   with   italics   of   corresponding   significance.     The   original 
reads  "Judas  of  James."     We  are  uninformed  as  to  which  James 
is  referred  to,  and  as  to  whether  the  Judas  here  mentioned  was 
the   son,   the  brother,  or  some  other   relative  of   the  unidentified 
James. 

2.  The  Meaning  of  "Apostle."— "The  title  'Apostle*  is  like- 
wise one  of  special  significance   and   sanctity;   it   has  been  given 
of   God,   and   belongs   only   to   those   who   have   been   called   and 

/Heb.  3:1;  see  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
g  Mark  3:14,   15. 


NOTES.  229 

ordained  as  'special  witnesses  of  the  name  of  Christ  in  all  the 
world,  thus  differing  from  other  officers  in  the  Church  in  the 
duties  of  their  calling'  (Doc.  and  Cov.  107:23).  By  derivation 
the  word  'apostle*  is  the  English  equivalent  of  the  Greek  apos- 
tolos,  indicating  a  messenger,  an  ambassador,  or  literally  'one 
who  is  sent.'  It  signifies  that  he  who  is  rightly  so  called,  speaks 
and  acts  not  of  himself,  but  as  the  representative  of  a  higher 
power  whence  his  commission  issued;  and  in  this  sense  the  title 
is  that  of  a  servant,  rather  than  that  of  a  superior.  Even  the 
Christ,  however,  is  called  an  Apostle  with  reference  to  His  min- 
istry in  the  flesh  (Hebrews  3:  i),  and  this  appellation  is  justified 
by  His  repeated  declaration  that  He  came  to  earth  to  do  not 
His  own  will  but  that  of  the  Father  by  whom  He  was  sent. 

"Though  an  apostle  is  thus  seen  to  be  essentially  an  envoy, 
or  ambassador,  his  authority  is  great,  as  is  also  the  responsibility 
associated  therewith,  for  he  speaks  in  the  name  of  a  power 
greater  than  his  own — the  name  of  Him  whose  special  witness 
he  is.  When  one  of  tthe  Twelve  is  sent  to  minister  in  any  stake, 
mission  or  other  division  of  the  Church,  or  to  labor  in  regions 
where  no  Church  organization  has  been  effected,  he  acts  as  the 
representative  ^of  the  First  Presidency,  and  has  the  right  to  use 
his  authority  in  doing  whatever  is  requisite  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  work  of  God.  His  duty  is  to  preach  the  Gospel,  admin- 
ister the  ordinances  thereof,  and  set  in  order  the  affairs  of  the 
Church,  wherever  he  is  sent.  So  great  is  the  sanctity  of  this 
special  calling,  that  the  title  'Apostle'  should  not  be  used  lightly 
as  the  common  or  ordinary  form  of  address  applied  to  living  men 
called  to  this  office.  The  quorum  or  council  of  the  Twelve  Apos- 
tles as  existent  in  the  Church  to-day  may  better  be  spoken  of  as 
the  'Quorum  of  the  Twelve/  the  'Council  of  the  Twelve,'  or  simply 
as  the  'Twelve,'  than  as  the  'Twelve  Apostles,'  except  as  partic- 
ular occasion  may  warrant  the  use  of  the  more  sacred  term.  It 
is  advized  that  the  title  'Apostle'  be  not  applied  as  a  prefix  to 
the  name  of  any  member  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve;  but  that 

such  a  one  be  addressed  or  spoken  of  as  'Brother  ,'  or 

'Elder ,'  and  when  necessary  or  desirable,  as  in  announc- 
ing his  presence  in  a  public  assembly,  an  explanatory  clause  may 

be    added,    thus,    'Elder   ,    one    of    the    Council    of    the 

Twelve.'"— From  "The  Honor  and  Dignity  of  Priesthood," 
by  the  author,  Improvement  Bra,  Vol.  17,  No.  5,  pp.  409-410. 


230  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

CHAPTER    17. 
THE  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

At  some  time  very  near  that  of  the  ordination  of  the 
Twelve,  Jesus  delivered  a  remarkable  discourse,  which,  in 
reference  to  the  place  where  it  was  given,  has  come  to  be 
known  as  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Matthew  presents  an 
extended  account  occupying  three  chapters  of  the  first  Gos- 
pel; Luke  gives  a  briefer  synopsis/1  Circumstantial  varia- 
tions appearing  in  the  two  records  are  of  minor  importance  f 
it  is  the  sermon  itself  to  which  we  may  profitably  devote  at- 
tention. Luke  introduces  in  different  parts  of  his  writings 
many  of  the  precious  precepts  given  as  parts  of  the  sermon 
recorded  as  a  continuous  discourse  in  the  Gospel  written  by 
Matthew.  In  our  present  study  we  shall  be  guided  princi- 
pally by  Matthew's  account.  Some  portions  of  this  compre- 
hensive address  were  expressly  directed  to  the  disciples,  who 
had  been  or  would  be  called  to  the  apostleship  and  in  conse- 
quence be  required  to  renounce  all  their  worldly  interests 
for  the  labors  of  the  ministry ;  other  parts  were  and  are  of 
general  application.  Jesus  had  ascended  the  mountain  side, 
probably  to  escape  the  crowds  that  thronged  Him  in  or  near 
the  towns/  The  disciples  gathered  about  Him,  and  there 
He  sat  and  taught  them/ 

THE  BEATITUDES.* 

The  opening  sentences  are  rich  in  blessing,  and  the  first 
section  of  the  discourse  is  devoted  to  an  explanation  of  what 
constitutes  genuine  blessedness;  the  lesson,  moreover,  was 

a  Matt,  chaps.  5,  6,  7;  Luke  6:20-49.  See  also  the  version  of  the  Sermon 
as  delivered  by  Jesus  after  His  resurrection,  to  the  Nephites  on  the  west- 
ern continent;  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi,  chaps.  12,  13,  14.  See  also  chapter  39  herein. 

b  Note    1,    end    of   chapter. 

c  Matt.  4:23-25;  read  these  verses  in  connection  with  5:1;  see  also  Luke 
6:17-19. 

d  Note  1,   end  of  chapter. 

e  Matt.  5:3-12;   compare   Luke  6:20-26;   and   B.   of  M.,   3  Nephi  12:1-12. 


THE    BEATITUDES.  231 

made  simple  and  unambiguous  by  specific  application,  each 
of  the  blessed  being  assured  of  recompense  and  reward  in 
the  enjoyment  of  conditions  directly  opposite  to  those  under 
which  he  had  suffered.  The  blessings  particularized  by  the 
Lord  on  this  occasion  have  been  designated  in  literature  of 
later  time  as  the  Beatitudes.  The  poor  in  spirit  are  to  be 
made  rich  as  rightful  heirs  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  the 
mourner  shall  be  comforted  for  he  shall  see  the  divine  pur- 
pose in  his  grief,  and  shall  again  associate  with  the  beloved 
ones  of  whom  he  has  been  bereft;  the  meek,  who  suffer 
spoliation  rather  than  jeopardize  their  souls  in  contention, 
shall  inherit  the  earth ;  those  that  hunger  and  thirst  for  the 
truth  shall  be  fed  in  rich  abundance ;  they  that  show  mercy 
shall  be  judged  mercifully ;  the  pure  in  heart  shall  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  very  presence  of  God;  the  peacemakers,  who 
try  to  save  themselves  and  their  fellows  from  strife,  shall  be 
numbered  among  the  children  of  God ;  they  that  suffer  per- 
secution for  the  "sake  of  righteousness  shall  inherit  the  riches 
of  the  eternal  kingdom.  To  the  disciples  the  Lord  spake 
directly,  saying :  "Blessed  are  ye,  when  men  shall  revile  you, 
and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely,  for  my  sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad : 
for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven :  for  so  persecuted  they 
the  prophets  which  were  before  you."^ 

It  is  evident  that  the  specified  blessings  and  the  happiness 
comprized  therein  are  to  be  realized  in  their  fulness  only 
beyond  the  grave ;  though  the  joy  that  comes  from  the  con- 
sciousness of  right  living  brings,  even  in  this  world,  a  rich 
return.  An  important  element  in  this  splendid  elucidation 
of  the  truly  blessed  state  is  the  implied  distinction  between 
pleasure  and  happiness.^  Mere  pleasure  is  at  best  but  fleet- 
ing; happiness  is  abiding,  for  in  the  recollection  thereof  is 
joy  renewed.  Supreme  happiness  is  not  an  earthly  attain- 
ment ;  the  promised  "fulness  of  joy"  lies  beyond  death  and 

/Matt.  5:11,  12;  compare  Luke  fl:26j  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  12:11,  12. 
0  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


232  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

the  resurrection.*1  While  man  exists  in  this  mortal  state  he 
needs  some  of  the  things  of  the  world;  he  must  have  food 
and  clothing  and  provision  for  shelter ;  and  beside  these  bare 
necessities  he  may  righteously  desire  the  facilities  of  edu- 
cation, the  incidentals  of  advancing  civilization,  and  the 
things  that  are  conducive  to  refinement  and  culture;  yet  all 
of  these  are  but  aids  to  achievement,  not  the  end  to  attain 
which  man  was  made  mortal. 

The  Beatitudes  are  directed  to  the  duties  of  mortal  life 
as  a  preparation  for  a  greater  existence  yet  future.  In  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  twice  named  in  this  part  of  the  Lord's 
discourse,  are  true  riches  and  unfailing  happiness  to  be 
found.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  was  the  all-comprizing  text 
of  this  wonderful  sermon ;  the  means  of  reaching  the  king- 
dom and  the  glories  of  eternal  citizenship  therein  are  the 
main  divisions  of  the  treatise. 

DIGNITY   AND   RESPONSIBILITY    IN    THE    MINISTRY.* 

The  Master  next  proceeded  to  instruct  with  particular 
directness  those  upon  whom  would  devolve  the  responsibil- 
ity of  the  ministry  as  His  commissioned  representatives.  "Ye 
are  the  salt  of  the  earth,"  said  He.  Salt  is  the  great  pre- 
servative ;  as  such  it  has  had  practical  use  since  very  ancient 
times.  Salt  was  prescribed  as  an  essential  addition  to  every 
meat  offering  under  the  Mosaic  law.''  Long  before  the  time 
of  Christ,  the  use  of  salt  had  been  accorded  a  symbolism  of 
fidelity,  hospitality,  and  covenant. k  To  be  of  use  salt  must 
be  pure;  to  be  of  any  saving  virtue  as  salt,  it  must  be  salt 
indeed,  and  not  the  product  of  chemical  alteration  or  of 
earthy  admixture,  whereby  its  saltiness  or  "savor"  would  be 

A  Doc.   and   Cov.   93:33. 

tMatt.  5:13-20;  compare  Luke  14:34-35;  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  12:13-20. 
/Lev.  2:13;  compare  Ezra  6:9;  Ezek.  43:24. 

k  JTote  the  expression  "covenant  of  salt,"  indicating  the  covenant  be- 
tween Jehovah  and  Israel,  Lev.  2:13;  Numb.  18:19;  compare  2  Chron.  13:5. 


NOT   ONE   JOT   OR   TITTLE    TO    FAIL.  233 

lost/  and,  as  worthless  stuff,  it  would  be  fit  only  to  be 
thrown  away.  Against  such  change  of  faith,  against  such 
admixture  with  the  sophistries,  so-called  philosophies,  and 
heresies  of  the  times,  the  disciples  were  especially  warned. 
Then,  changing  the  figure,  Jesus  likened  them  to  the  light 
of  the  world,  and  enjoined  upon  them  the  duty  of  keeping 
their  light  before  the  people,  as  prominently  as  stands  a  city 
built  upon  a  hill,  to  be  seen  from  all  directions,  a  city  that 
cannot  be  hid.  Of  what  service  would  a  lighted  candle  be 
if  hidden  under  a  tub  or  a  box?  "Let  your  light  so  shine 
before  men,"  said  He,  "that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

That  they  should  make  no  error  as  to  the  relationship  of 
the  ancient  law  and  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  which  He 
was  elucidating,  Jesus  assured  them  that  He  had  not  come 
to  destroy  the  law  nor  to  nullify  the  teachings  and  predic- 
tions of  the  prophets,  but  to  fulfil  such  and  to  establish  that 
for  which  the  developments  of  the  centuries  gone  had  been 
but  preparatory.  The  gospel  may  be  said  to  have  destroyed 
the  Mosaic  law  only  as  the  seed  is  destroyed  in  the  growth 
of  the  new  plant,  only  as  the  bud  is  destroyed  by  the  bursting 
forth  of  the  rich,  full,  and  fragrant  flowers,  only  as  infancy 
and  youth  pass  forever  as  the  maturity  of  years  develops. 
Not  a  jot  or  a  tittle  of  the  law  was  to  be  void.  A  more 
effective  analogy  than  the  last  could  scarcely  have  been  con- 
ceived ;  the  jot  or  yod,  and  the  tittle,  were  small  literary 
marks  in  the  Hebrew  script ;  for  present  purposes  we  may 
regard  them  as  equivalent  to  the  dot  of  an  "i"  or  the  cross 
of  a  "t" ;  with  the  first,  the  jot,  our  English  word  "iota,"  sig- 
nifying a  trifle,  is  related.  Not  even  the  least  commandment 
could  be  violated  without  penalty ;  but  the  disciples  were  ad- 
monished to  take  heed  that  their  keeping  of  the  command- 
ments was  not  after  the  manner  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
whose  observance  was  that  of  ceremonial  externalism,  lack- 

l  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


234  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

ing  the  essentials  of  genuine  devotion  ;  for  they  were  assured 
that  by  such  an  insincere  course  they  could  "in  no  case  enter 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

THE   IvAW   SUPERSEDED   BY   THE  GOSPEL.™ 

The  next  section  of  the  sermon  deals  with  the  superiority 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ  over  the  law  of  Moses,  and  contrasts 
the  requirements  of  the  two  in  particular  instances.  Whereas 
the  law  forbade  murder,  and  provided  a  just  penalty  for  the 
crime,  Christ  taught  that  one's  giving  way  to  anger,  which 
might  possibly  lead  to  violence  or  even  murder,  was  of  itself 
a  sin.  To  maliciously  use  an  offensive  epithet  such  as  "Raca" 
laid  one  liable  to  punishment  under  the  decree  of  the  council, 
and  to  call  another  a  fool  placed  one  "in  danger  of  hell  fire." 
These  objectionable  designations  were  regarded  at  that  time 
as  especially  opprobrious  and  were  therefore  expressive  of 
hateful  intent.  The  murderer's  hand  is  impelled  by  the 
hatred  in  his  heart.  The  law  provided  penalty  for  the  deed ; 
the  gospel  rebuked  the  evil  passion  in  its  incipiency.  To 
emphasize  this  principle,  the  Master  showed  that  hatred  was 
not  to  be  atoned  by  a  material  sacrifice ;  and  that  if  one 
came  to  make  an  offering  at  the  altar,  and  remembered  that 
he  was  at  enmity  with  his  brother,  he  should  first  go  to  that 
brother  and  be  reconciled,  even  though  such  a  course  in- 
volved the  interruption  of  the  ceremonial,  which  was  a  par- 
ticularly grievous  incident  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
priests.  Differences  and  contentions  were  to  be  adjusted 
without  delay. 

The  law  forbade  the  awful  sin  of  adultery ;  Christ  said 
that  the  sin  began  in  the  lustful  glance,  the  sensual  thought ; 
and  He  added  that  it  was  better  to  become  blind  than  to  look 
with  evil  eye;  better  to  lose  a  hand  than  to  work  iniquity 
therewith.  Touching  the  matter  of  divorcement,  in  which 
great  laxity  prevailed  in  that  day,  Jesus  declared  that  except 

m  Matt.  5:21-48;  Luke  6:27-36;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  12:21-48. 


THE   LAW    AND    THE    GOSPEL.  235 

for  the  most  serious  offense  of  infidelity  to  marriage  vows, 
no  man  could  divorce  his  wife  without  becoming  himself  an 
offender,  in  that  she,  marrying  again  while  still  a  wife  not 
righteously  divorced,  would  be  guilty  of  sin,  and  so  would  be 
the  man  to  whom  she  was  so  married. 

Of  old  it  had  been  forbidden  to  swear  or  take  oaths  ex- 
cept in  solemn  covenant  before  the  Lord ;  but  in  the  gospel 
dispensation  the  Lord  forbade  that  men  swear  at  all ;  and  the 
heinousness  of  wanton  oaths  was  expounded.  Grievously 
sinful  indeed  it  was  and  is  to  swear  by  heaven,  which  is  the 
abode  of  God;  or  by  earth,  which  is  His  creation  and  by 
Him  called  His  footstool;  or  by  Jerusalem,  which  was  re- 
garded by  those  who  swore  as  the  city  of  the  great  King; 
or  by  one's  own  head,  which  is  part  of  the  body  God  has 
created.  Moderation  in  speech,  decision  and  simplicity  were 
enjoined,  to  the  exclusion  of  expletives,  profanity  and 
oaths. 

Of  old  the  principle  of  retaliation  had  been  tolerated,  by 
which  one  who  had  suffered  injury  could  exact  or  inflict  a 
penalty  of  the  same  nature  as  the  offense.  Thus  an  eye  was 
demanded  for  the  loss  of  an  eye,  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  a  life 
for  a  life.M  In  contrast,  Christ  taught  that  men  should  rather 
suffer  than  do  evil,  even  to  the  extent  of  submission  without 
resistance  under  certain  implied  conditions.  His  forceful 
illustrations — that  if  one  were  smitten  on  one  cheek  he 
should  turn  the  other  to  the  smiter ;  that  if  a  man  took  an- 
other's coat  by  process  of  law,  the  loser  should  allow  his 
cloak  to  be  taken  also ;  that  if  one  was  pressed  into  service 
to  carry  another's  burden  a  mile,  he  should  willingly  go  two 
miles  ;  that  one  should  readily  give  or  lend  as  asked — are  not 
to  be  construed  as  commanding  abject  subserviency  to  unjust 
demands,  nor  as  an  abrogation  of  the  principle  of  self-pro- 
tection. These  instructions  were  directed  primarily  to  the 
apostles,  who  would  be  professedly  devoted  to  the  work  of 

nExo.  21:23-25;  Lev.  24:17-22;  Deut.  19:21. 


236  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

the  kingdom  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  interests.  In  their 
ministry  it  would  be  better  to  suffer  material  loss  or  personal 
indignity  and  imposition  at  the  hands  of  wicked  oppressors, 
than  to  bring  about  an  impairment  of  efficiency  and  a  hin- 
drance in  work  through  resistance  and  contention.  To  such 
as  these  the  Beatitudes  were  particularly  applicable — Blessed 
are  the  meek,  the  peace-makers,  and  they  that  are  persecuted 
for  righteousness'  sake. 

Of  old  it  had  been  said :  "Love  thy  neighbour,  and  hate 
thine  enemy"  \°  but  the  Lord  now  taught :  "Love  your  ene- 
mies, bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate 
you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  per- 
secute you."  This  was  a  new  doctrine.  Never  before  had 
Israel  been  required  to  love  their  foes.  Friendship  for  ene- 
mies had  found  no  place  in  the  Mosaic  code:  indeed  the 
people  had  grown  to  look  upon  Israel's  enemies  as  God's 
enemies ;  and  now  Jesus  required  that  tolerance,  mercy,  and 
even  love  be  meted  out  to  such!  He  supplemented  the  re- 
quirement by  an  explanation — through  the  course  indicated 
by  Him  men  may  become  children  of  God,  like  unto  their 
Heavenly  Father  to  the  extent  of  their  obedience ;  for  the 
Father  is  kind,  long-suffering  and  tolerant,  causing  His  sun 
to  shine  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sending  rain  for  the 
sustenance  of  both  just  and  unjust.^  And  further,  what 
excellence  has  the  man  who  gives  only  as  he  receives,  ac- 
knowledges only  those  who  salute  him  with  respect,  loves 
only  as  he  is  loved?  Even  the  publicans9  did  that  much. 
Of  the  disciples  of  Christ  much  more  was  expected.  The 
admonition  closing  this  division  of  the  discourse  is  an  effec- 
tive and  comprehensive  summary  of  all  that  had  preceded: 
"Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven  is  perfect?'* 


o  Compare  Lev.  19:18;  Deut.  23:6;  and  Psa.  41:10. 

p  Compare  the  lesson  taught  in  the  Parable  of  the  Tares,  Matt.  13:24-30. 

q  Note  4,  end  of  chapter;  see  also  pages  193  and  201. 

r  Note  5,   end  of  chapter. 


PRAYING  AND   SAYING  PRAYERS.  237 

SINCERITY  OF   PURPOSE/ 

In  the  matter  of  alms-giving  the  Master  warned  against, 
and  inferentially  denounced,  ostentation  and  hypocritical  dis- 
play. To  give  to  the  needy  is  praiseworthy ;  but  to  give  for 
the  purpose  of  winning  the  praise  of  men  is  rank  hypocrisy. 
The  tossing  of  alms  to  a  beggar,  the  pouring  of  offerings 
into  the  temple  treasure  chests,  to  be  seen  of  men/  and  sim- 
ilar displays  of  affected  liberality,  were  fashionable  among 
certain  classes  in  the  time  of  Christ ;  and  the  same  spirit  is 
manifest  today.  Some  there  be  now  who  cause  a  trumpet 
to  be  sounded,  through  the  columns  of  the  press  perchance, 
or  by  other  means  of  publicity,  to  call  attention  to  their 
giving,  that  they  may  have  glory  of  men — to  win  political 
favor,  to  increase  their  trade  or  influence,  to  get  what  in 
their  estimation  is  worth  more  than  that  from  which  they 
part.  With  logical  incisiveness  the  Master  demonstrated  that 
such  givers  have  their  reward.  They  have  received  what 
they  bid  for;  what  more  can  such  men  demand  or  consist- 
ently expect ?  "But"  said  the  Lord,  "when  thou  doest  alms, 
let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth:  that 
thine  alms  may  be  in  secret:  and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in 
secret  himself  shall  reward  thee  openly!' 

In  the  same  spirit  did  the  Preacher  denounce  hypocritical 
prayers — the  saying  of  prayers  in  place  of  praying.  There 
were  many  who  sought  places  of  public  resort,  in  the  syn- 
agogs,  and  even  on  the  street-corners,  that  they  might  be 
seen  and  heard  of  men  when  saying  their  prayers.  They 
secured  the  publicity  they  sought;  what  more  could  they 
ask?  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  their  reward." 
He  who  would  really  pray — pray  as  nearly  as  possible  as 
Christ  prayed,  pray  in  actual  communion  with  God  to  whom 
the  prayer  is  addressed — will  seek  privacy,  seclusion,  isola- 

jMatt.   6:1-18;   compare   Luke   11:2-4;    B.    of   M.,   3  Nephi   13:1-18. 
t  Consider   the   incident   of  the   gifts   of   the   rich   and  the  widow's   mite, 
Mark   12:41-44;    Luke  21:1-4. 


238  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

tion;  if  opportunity  permits  he  will  retire  to  his  chamber, 
and  will  shut  the  door,  that  none  may  intrude ;  there  he  may 
pray  indeed,  if  the  spirit  of  prayer  be  in  his  heart;  and  this 
course  was  commended  by  the  Lord.  Wordy  supplications, 
made  up  largely  of  iterations  and  repetitions  such  as  the 
heathen  use,  thinking  that  their  idol  deities  will  be  pleased 
with  their  much  speaking,  were  forbidden. 

It  is  well  to  know  that  prayer  is  not  compounded  of 
words,  words  that  may  fail  to  express  what  one  desires  to 
say,  words  that  so  often  cloak  inconsistencies,  words  that 
may  have  no  deeper  source  than  the  physical  organs  of 
speech,  words  that  may  be  spoken  to  impress  mortal  ears. 
The  dumb  may  pray,  and  that  too  with  the  eloquence  that 
prevails  in  heaven.  Prayer  is  made  up  of  heart  throbs  and 
the  righteous  yearnings  of  the  soul,  of  supplication  based  on 
the  realization  of  need,  of  contrition  and  pure  desire.  If 
there  lives  a  man  who  has  never  really  prayed,  that  man  is 
a  being  apart  from  the  order  of  the  divine  in  human  nature, 
a  stranger  in  the  family  of  God's  children.  Prayer  is  for  the 
uplifting  of  the  suppliant.  God  without  our  prayers  would 
be  God ;  but  we  without  prayer  cannot  be  admitted  to  the 
kingdom  of  God.  So  did  Christ  instruct:  "your  Father 
knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  before  ye  ask  him." 

Then  gave  He  unto  those  who  sought  wisdom  at  His 
feet,  a  model  prayer,  saying :  "After  this  manner  therefore 
pray  ye : 

"Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  by  thy 
name."  In  this  we  acknowledge  the  relation  we  bear  to  our 
Heavenly  Father,  and  while  reverencing  His  great  and  holy 
Name,  we  avail  ourselves  of  the  inestimable  privilege  of  ap- 
proaching Him,  less  with  the  thought  of  His  infinite  glory 
as  the  Creator  of  all  that  is,  the  Supreme  Being  above  all 
creation,  than  with  the  loving  realization  that  He  is  Father, 
and  that  we  are  His  children.  This  is  the  earliest  Biblical 
scripture  giving  instruction,  permission,  or  warrant,  for  ad- 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  239 

dressing  God  directly  as  "Our  Father".  Therein  is  ex- 
pressed the  reconciliation  which  the  human  family,  estranged 
through  sin,  may  attain  by  the  means  provided  through  the 
well  beloved  Son.  This  instruction  is  equally  definite  in 
demonstrating  the  brotherhood  between  Christ  and  human- 
ity. As  He  prayed  so  pray  we  to  the  same  Father,  we  as 
brethren  and  Christ  as  our  Elder  Brother. 

"Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  it  is 
in  heaven!'  The  kingdom  of  God  is  to  be  a  kingdom  of 
order,  in  which  toleration  and  the  recognition  of  individual 
rights  shall  prevail.  One  who  really  prays  that  this  king- 
dom come  will  strive  to  hasten  its  coming,  by  living  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  God.  His  effort  will  be  to  keep  himself  in 
harmony  with  the  order  of  the  kingdom,  to  subject  the  flesh 
to  the  spirit,  selfishness  to  altruism,  and  to  learn  to  love  the 
things  that  God  loves.  To  make  the  will  of  God  supreme 
on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  is  to  be  allied  with  God  in  the 
affairs  of  life.  There  are  many  who  profess  belief  that  as 
God  is  omnipotent,  all  that  is  is  according  to  His  will.  Such 
a  supposition  is  unscriptural,  unreasonable,  and  untrue." 
Wickedness  is  not  in  harmony  with  His  will;  falsehood, 
hypocrisy,,  vice  and  crime  are  not  God's  gifts  to  man.  By 
His  will  these  monstrosities  that  have  developed  as  hideous 
deformities  in  human  nature  and  life  shall  be  abolished,  and 
this  blessed  consummation  shall  be  reached  when  by  choice, 
without  surrender  or  abrogation  of  their  free  agency,  men 
shall  do  the  will  of  God. 

"Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread."  Food  is  indispensa- 
ble to  life.  As  we  need  it  we  should  ask  for  it.  True,  the 
Father  knows  our  need  before  we  ask,  but  by  asking  we 
acknowledge  Him  as  the  Giver,  and  are  made  humble,  grate- 
ful, contrite,  and  reliant  by  the  request.  Though  the  sun 
shines  and  the  rain  falls  alike  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust, 
the  righteous  man  is  grateful  for  these  blessings;  the  un- 

«Page  18. 


240  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

godly  man  receives  the  benefits  as  a  matter  of  course  with 
a  soul  incapable  of  gratitude.  The  capacity  to  be  grateful 
is  a  blessing,  for  the  possession  of  which  we  should  be 
further  grateful.  We  are  taught  to  pray  day  by  day  for  the 
food  we  need,  not  for  a  great  store  to  be  laid  by  for  the 
distant  future.  Israel  in  the  desert  received  manna  as  a 
daily  supply ,v  and  were  kept  in  mind  of  their  reliance  upon 
Him  who  gave.  The  man  with  much  finds  it  easier  to  forget 
his  dependence  than  he  who  must  ask  with  each  succeeding 
day  of  need. 

"And  j  or  give  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors." 
He  who  can  thus  pray  with  full  intent  and  unmixed  purpose 
merits  forgiveness.  In  this  specification  of  personal  suppli- 
cation we  are  taught  to  expect  only  as  we  deserve.  The 
selfish  and  sinful  would  rejoice  in  exemption  from  their  law- 
ful debts,  but  being  selfish  and  sinful  would  exact  the  last 
farthing  from  those  who  owe  them.w  Forgiveness  is  too 
precious  a  pearl  to  be  cast  at  the  feet  of  the  unforgiving  f 
and,  without  the  sincerity  that  springs  from  a  contrite  heart, 
no  man  may  justly  claim  mercy.  If  others  owe  us,  either  in 
actual  money  or  goods  as  suggested  by  debts  and  debtors,  or 
through  some  infringement  upon  our  rights  included  under 
the  broader  designation  as  a  trespass,  our  mode  of  dealing 
with  them  will  be  taken  into  righteous  account  in  the  judg- 
ment of  our  own  offenses. 

"And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
evil:"  The  first  part  of  this  petition  has  occasioned  com- 
ment and  question.  We  are  not  to  understand  that  God 
would  ever  lead  a  man  into  temptation  except,  perhaps,  by 
way  of  wise  'permission,  to  test  and  prove  him,  thereby 
affording  him  opportunity  of  overcoming  and  so  of  gaining 
spiritual  strength,  which  is  the  only  true  advancement  in 
man's  eternal  course  of  progress.  The  one  purpose  of  pro- 

vExo.  16:16-21. 

a;  Note  the  lesson  of  the  parable  of  the  Unmerciful  Servant,  Matt.  18: 
33-25. 

AT  Compare  Matt.  7:6. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  241 

viding  bodies  for  the  preexistent  spirits  of  the  race,  and  of 
advancing  them  to  the  mortal  state,  was  to  "prove  them 
herewith,  to  see  if  they  will  do  all  things  whatsoever  the 
Lord  their  God  shall  command  them."^  The  plan  of  mor- 
tality involved  the  certainty  of  temptation.  The  intent  of 
the  supplication  appears  to  be  that  we  be  preserved  from 
temptation  beyond  our  weak  powers  to  withstand;  that  we 
be  not  abandoned  to  temptation  without  the  divine  support 
that  shall  be  as  full  a  measure  of  protection  as  our  exercize 
of  choice  will  allow. 

How  inconsistent  then  to  go,  as  many  do,  into  the  places 
where  the  temptations  to  which  we  are  most  susceptible  are 
strongest ;  for  the  man  beset  with  a  passion  for  strong  drink 
to  so  pray  ancj  then  resort  to  the  dramshop;  for  the  man 
whose  desires  are  lustful'to  voice  such  a  prayer  and  then  go 
where  lust'  is  kindled ;  for  the  dishonest  man,  though  he  say 
the  prayer,  to  then  place  himself  where  he  knows  the  oppor- 
tunity to  steal  will  be  found !  Can  such  souls  as  these  be 
other  than  hypocrites  in  asking  God  to  deliver  them  from 
the  evils  they  have  sought?  Temptation  will  fall  in  our 
way  without  our  seeking,  and  evil  will  present  itself  even 
when  we  desire  most  to  do  right ;  for  deliverance  from  such 
we  may  pray  with  righteous  expectation  and  assurance. 

"For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory, 
for  ever.  Amen."  Herein  we  acknowledge  the  supremacy 
of  the  Being  whom  we  addressed  at  the  beginning  as  Father. 
He  is  the  Almighty  in  whom  and  through  whose  provision 
we  live  and  move  and  have  our  existence/  To  assert  inde- 
pendence of  God  is  both  sacrilege  and  blasphemy;  to  ac- 
knowledge Him  is  a  filial  duty  and  a  just  confession  of  His 
majesty  aifd  dominion.  The.  Lord's  Prayer 'is  closed  with  a 
solemn  "Amen,"  set  as  a  seal  to  the  document  of  the  suppli- 
cation, attesting  its  genuineness  as  the  true  expression  of  the 
suppliant's  soul;  gathering  within  the  compass  of  a  word 

y  P.  of  G.  P.,  Abraham  3:25;  see  pages  14,  15,  herein. 
2  Acts   17:28. 


242  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.   17. 

the  meaning  of  all  that  has  been  uttered  or  thought.    So  let 
it  be  is  the  literal  signification  of  Amen. 

From  the  subject  of  prayer  the  Master  turned  to  that  of 
fasting,  and  emphasized  the  important  truth  that  to  be  of 
avail  fasting  must  be  a  matter  between  the  man  and  his  God, 
not  between  man  and  his  kind.  It  was  a  common  thing  in 
the  Master's  day  to  see  men  parading  the  fact  of  their  ab- 
stinence as  an  advertisement  of  their  assumed  piety .a  That 
they  might  appear  haggard  and  faint,  this  class  of  hypocrites 
disfigured  their  faces,  went  with  unkempt  hair,  gazed  about 
with  sad  countenances.  Of  these  also  the  Lord  said,  "Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  They  have  their  reward.'*  Believers  were  ad- 
monished to  fast  secretly,  with  no  outward  display,  and  to 
fast  unto  God,  who  could  see  in  secret  and  would  heed  their 
sacrifice  and  prayer. 

TREASURES   OP   EARTH    AND   OF    HEAVEN. b 

The  transitory  character  of  worldly  wealth  was  next  con- 
trasted with  the  enduring  riches  of  eternity.  Many  there 
were  and  many  there  are  whose  principal  effort  in  life  has 
been  that  of  amassing  treasures  of  earth,  the  mere  possession 
of  which  entails  responsibility,  care,  and  disturbing  anxiety. 
Some  kinds  of  wealth  are  endangered  by  the  ravages  of 
moths,  such  as  silks  and  velvets,  satins  and  furs ;  some  are 
destroyed  by  corrosion  and  rust — silver  and  copper  and  steel ; 
while  these  and  others  are  not  infrequently  made  the  booty 
of  thieves.  Infinitely  more  precious  are  the  treasures  of  a 
life  well  spent,  the  wealth  of  good  deeds,  the  account  of 
which  is  kept  in  heaven,  where  the  riches  of  righteous 
achievement  are  safe  from  moth,  rust,  and  robbers.  Then 
followed  the  trenchant  lesson :  "For  where  your  treasure  is, 
there  will  your  heart  be  also!' 


a  Compare  the  instance  connected  with  the  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and 
the  Publican,  Luke  18:10-14. 

ft  Matt.  6:19-34;  compare  Luke  12:24-34;  16:13;  18:22;  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi 
13:19-34. 


INSTRUCTIONS    TO    THE    APOSTLES.  M3 

Spiritual  light  is  shown  to  be  greater  than  any  product 
of  physical  illuminants.  What  does  the  brightest  light  avail 
the  man  who  is  blind  ?  It  is  the  bodily  eye  that  discerns  the 
light  of  the  candle,  the  lamp,  or  the  sun;  and  the  spiritual 
eye  sees  by  spiritual  light;  if  then  man's  spiritual  eye  be 
single,  that  is,  pure  and  undimmed  by  sin,  he  is  filled  with 
the  light  that  shall  show  him  the  way  to  God ;  whereas  if  his 
soul's  eye  be  evil,  he  will  be  as  one  full  of  darkness.  Solemn 
caution  is  expressed  in  the  summary,  "If  therefore  the  light 
that  is  in  thee  be  darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness!" 
Those  whom  the  Master  was  addressing  had  received  of  the 
light  of  God ;  the  degree  of  belief  they  had  already  professed 
was  proof  of  that.  Should  they  turn  from  the  great  emprise 
on  which  they  had  embarked,  the  light  would  be  lost,  and. 
the  succeeding  darkness  would  be  denser  than  that  from 
which  they  had  been  relieved.c  There  was  to  be  no  inde- 
cision among  the  disciples.  No  one  of  them  could  serve  two 
masters ;  if  he  professed  so  to  do  he  would  be  an  untrue  ser- 
vant to  the  one  or  the  other.  Then  followed  another  pro- 
found generalization :  "Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mam- 
mon."6 

They  were  told  to  trust  the  Father  for  what  they  needed, 
taking  no  thought  of  food,  drink,  clothing,  or  even  of  life 
itself,  for  all  these  were  to  be  supplied  by  means  above  their 
power  to  control.  With  the  wisdom  of  a  Teacher  of  teach- 
ers, the  Master  appealed  to  their  hearts  and  their  understand- 
ing by  citing  the  lessons  of  nature,  in  language  of  such 
simple  yet  forceful  eloquence  that  to  amplify  or  condense  it 
is  but  to  mar: 

"Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air :  for  they  sow  not,  neither  do 
they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns ;  yet  your  heavenly  Father 
feedeth  them.  Are  ye  not  much  better  than  they  ?  Which 
of  you  by  taking  thought  can  add  one  cubit  unto  his  stature? 
And  why  take  ye  thought  for  raiment?  Consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field,  how  they  grow ;  they  toil  not,  neither  do  they 

cLuke   11:34-36, 

d  Compare  Gal.   1:10;  1  Tim.  6:17;  James  4:4;  1  John  2:15. 


244  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   17. 

spin :  and  yet  I  say  unto  you,  That  even  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these." 

i  The  weakness  of  faith  was  reproved  in  the  reminder  that 
the  Father  who  cared  even  for  the  grass  of  the  field,  which 
one  day  flourishes  and  on  the  next  is  gathered  up  to  be 
burned,  would  not  fail  to  remember  His  own.  Therefore 
the  Master  added :  "Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
'.his  righteousness;  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto 


you." 


HYPOCRISY  FURTHER  CONDEMNED.* 


Men  are  prone  to  judge  their  fellows  and  to  praise  or 
censure  without  due  consideration  of  fact  or  circumstance. 
On  prejudiced  or  unsupported  judgment  the  Master  set  His 
disapproval.  "Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged,"  He  ad- 
monished, for,  according  to  one's  own  standard  of  judging 
others,  shall  he  himself  be  judged.  The  man  who  is  always 
ready  to  correct  his  brother's  faults,  to  remove  the  mote  from 
his  neighbor's  eye  so  that  that  neighbor  may  see  things  as  the 
interested  and  interfering  friend  would  have  him  see,  was 
denounced  as  a  hypocrite.  What  was  the  speck  in  his  neigh- 
bor's vision  to  the  obscuring  beam  in  his  own  eye?  Have 
the  centuries  between  the  days  of  Christ  and  our  own  time 
made  us  less  eager  to  cure  the  defective  vision  of  those  who 
cannot  or  will  not  assume  our  point  of  view,  and  see  things 
as  we  see. them? 

These  disciples,  some  of  whom  were  soon  to  minister  in 
the  authority  of  the  Holy  Apostleship,  were  cautioned  against 
the  indiscreet  and  indiscriminate  scattering  of  the  sacred 
truths  and  precepts  committed  to  them.  Their  duty  would 
be  to  discern  the  spirits  of  those  whom  they  essayed  to  teach, 
and  to  impart  unto  them  in  wisdom.  The  words  of  the 
Master  were  strong :  "Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the 
dogs,  neither  cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine,  lest  they 

*Matt.  7:1-5;  Luke  6:37,  38,  41,  42;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  14:1-5. 


THE   LAW   AND   THE    PROPHETS.  245 

trample  them  under  their  feet,  and  turn  again  and  rend 
you."/ 

PROMISE:  AND  REASSURANCE^ 

That  their  supplications  would  be  heard  and  answered 
followed  as  a  rich  promise.  They  were  to  ask  and  they 
would  receive ;  they  were  to  knock  and  the  door  would  be 
opened.  Surely  the  Heavenly  Father  would  not  be  less  con- 
siderate than  a  human  parent ;  and  what  father  would  answer 
his  son's  plea  for  bread  by  giving  him  a  stone,  or  who  would 
give  a  serpent  when  a  fish  was  desired?  With  greater  cer- 
tainty would  God  bestow  good  gifts  upon  those  who  asked 
according  to  their  need,  in  faith.  "Therefore  all  things  what- 
soever ye  zvould  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so 
to  them:  for  this  is  the  lazv  and  the  prophets." 

The  straight  and  narrow  way  by  which  man  may  walk  in 
Godliness  was  compared  with  the  broad  highway  leading  to 
destruction.  False  prophets  were  to  be  shunned,  such  as 
were  then  among  the  people,  comparable  in  their  pretense  to 
sheep,  and  in  their  reality  to  ravening  wolves.  These  were 
to  be  recognized  by  their  works  and  the  results  thereof,  even 
as  a  tree  is  to  be  judged  as  good  or  bad  according  to  its 
fruit.  A  thorn  bush  does  not  produce  grapes,  nor  can  this- 
tles bear  figs.  Conversely,  it  is  as  truly  impossible  for  a 
good  tree  to  produce  evil  fruit  as  for  a  useless  and  corrupt 
tree  to  bring  forth  good  fruit. 

Religion  is  more  than  the  confession  and  profession  of 
the  lips.  Jesus  averred  that  in  the  day  of  judgment  many 
would  pretend  allegiance  to  Him,  saying:  "Lord,  Lord, 
have  we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name  ?  and  in  thy  name  have 
cast  out  devils?  and  in  thy  name  done  many  wonderful 
works?  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew 
you :  depart  from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity."  Only  by  doing 

/Matt.  7:6;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Neph?  14:6. 

0Matt.  7:7-23;  Luke  6:43-44,  46;  11:9-13;  13:24-30;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3 
Nephi  14:7-23. 


246  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

the  will  of  the  Father  is  the  saving  grace  of  the  Son  obtain- 
able. To  assume  to  speak  and  act  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
without  the  bestowal  of  authority,  such  as  the  Lord  alone 
can  give,  is  to  add  sacrilege  to  hypocrisy.  Even  miracles 
wrought  will  be  no  vindication  of  the  claims  of  those  who 
pretend  to  minister  in  the  ordinances  of  tho  gospel  while 
devoid  of  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood.7* 

HEARING   AND  DOING.* 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  has  stood  through  all  the 
years  since  its  delivery  without  another  to  be  compared  with 
it.  No  mortal  man  has  ever  since  preached  a  discourse  of  its 
kind.  The  spirit  of  the  address  is  throughout  that  of  sin- 
cerity and  action,  as  opposed  to  empty  profession  and  neg- 
lect. In  the  closing  sentences  the  Lord  showed  the  useless- 
ness  of  hearing  alone,  as  contrasted  with  the  efficacy  of 
doing.  The  man  who  hears  and  acts  is  likened  unto  the  wise 
builder  who  set  the  foundation  of  his  house  upon  a  rock ;  and 
in  spite  of  rain  and  hurricane  and  flood,  the  house  stood.  He 
that  hears  and  obeys  not  is  likened  unto  the  foolish  man  who 
built  his  house  upon  the  sand ;  and  when  rain  fell,  or  winds 
blew,  or  floods  came,  behold  it  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall 
thereof. 

Such  doctrines  as  these  astonished  the  people.  For  His 
distinctive  teachings  the  Preacher  had  cited  no  authority  but 
His  own.  His  address  was  free  from  any  array  of  rabbinical 
precedents ;  the  law  was  superseded  by  the  gospel :  "For  he 
taught  them  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes." 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  17. 

i.  Time  and  Place  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. — Matthew 
gives  the  address  early  mention,  placing  it  even  before  the  record 
of  his  own  call  from  the  seat  of  custom — which  call  certainly 
preceded  the  ordination  of  the  Twelve  as  a  body — and  before  his 
account  of  many  sayings  and  doings  of  the  Lord  already  con- 
sidered in  these  pages.  Luke's  partial  summary  of  the  sermon 

h  "Articles   of  Faith,"   x:l-20;   and  xii:l-30. 

I  Matt,   7:24-29;   Luke  6:46-49;   compare   B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi   14:24-27, 


NOTES.  247 

follows  his  record  of  the  ordination  of  the  apostles.  Matthew 
tells  us  that  Jesus  had  gone  up  the  mountain  and  that  He  sat 
while  speaking;  Luke's  account  suggests  the  inference  that  Jesus 
and  the  Twelve  first  descended  from  the  mountain  heights  to  a 
plain,  where  they  were  met  by  the  multitude,  and  that  Jesus 
preached  unto  them,  standing.  Critics  who  rejoice  in  trifles, 
often  to  the  neglect  of  weightier  matters,  have  tried  to  make 
much  of  these  seeming  variations.  Is  it  not  probable  that  Jesus 
spoke  at  length  on  the  mountain-side  to  the  disciples  then  pres- 
ent, and  from  whom  He  had  chosen  the  Twelve,  and  that  after 
finishing  His  discourse  to  them  He  descended  with  them  to  the 
plain  where  a  multitude  had  assembled,  and  that  to  these  He 
repeated  parts  of  what  He  had  before  spoken?  The  relative 
fulness  of  Matthew's  report  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  he,  as 
one  of  the  Twelve,  was  present  at  the  first  and  more  extended 
delivery. 

2.  Pleasure  Versus  Happiness. — "The  present  is  an  age  of 
pleasure-seeking,  and  men  are  losing  their  sanity  in  the  mad 
rush  for  sensations  that  do  but  excite  and  disappoint.  In  this 
day  of  counterfeits,  adulterations,  and  base  imitations,  the  devil 
is  busier  than  he  has  ever  been  in  the  course  of  human  history, 
in  the  manufacture  of  pleasures,  both  old  and  new;  and  these  he 
offers  for  sale  in  most  attractive  fashion,  falsely  labeled,  Happi- 
ness. In  this  soul-destroying  craft  he  is  without  a  peer ;  he  has 
had  centuries  of  experience  and  practise,  and  by  his  skill  he 
controls  the  market.  He  has  learned  the  tricks  of  the  trade,  and 
knows  well  how  to  catch  the  eye  and  arouse  the  desire  of  his 
customers.  He  puts  up  the  stuff  in  bright-colored  packages,  tied 
with  tinsel  string  and  tassel;  and  crowds  flock  to  his  bargain 
counters,  hustling  and  crushing  one  another  in  their  frenzy  to 
buy. 

"Follow  one  of  the  purchasers  as  he  goes  "off  gloatingly  with 
his  gaudy  packet,  and  watch  him  as  he  opens  it.  What  finds  he 
inside  the  gilded  wrapping?  He  has  expected  fragrant  happi- 
ness, but  uncovers  only  an  inferior  brand  of  pleasure,  the  stench 
of  which  is  nauseating. 

"Happiness  includes  all  that  is  really  desirable  and  of  true 
worth  in  pleasure,  and  much  beside.  Happiness  is  genuine  gold, 
pleasure  but  gilded  brass,  which  corrodes  in  the  hand,  and  is 
soon  converted  into  poisonous  verdigris.  Happiness  is  as  the 
genuine  diamond,  which,  rough  or  polished,  shines  with  its  own 
inimitable  luster ;  pleasure  is  as  the  paste  imitation  that  glows 
only  when  artificially  embellished.  Happiness  is  as  the  ruby, 
red  as  the  heart's  blood,  hard  and  enduring;  pleasure,  as  stained 
glass,  soft,  brittle,  and  of  but  transitory  beauty. 

"Happiness  is  true  food,  wholesome,  nutritious  and  sweet;  it 
builds  up  the  body  and  generates  energy  for  action,  physical, 
mental  and  spiritual;  pleasure  is  but  a  deceiving  stimulant  which, 
like  spirituous  drink,  makes  fcne  think  he  is  strong  when  in 
reality  enfeebled;  makes  him  fancy  he  is  well  when  in  fact 
stricken  with  deadly  malady. 

"Happiness  leaves   no   bad    after-taste,   it   is    followed   by   no 


248  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    17. 

depressing  reaction;  it  calls  for  no  repentance,  brings  no  regret, 
entails  no  remorse;  pleasure  too  often  makes  necessary  repent- 
ance, contrition,  and  suffering;  and,  if  indulged  to  the  extreme, 
it  brings  degradation  and  destruction. 

"True  happiness  is  lived  over  and  over  again  in  memory, 
always  with  a  renewal  of  the  original  good;  a  moment  of  unholy 
pleasure  may  leave  a  barbed  sting,  which,  like  a  thorn  in  the 
flesh,  is  an  ever-present  source  of  anguish. 

"Happiness  is  not  akin  with  levity,  nor  is  it  one  with  light- 
minded  mirth.  It  springs  from  the  deeper  fountains  of  the  soul, 
and  is  not  infrequently  accompanied  by  tears.  Have  you  never 
been  so  happy  that  you  have  had  to  weep?  I  have." — From  an 
article  by  the  author,  Improvement  Era,  vol.  17,  No.  2,  pp.  172,  173. 

3.  Salt  of  the  Earth. — Dummelow's  Commentary,    on  Matt. 
5:13,    states:      "Salt    in    Palestine,    being   gathered    in    an    impure 
state,   often    undergoes   chemical   changes    by   which    its    flavor    is 
destroyed   while   its   appearance   remains."      Perhaps    a   reasonable 
interpretation  of  the  expression,  "if  the  salt  have  lost  his  savor," 
may  be  suggested  by  the  fact  that  salt  mixed  with  insoluble  im- 
purities may  be   dissolved  out  by  moisture,   leaving  the  insoluble 
residue  but   slightly  salty.     The  lesson  of   the   Lord's  illustration 
is  that  spoiled  salt  is  of  no  use  as  a  preservative.     The  corre- 
sponding   passage    in    the    sermon    delivered    by    Jesus    to    the 
Nephites    after    His    resurrection    reads :     "Verily,    verily,    I    say 
unto  you,  I  give  unto  you  to  be  the  salt  of  the  earth;  but  if  the 
salt   shall   lose   its   savor,   wherewith   shall   the   earth   be    salted? 
The   salt  shall  be  thenceforth  good  for  nothing,  but  to  be  cast 
out,  and  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  men."   (3  Nephi  12:13.) 

4.  Reference  to   Publicans. — Observe   that   Matthew,   who 
had  been  a  publican,  frankly  records  this  reference   (5:46,  47)   to 
his  despized  class."    Luke  writes   "sinners"  instead  of   "publicans" 
(6:32-34).     Of  course,  if  the  accounts  of  the  two  writers  refer 
to  separate  addresses   (see  Note  i,  above),  both  may  be  accurate. 
But  we  find   Matthew's   designation   of   himself   as   a  publican  in 
his  list  of  the  apostles  (10:3)  and  the  considerate  omission  of  the 
unenviable  title  by  the  other  evangelists   (Mark  3:18;  Luke  6:15). 

5.  Relative  Perfection. — Our  Lord's  admonition  to  men  to 
become  perfect,  even  as  the  Father  is  perfect  (Matt  5:48)  cannot 
rationally    be    construed    otherwise    than    as    implying    the    possi- 
bility  of    such    achievement.      Plainly,    however,    man    cannot   be- 
come perfect  in  mortality  in  the  sense  in   which  God  is   perfect 
as  a  supremely  glorified   Being.     It  is   possible,  though,   for  man 
to  be  perfect  in  his  sphere  in  a  sense  analogous  to  that  in  which 
superior    intelligences    are    perfect    in    their    several    spheres ;    yet 
the  relative  perfection  of  the  lower  is  infinitely  inferior  to  that 
of  the  higher.     A  college  student  in  his   freshman  or  sophomore 
year  may  be  perfect  as   freshman  or  sophomore;  his  record  may 
possibly  be   a  hundred   per   cent   on   the    scale   of   efficiency  and 
achievement;   yet   the   honors   of   the   upper   classman   are   beyond 
him,  and  the  attainment  of  graduation  is  to  him  remote,  but  of 
assured  possibility,  if  he  do  but  continue  faithful  and  devoted  to 
the  end. 


THE   SERVANT  OF   A   GENTILE    HEALED.  249 


CHAPTER    18. 
AS  ONE  HAVING  AUTHORITY. 

Matthew's  account  of  the  invaluable  address,  known  to  us 
as  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  is  closed  with  a  forceful  sen- 
tence of  his  own,  referring  to  the  effect  of  the  Master's 
words  upon  the  people :  "For  he  taught  them  as  one  having 
authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes."0  A  striking  characteristic 
of  Christ's  ministry  was  the  entire  absence  of  any  claim  of 
human  authorization  for  His  words  or  deeds;  the  commis- 
sion He  professed  to  have  was  that  of  the  Father  who  sent 
Him.  His  addresses,  whether  delivered  to  multitudes  or 
spoken  in  relative  privacy  to  few,  were  free  from  the  labored 
citations  in  which  the  teachers  of  the  day  delighted.  His 
authoritative  "I  say  unto  you"  took  the  place  of  invocation  of 
authority  and  exceeded  any  possible  array  of  precedent  com- 
mandment or  deduction.  In  this  His  words  differed  essen- 
tially from  the  erudite  utterances  of  scribes,  Pharisees  and 
rabbis.  Throughout  His  ministry,  inherent  power  and  au- 
thority were  manifest  over  matter  and  the  forces  of  nature, 
over  men  and  demons,  over  life  and  death.  It  now  becomes 
our  purpose  to  consider  a  number  of  instances  in  which  the 
lyOrd's  power  was  demonstrated  in  divers  mighty  works. 

THE  CENTURION'S  SERVANT  HEALED.& 

From  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes  Jesus  returned  to  Caper- 
naum, whether  directly  or  by  a  longer  way  marked  by  other 
works  of  power  and  mercy  is  of  little  importance.  There 
was  at  that  time  a  Roman  garrison  in  the  city.  A  military 
officer,  a  centurion  or  captain  of  a  hundred  men,  was  sta- 
tioned there.  Attached  to  the  household  of  this  officer  was 


a  Matt.    7:29;   compare   Luke   4:32;   John   7:46. 
&  Luke   7:1-10;   compare   Matt.   8:5-13. 


250  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

an  esteemed  servant,  who  was  ill,  "and  ready  to  die."  The 
centurion  had  faith  that  Christ  could  heal  his  servant,  and 
invoked  the  intercession  of  the  Jewish  elders  to  beg  of  the 
Master  the  boon  desired.  These  elders  implored  Jesus  most 
earnestly,  and  urged  the  worthiness  of  the  man,  who,  though 
a  Gentile,  loved  the  people  of  Israel  and  out  of  his  munifi- 
cence had  built  for  them  a  synagog  in  the  town.  Jesus  went 
with  the  elders,  but  the  centurion,  probably  learning  of  the 
approach  of  the  little  company,  hastily  sent  other  envoys  to 
say  that  he  did  not  consider  himself  worthy  to  have  Jesus 
enter  his  home,  from  which  sense  of  unworthiness  he  had 
not  ventured  to  make  his  request  in  person/  "But,"  ran  the 
message  of  supplication,  "say  a  word,  and  my  servant 
shall  be  healed."  We  may  well  contrast  this  man's  concep- 
tion of  Christ's  power  with  that  of  the  nobleman  of  the  same 
town,  who  had  requested  Jesus  to  hasten  in  person  to  the 
side  of  his  dying  son/* 

The  centurion  seems  to  have  reasoned  in  this  way :  He 
himself  was  a  man  of  authority,  though  under  the  direction 
of  superior  officers.  To  his  subordinates  he  gave  orders 
which  were  obeyed.  He  did  not  find  it  necessary  to  per- 
sonally attend  to  the  carrying  out  of  his  instructions.  Surely 
One  who  had  such  power  as  Jesus  possessed  could  command 
and  be  obeyed.  Moreover,  the  man  may  have  heard  of  the 
marvelous  restoration  of  the  nobleman's  dying  son,  in  accom- 
plishing which  the  Lord  spoke  the  effective  word  when  miles 
away  from  the  sufferer's  bed.  That  the  centurion's  trust 
and  confidence,  his  belief  and  faith,  were  genuine,  is  not  to 
be  doubted,  since  Jesus  expressly  commended  the  same.  The 
afflicted  one  was  healed.  Jesus  is  said  to  have  marveled* 
at  the  centurion's  manifestation  of  faith,  and,  turning  to  the 
people  who  followed,  He  thus  spake:  "I  say  unto  you,  I 
have  not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel."  This  re- 

c  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 

d  John   4:46-53;    see  page  177. 

e  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


A    YOUNG    MAN    RAISED    FROM    THE   DEAD.  251 

mark  may  have  caused  some  of  the  listeners  to  wonder  ;  the 
Jews  were  unaccustomed  to  hear  the  faith  of  a  Gentile  so  ex- 
tolled, for,  according  to  the  traditionalism  of  the  day,  a 
Gentile,  even  though  an  earnest  proselyte  to  Judaism,  was 
accounted  essentially  inferior  to  even  the  least  worthy  of  the 
chosen  people.  Our  Lord's  comment  plainly  'indicated  that 
Gentiles  would  be  preferred  in  the  kingdom  of  God  if  they 
excelled  in  worthiness.  Turning  to  Matthew's  record  we 
find  this  additional  teaching,  introduced  as  usual  with  "I  say 
unto  you"  —  "That  many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  west, 
and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But  the  children  of  the  king- 
dom shall  be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness  :  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  "/  This  lesson,  that  the 
supremacy  of  Israel  can  be  attained  only  through  excellence 
in  righteousness,  is  reiterated  and  enlarged  upon  in  the 
Lord's  teachings,  as  we  shall  see. 


A   YOUNG    MAN    OF    NAIN    RAISED   FROM    THIS 


On  the  day  after  that  of  the  miracle  last  considered,  Jesus 
went  to  the  little  town  of  Na-in,  and,  as  usual,  many  people 
accompanied  Him.  This  day  witnessed  what  in  human  esti- 
mation was  a  wonder  greater  than  any  before  wrought  by 
Him.  He  had  already  healed  many,  sometimes  by  a  word 
spoken  to  afflicted  ones  present,  and  again  when  He  was  far 
from  the  subject  of  His  beneficent  power  ;  bodily  diseases  had 
been  overcome,  and  demons  had  been  rebuked  at  His  com- 
mand ;  but,  though  the  sick  who  were  nigh  unto  death  had 
been  saved  from  the  grave,  we  have  no  earlier  record  of  our 
Lord  having  commanded  dread  death  itself  to  give  back  one 
it  had  claimed.  ^  As  Jesus  and  His  followers  approached 
the  town,  they  met  a  funeral  cortege  of  many  people;  the 

/Matt.  8:11,  12;  see  also  Luke  13:28.  29:  compare  Acts  10:45, 

pLuke  7:11-17. 

h  Note  3,  end  of  chapter, 


252  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

only  son  of  a  widow  was  being  borne  to  the  tomb ;  the  body 
was  carried  according  to  the  custom  of  the  day  on  an  open 
bier.  Our  Lord  looked  with  compassion  upon  the  sorrow- 
ing mother,  now  bereft  of  both  husband  and  son ;  and,  feel- 
ing in  Himself1'  the  pain  of  her  grief,  He  said  in  gentle  tone, 
"Weep  not."  He  touched  the  stretcher  upon  which  the  dead 
man  lay,  and  the  bearers  stood  still.  Then  addressing  the 
corpse  He  said :  "Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise."  And 
the  dead  heard  the  voice  of  Him  who  is  Lord  of  all/  and 
immediately  sat  up  and  spoke.  Graciously  Jesus  delivered 
the  young  man  to  his  mother.  We  read  without  wonder 
that  there  came  a  fear  on  all  who  were  present,  and  that  they 
glorified  God,  testifying  that  a  great  prophet  was  amongst 
them  and  that  God  has  visited  His  people.  Reports  of  this 
miracle  were  carried  throughout  the  land,  and  even  reached 
the  ears  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  was  confined  in  the  prison 
of  Herod.  The  effect  of  the  information  conveyed  to  John 
concerning  this  and  other  mighty  works  of  Christ,  now 
claims  our  attention. 

JOHN  BAPTIST'S  MESSAGE  TO  JESUS. 

Even  before  Jesus  had  returned  to  Galilee  after  His  bap- 
tism and  the  forty  days  of  solitude  in  the  wilderness,  John 
the  Baptist  had  been  imprisoned  by  order  of  Herod  Antipas, 
tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea.^  During  the  subsequent 
months  of  our  Lord's  activities,  in  preaching  the  gospel, 
teaching  the  true  significance  of  the  kingdom,  reproving  sin, 
healing  the  afflicted,  rebuking  evil  spirits  and  even  raising 
the  dead  to  life,  His  forerunner,  the  God-fearing,  valiant 
John,  had  lain  a  prisoner  in  the  dungeons  of  Machserus,  one 
of  the  strongest  of  Herod's  citadels.7 

iMatt.  8:17;  compare  Isa.  53:4. 

/Luke  20:36,  38;  compare  Acts  10:42;  2  Tim.  4:1;  1  Peter  4:5;  Rom.   14:9. 
k  Matt.  4:12;  Mark  1:14;  Luke  3:19,  20;   see  Note  2,  chap.  9,  page  119,  and 
Note  4,  end  of  this  chapter. 
/  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


JOHN   THE  BAPTIST  IN   PRISON.  253 

The  tetrarch  had  some  regard  for  John,  having  found  him 
to  be  a  holy  man ;  and  many  things  had  Herod  done  on  the 
direct  advice  of  the  Baptist  or  because  of  the  influence  of  the 
latter's  general  teaching.  Indeed,  Herod  had  listened  to 
John  gladly,  and  had  imprisoned  him  through  a  reluctant 
yielding  to  the  importunities  of  Herodias,  whom  Herod 
claimed  as  a  wife  under  cover  of  an  illegal  marriage.  Her- 
odias had  been  and  legally  was  still  the  wife  of  Herod's 
brother  Philip,  from  whom  she  had  never  been  lawfully 
divorced ;  and  her  pretended  marriage  to  Herod  Antipas  was 
both  adulterous  and  incestuous  under  Jewish  law.  The  Bap- 
tist had  fearlessly  denounced  this  sinful  association;  to 
Herod  he  had  said :  "It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  thy 
brother's  wife."  Though  Herod  might  possibly  have  ignored 
this  stern  rebuke,  or  at  least  might  have  allowed  it  to  pass 
without  punishment,  Herodias  would  not  condone.  It  was 
she,  not  the  tetrarch,  who  most  hated  John ;  she  "had  a  quar- 
rel against  him,"  and  succeeded  in  inducing  Herod  to  have 
the  Baptist  seized  and  incarcerated  as  a  step  toward  the 
consummation  of  her  vengeful  plan  of  having  him  put  to 
death.™  Moreover,  Herod  feared  an  uprising  of  the  people 
in  the  event  of  John  being  slain  by  his  order." 

In  the  course  of  his  long  imprisonment  John  had  heard 
much  of  the  marvelous  preaching  and  works  of  Christ;  these 
things  must  have  been  reported  to  him  by  some  of  his  disci- 
ples and  friends  who  were  allowed  to  visit  him.*  Particularly 
was  he  informed  of  the  miraculous  raising  of  the  young  man 
at  Nain  mf  and  forthwith  he  commissioned  two  of  his  disciples 
to  bear  a  message  of  inquiry  to  Jesus. q  These  came  to  Christ 
and  reported  the  purpose  of  their  visit  thus :  "John  Baptist 
hath  sent  us  unto  thee,  saying,  Art  thou  he  that  should  come  ? 

mMark   6:17-20. 
nMatt.    14:5. 

o  Matt.  11 :2.  Note  a  similar  liberty  allowed  to  Paul  when  in  durance, 
Acts  24:23. 

/'Luke  7:18;   Matt.    11:2. 

q  Matt.   11:2-6;   Luke  7:18-23. 


254:  JESUS  THE  C&RIST.  [CHAP.  18. 

or  look  we  for  another  ?"  The  messengers  found  Jesus  en- 
gaged in  beneficent  ministrations ;  and,  instead  of  giving  an 
immediate  reply  in  words,  He  continued  His  labor,  relieving 
in  that  same  hour  many  who  were  afflicted  by  blindness  or 
infirmities,  or  who  were  troubled  by  evil  spirits.  Then, 
turning  to  the  two  who  had  communicated  the  Baptist's  ques- 
tion, Jesus  said :  "Go  your  way,  and  tell  John  what  things 
ye  have  seen  and  heard ;  how  that  the  blind  see,  the  lame 
walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are 
raised,  to  the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached.  And  blessed  is  he, 
whosoever  shall  not  be  offended  in  me." 

The  words  of  John's  inquiring  disciples  were  answered 
by  wondrous  deeds  of  beneficence  and  mercy.  When  the 
reply  was  reported  to  John,  the  imprisoned  prophet  could 
scarcely  have  failed  to  remember  the  predictions  of  Isaiah, 
that  by  those  very  tokens  of  miracle  and  blessing  should  the 
Messiah  be  known  \r  and  the  reproof  must  have  been  con- 
vincing and  convicting  as  he  called  to  mind  his  own  citations 
of  Isaiah's  prophecies,  when  he  had  proclaimed  in  fiery, 
withering  eloquence  the  fulfilment  of  those  earlier  predic- 
tions in  his  own  mission  and  in  that  of  the  Mightier  One  to 
whom  he  had  borne  personal  testimony/ 

The  concluding  sentence  of  our  Lord's  answer  to  John 
was  the  climax  of  what  had  preceded,  and  a  further  though 
yet  gentle  rebuke  of  the  Baptist's  defective  comprehension  of 
the  Messiah's  mission.  "Blessed  is  he,  whosoever  shall  not 
be  offended  in  me,"  said  the  Lord.  Misunderstanding  is  the 
prelude  to  offense.  Gaged  by  the  standard  of  the -then  cur- 
rent conception  of  what  the  Messiah  would  be,  the  work  of 
Christ  must  have  appeared  to  many  as  failure ;  and  those  who 
were  looking  for  some  sudden  manifestation  of  His  power  in 
the  conquest  of  Israel's  oppressors  and  the  rehabilitation  of 
the  house  of  David  in  worldly  splendor,  grew  impatient,  then 

rlsa.   35:5,   6. 

j  Matt.  3:3;  compare  Isa.  40:3;  Matt.  3:7;  compare  Isa.  59:5;  Luke  3:6; 
compare  Isa.  52:10. 


JOHN  BAPTIST'S  MESSAGE  TO  CHRIST.  255 

doubtful ;  afterward  they  took  offense  and  were  in  danger  of 
turning  in  open  rebellion  against  their  Lord.  Christ  has 
been  an  offender  to  many  because  they,  being  out  of  har- 
mony with  His  words  and  works,  have  of  themselves  taken 
offense/ 

John's  situation  must  be  righteously  considered  by  all 
who  assume  to  render  judgment  as  to  his  purpose  in  sending 
to  inquire  of  Christ,  "Art  thou  he  that  should  come?"  John 
thoroughly  understood  that  his  own  work  was  that  of  prepar- 
ation ;  he  had  so  testified  and  had  openly  borne  witness  that 
Jesus  was  the  One  for  whom  he  had  been  sent  to  prepare. 
With  the  inauguration  of  Christ's  ministry,  John's  influence 
had  waned,  and  for  many  months  he  had  been  shut  up  in  a 
cell,  chafing  under  his  enforced  inactivity,  doubtless  yearning 
for  the  freedom  of  the  open,  and  for  the  locusts  and  wild 
honey  of  the  desert.  Jesus  was  increasing  while  he  de- 
creased in  popularity,  influence,  and  opportunity ;  and  he  had 
affirmed  that  such  condition  was  inevitable.1* 

But,  left  in  prison,  he  may  have  become  despondent,  and 
may  have  permitted  himself  to  wonder  whether  that  Mightier 
One  had  forgotten  him.  He  knew  that  were  Jesus  to  speak' 
the  word  of  command  the  prison  of  Machaerus  could  no 
longer  hold  him;  nevertheless  Jesus  seemed  to  have  aban- 
doned him  to  his  fate,  which  comprized  not  only  confinement 
but  other  indignities,  and  physical  tortured  It  may  have 
been  a  part  of  John's  purpose  to  call  Christ's  attention  to  his 
pitiable  plight ;  and  in  this  respect  his  message  was  rather  a 
reminder  than  a  plain  inquiry  based  on  actual  doubt.  In- 
deed, we  have  good  grounds  for  inference  that  John's  pur- 
pose in  sending  disciples  to  inquire  of  Christ  was  partly,  and 
perhaps  largely,  designed  to  confirm  in  those  disciples  an 


fMatt.  13:57;  24:10;  26:31;  Mark  6:3;  14:27;  John  6:61.  Note  6,  end  of 
chapter. 

u  John    3 :30. 

v  Note  that  Jesus  compared  the  sufferings  of  John  while  in  prison  as  in 
part  comparable  to  those  He  would  Himself  have  to  endure,  in  that  they  did 
unto  John  "whatsoever  they  listed"  (Matt.  17:12;  Mark  9:13). 


256  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

abiding  faith  in  the  Christ.  The  commission  with  which  they 
were  charged  brought  them  into  direct  communication  with 
the  Lord,  whose  supremacy  they  could  not  well  fail  to  com- 
prehend. They  were  personal  witnesses  of  His  power  and 
authority. 

Our  Lord's  commentary  on  John's  message  indicated  that 
the  Baptist  had  no  full  understanding  of  what  the  spiritual 
kingdom  of  God  comprized.  After  the  envoys  had  departed, 
Jesus  addressed  Himself  to  the  people  who  had  witnessed  the 
interview.  He  would  not  have  them  underrate  the  im- 
portance of  the  Baptist's  service.™  He  reminded  them  of  the 
time  of  John's  popularity,  when  some  of  those  then  present, 
and  multitudes  of  others,  had  gone  into  the  wilderness  to 
hear  the  prophet's  stern  admonition ;  and  they  had  found  him 
to  be  no  reed,  shaken  by  the  wind,  but  a  firm  and  unbending 
oak.  They  had  not  gone  to  see  a  man  in  fashionable  attire ; 
those  who  wore  soft  raiment  were  to  be  looked  for  in  the 
court  of  the  king,  not  in  the  wilderness,  nor  in  the  dungeon 
where  John  now  lay.  They  had  found  in  John  a  prophet 
indeed,  yea,  more  than  a  prophet ;  "For,"  affirmed  the  Lord, 
•"I  say  unto  you,  Among  those  that  are  born  of  women  there 
is  not  a  greater  prophet  than  John  the  Baptist :  but  he  that 
is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  God  is  greater  than  he."*  What 
stronger  testimony  of  the  Baptist's  integrity  is  needed? 
Other  prophets  had  told  of  the  Messiah's  coming,  but  John 
had  seen  Him,  had  baptized  Him,  and  had  been  to  Jesus  as 
a  body  servant  to  his  master.  Nevertheless  from  the  day  of 
John's  preaching  to  the  time  at  which  Christ  then  spoke,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  had  been  rejected  with  violence,  and 
this  even  though  all  the  prophets  and  even  the  fundamental 
law  had  told  of  its  coming,  and  though  both  John  and  Christ 
had  been  abundantly  predicted. 

Concerning  John,  the  Lord  continued:    "And  if  ye  will 

wLuke  7:24-30;   see  also  Matt.   11:7-14;   compare  Christ's   testimony  of 
John  Baptist  delivered  at  Jerusalem,  John  5:33-35» 
jrLuke  7:28;  see  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ELIAS  THAT  WAS  TO  COME.  257 

receive  it,  this  is  Elias,  which  was  for  to  come.  He  that 
hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."^  It  is  important  to  know 
that  the  designation,  Elias,  here  applied  by  Jesus  to  the  Bap- 
tist, is  a  title  rather  than  a  personal  name,  and  that  it  has  no 
reference  to  Elijah,  the  ancient  prophet  called  the  Tishbite/ 
Many  of  those  who  heard  the  Lord's  eulogy  on  the  Baptist 
rejoiced,  for  they  had  accepted  John,  and  had  turned  from 
him  to  Jesus  as  from  the  lesser  to  the  Greater,  as  from  the 
priest  to  the  great  High  Priest,  as  from  the  herald  to  the 
King.  But  Pharisees  and  lawyers  were  present,  those  of  the 
class  that  John  had  so  vehemently  denounced  as  of  a  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  and  those  who  had  rejected  the  counsel  of 
God  in  refusing  to  heed  the  Baptist's  call  to  repentance.0 

At  this  point  the  Master  resorted  to  analogy  to  make  His 
meaning  clearer.  He  compared  the  unbelieving  and  dis- 
satisfied generation  to  fickle  children  at  play,  disagreeing 
among  themselves.  Some  wanted  to  enact  the  pageantry 
of  a  mock  wedding,  and  though  they  piped  the  rest  would 
not  dance ;  then  they  changed  to  a  funeral  procession  and 
essayed  the  part  of  mourners,  but  the  others  would  not  weep 
as  the  rules  of  the  game  required.  Ever  critical,  ever  skep- 
tical, by  nature  fault-finders  and  defamers,  hard  of  hearing 
and  of  heart,  they  grumbled.  John  the  Baptist  had  come 
amongst  them  like  the  eremitic  prophets  of  old,  as  strict  as 
any  Nazarite,  refusing  to  eat  with  the  merry-makers  or  drink 
with  the  convivial,  and  they  had  said  "He  hath  a  devil." 
Now  came  the  Son  of  Man,&  without  austerity  or  hermit 
ways,  eating  and  drinking  as  a  normal  man  would  do,  a 
guest  at  the  houses  of  the  people,  a  participant  in  the  festivi- 
ties of  a  marriage  party,  mingling  alike  with  the  publicans 
and  the  Pharisees — and  they  complained  again,  saying :  "Be- 
hold a  gluttonous  man,  and  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  pub- 

jMatt.    11:12-15;    compare    17:12;    Luke    1:17. 
arNote  8,  end  of  chapter, 
a  Matt.  3:7;  Luke  7:30. 
fcPage  142. 

9 


258  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

licans  and  sinners !"  The  Master  explained  that  such  incon- 
sistency, such  wicked  trifling  with  matters  most  sacred,  such 
determined  opposition  to  truth,  would  surely  be  revealed 
in  their  true  light,  and  the  worthlessness  of  boasted  learning 
would  appear.  "But,"  said  He,  "wisdom  is  justified  of  all 
her  children." 

From  reproof  for  unbelieving  individuals  He  turned  to 
unappreciative  communities,  and  upbraided  the  cities  in 
which  He  had  wrought  so  many  mighty  works,  and  wherein 
the  people  repented  not:  "Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin!  woe 
unto  thee,  Bethsaida!  for  if  the  mighty  works,  which  were 
done  in  you,  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  they  would 
have  repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  But  I  say 
unto  you,  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at 
the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  you.  And  thou,  Capernaum, 
which  art  exalted  unto  heaven,  shalt  be  brought  down  to 
hell :  for  if  the  mighty  works,  which  have  been  done  in  thee, 
had  been  done  in  Sodom,  it  would  have  remained  until  this 
day.  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for 
the  land  of  Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  thee."c 

Seemingly  faint  at  heart  over  the  unbelief  of  the  people, 
Jesus  sought  strength  in  prayer.**  With  the  eloquence  of 
soul  for  which  one  looks  in  vain  save  in  the  anguish-laden 
communion  of  Christ  with  His  Father,  He  voiced  His  rev- 
erent gratitude  that  God  had  imparted  a  testimony  of  the 
truth  to  the  humble  and  simple  rather  than  to  the  learned 
and  great;  though  misunderstood  by  men  He  was  known 
for  what  He  really  was  by  the  Father.  Turning  again  to  the 
people,  He  urged  anew  their  acceptance  of  Him  and  His 
gospel,  and  His  invitation  is  one  of  the  grandest  outpourings 
of  spiritual  emotion  known  to  man :  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye 
that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest. 
Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek 


cMatt.    11:20-24;    compare   Luke   10:13-15. 
JMatt.  11:25-27;  compare  Luke  10:21.  22, 


VICTIM  OF  A  WOMAN'S  VENGEANCE. 

and  lowly  in  heart :  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls. 
For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light. "e  He  invited 
them  from  drudgery  to  pleasant  service ;  from  the  well-nigh 
unbearable  burdens  of  ecclesiastical  exactions  and  traditional 
formalism,  to  the  liberty  of  truly  spiritual  worship;  from 
slavery  to  freedom;  but  they  would  not.  The  gospel  He 
offered  them  was  the  embodiment  of  liberty,  but  not  of 
license ;  it  entailed  obedience  and  submission ;  but  even  if 
such  could  be  likened  unto  a  yoke,  what  was  its  burden  in 
comparison  with  the  incubus  under  ,which  they  groaned  ? 

DEATH  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

Reverting  to  John  Baptist  in  his  dungeon  solitude,  we  are 
left  without  information  as  to  how  he  received  and  under- 
stood the  reply  to  his  inquiry,  as  brought  by  his  messengers. 
His  captivity  was  destined  soon  to  end,  though  not  by  restor- 
ation to  liberty  on  earth.  The  hatred  of  Herodias  increased 
against  him.  An  opportunity  for  carrying  into  effect  her 
fiendish  plots  against  his  life  soon  appeared/  The  king 
celebrated  his  birthday  by  a  great  feast,  to  which  his  lords, 
high  captains,  and  the  principal  officials  of  Galilee  were  bid- 
den. To  grace  the  occasion,  Salome,  daughter  of  Herodias 
though  not  of  Herod,  came  in  and  danced  before  the  com- 
pany. So  enchanted  were  Herod  and  his  guests  that  the  king 
bade  the  damsel  ask  whatever  she  would,  and  he  swore  he 
would  give  it  unto  her,  even  though  the  gift  were  half  of 
his  kingdom. 

She  retired  to  consult  her  mother  as  to  what  she  should 
ask,  and,  being  instructed,  returned  with  the  appalling  de- 
mand :  "I  will  that  thou  give  me  by  and  by  in  a  charger  the 
head  of  John  the  Baptist."  The  king  was  astounded ;  his 
amazement  was  followed  by  sorrow  and  regret ;  nevertheless 
he  dreaded  the  humiliation  that  would  follow  a  violation  of 


*Matt.   11:28-30. 
/Mark  6:21-29. 


260  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   18. 

the  oath  he  had  sworn  in  the  presence  of  his  court ;  so,  sum- 
moning an  executioner,  he  immediately  gave  the  fatal  order ; 
and  John  was  forthwith  beheaded  in  the  dungeon.  The 
headsman  returned,  carrying  a  dish  in  which  lay  the  ghastly 
trophy  of  the  corrupt  queen's  vengeance.  The  bloody  gift 
was  delivered  to  Salome,  who  carried  it  with  inhuman  tri- 
umph to  her  mother.  Some  of  John's  disciples  came,  se- 
cured the  corpse,  laid  it  in  a  tomb ;  and  bore  the  tidings  of 
his  death  to  Jesus.  Herod  was  sorely  troubled  over  the 
murder  he  had  ordered;  and  when,  later,  the  marvels 
wrought  by  Jesus  were  reported  to  him,  he  was  afraid,  and 
said :  "That  John  the  Baptist  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
therefore  mighty  works  do  shew  forth  themselves  in  him." 
To  those  who  dissented,  the  terrified  king  replied :  "It  is 
John,  whom  I  beheaded :  he  is  risen  from  the  dead."^ 

So  ended  the  life  of  the  prophet-priest,  the  direct  pre- 
cursor of  the  Christ ;  thus  was  stilled  the  mortal  voice  of  him 
who  had  cried  so  mightily  in  the  wilderness:  "Prepare  y6 
the  way  of  the  Lord."  After  many  centuries  his  voice  has 
been  heard  again,  as  the  voice  of  one  redeemed  and  resur- 
rected ;  and  the  touch  of  his  hand  has  again  been  felt,  in  this 
the  dispensation  of  restoration  and  fulness.  In  May,  1829, 
a  resurrected  personage  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery,  announced  himself  as  John,  known  of  old  as  the 
Baptist,  laid  his  hands  upon  the  two  young  men,  and  con- 
ferred upon  them  the  priesthood  of  Aaron,  which  comprizes 
authority  to  preach  and  minister  the  gospel  of  repentance 
and  of  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins./l 

IN   THE   HOUSE  OP   SIMON   THE   PHARISEE. 

"And  one  of  the  Pharisees  desired  him  that  he  would  eat 
with  him.  And  he  went  into  the  Pharisee's  house,  and  sat 
down  to  meat."* 


0Mark  6:14-16. 

h  "Articles  of  Faith,"  x:18;  also  chapter  41,  herein. 

t'Luke  7:36;  see  further,  verses  37-50. 


CHRIST'S  RECEPTION  IN  SIMON'S  HOUSE.  261 

From  the  place  of  this  incident  in  Luke's  narration  of 
events,  it  appears  that  it  may  have  occurred  on  the  day  of  the 
visit  of  John's  messengers.  Jesus  accepted  the  Pharisee's  in- 
vitation, as  He  had  accepted  the  invitations  of  others,  includ- 
ing even  publicans,  and  those  called  by  the  rabbis,  sinners. 
His  reception  at  Simon's  house  appears  to  have  been  some- 
what lacking  in  warmth,  hospitality  and  honorable  attend- 
ance. The  narrative  suggests  an  attitude  of  condescension 
on  the  part  of  the  host.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  times  to 
treat  a  distinguished  guest  with  marked  attention ;  to  receive 
him  with  a  kiss  of  welcome,  to  provide  water  for  washing 
the  dust  from  his  feet,  and  oil  for  anointing  the  hair  of  the 
head  and  the  beard.  All  these  courteous  attentions  were 
omitted  by  Simon.  Jesus  took  His  place,  probably  on  one 
of  the  divans  or  couches  on  which  it  was  usual  to  partly  sit, 
partly  recline,  while  eating/  Such  an  attitude  would  place 
the  feet  of  the  person  outward  from  the  table.  In  addition 
to  these  facts  relating  to  the  usages  of  the  time  it  should  be 
further  remembered  that  dwellings  were  not  protected 
against  intrusion  by  such  amenities  of  privacy  as  now  pre- 
vail. It  was  not  unusual  at  that  time  in  Palestine  for  visitors 
and  even  strangers,  usually  men  however,  to  enter  a  house 
at  meal  time,  observe  the  procedure  and  even  speak  to  the 
guests,  all  without  bidding  or  invitation. 

Among  those  who  entered  Simon's  house  while  the  meal 
was  in  progress,  was  a  woman ;  and  the  presence  of  a  woman, 
though  somewhat  unusual,  was  not  strictly  a  social  impro- 
priety and  could  not  well  be  forbidden  on  such  an  occasion. 
But  this  woman  was  one  of  the  fallen  class,  a  woman  who 
had  been  unvirtuous,  and  who  had  to  bear,  as  part  of  the 
penalty  for  her  sins,  outward  scorn  and  practical  ostracism 
from  those  who  professed  to  be  morally  superior.  She  ap- 
proached Jesus  from  behind,  and  bent  low  to  kiss  His  feet 
as  a  mark  of  humility  on  her  part  and  of  respectful  homage 

/Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 


262  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

to  Him.  She  may  have  been  one  of  those  who  had  heard 
His  gracious  words,  spoken  possibly  that  day :  "Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest."  Whatever  her  motive  in  coming,  she  had  certain- 
ly come  in  a  repentant  and  deeply  contrite  state.  As  she 
leaned  over  the  feet  of  Jesus  her  tears  rained  upon  them. 
Seemingly  oblivious  of  her  surroundings  and  of  disapprov- 
ing eyes  watching  her  movements,  she  shook  out  her  tresses 
and  wiped  the  Lord's  feet  with  her  hair.  Then,  opening  an 
alabaster  box  of  ointment,  she  anointed  them,  as  a  slave 
might  do  to  his  master.  Jesus  graciously  permitted  the 
woman  to  proceed  unrebuked  and  uninterrupted  in  her  hum- 
ble service  inspired  by  contrition  and  reverent  love. 

Simon  had  observed  the  whole  proceeding;  by  some 
means  he  had  knowledge  as  to  the  class  to  which  this  woman 
belonged;  and  though  not  aloud,  within  himself  he  said: 
"This  man,  if  he  were  a  prophet,  would  have  known  who  and 
what  manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him :  for  she  is 
a  sinner."  Jesus  read  the  man's  thoughts,  and  thus  spake : 
"Simon,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee,"  to  which  the 
Pharisee  replied,  "Master,  say  on."  Jesus  continued,  "There 
was  a  certain  creditor  which  had  two  debtors :  the  one  owed 
five  hundred  pence,  and  the  other  fifty.  And  when  they  had 
nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave  them  both.  Tell  me 
therefore,  which  of  them  will  love  him  most?"  But  one 
answer  could  be  given  with  reason,  and  that  Simon  gave, 
though  apparently  with  some  hesitation  or  reserve.  He  pos- 
sibly feared  that  he  might  involve  himself.  "I  suppose,"  he 
ventured,  "that  he,  to  whom  he  forgave  most."  Jesus  said, 
"Thou  hast  rightly  judged,"  and  proceeded:  "Seest  thou 
this  woman  ?  I  entered  into  thine  house,  thou  gavest  me  no 
water  for  my  feet ;  but  she  hath  washed  my  feet  with  tears, 
and  wiped  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head.  Thou  gavest 
me  no  kiss;  but  this  woman  since  the  time  I  came  in  hath 
not  ceased  to  kiss  my  feet.  My  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not 


FORGIVENESS   GRANTED  A   PENITENT  SINNER.  263 

anoint,  but  this  woman  hath  anointed  my  feet  with  oint- 
ment." 

The  Pharisee  could  not  fail  to  note  so  direct  a  reminder 
of  his  having  omitted  the  ordinary  rites  of  respect  to  a  spe- 
cially invited  guest.  The  lesson  of  the  story  had  found  its 
application  in  him,  even  as  Nathan's  parable  had  drawn  from 
David  the  king  a  self -convicting  answer.*  "Wherefore," 
Jesus  continued,  "I  say  unto  thee,  Her  sins,  which  are  many, 
are  forgiven ;  for  she  loved  much :  but  to  whom  little  is  for- 
given, the  same  loveth  little."  Then  to  the  woman  He  spake 
the  words  of  blessed  relief :  "Thy  sins  are  forgiven."  Simon 
and  the  others  at  table  murmured  within  themselves,  "Who 
is  this  that  forgiveth  sins  also?"  Understanding  their  un- 
spoken protest,  Christ  addressed  the  woman  again,  saying, 
"Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee;  go  in  peace." 

The  latter  part  of  the  narrative  brings  to  mind  another 
occasion  on  which  Christ  granted  remission  of  sins,  and  be- 
cause of  opposition  in  the  minds  of  some  hearers,  opposition 
none  the  less  real  because  unvoiced,  had  supplemented  His 
authoritative  utterance  by  another  pronouncement.7 

The  name  of  the  woman  who  thus  came  to  Christ,  and 
whose  repentance  was  so  sincere  as  to  bring  to  her  grateful 
and  contrite  soul  the  assurance  of  remission,  is  not  recorded. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  she  figures  in  any  other  incident 
recorded  in  scripture.  By  certain  writers  she  has  been  rep- 
resented as  the  Mary  of  Bethany  who,  shortly  before  Christ's 
betrayal,  anointed  the  head  of  Jesus  with  spikenard  ;m  but  the 
assumption  of  identity  is  wholly  unfounded/*  and  constitutes 
an  unjustifiable  reflection  upon  the  earlier  life  of  Mary,  the 
devoted  and  loving  sister  of  Martha  and  Lazarus.  Equally 
wrong  is  the  attempt  made  by  others  to  identify  this  repent- 
ant and  forgiven  sinner  with  Mary  Magdalene,  no  period  of 

k2  Sam.  12:1-7. 

/Matt.  9:2-6;  Mark  2:5-7;  page  191  herein. 
wMatt.  26:6,  7;  Mark  14:3;  John  11:2. 
it  Note  10.  end  of 


264  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

whose  life  was  marked  by  the  sin  of  unchastity  so  far  as  the 
scriptures  aver.  The  importance  of  guarding  against  mis- 
takes in  the  identity  of  these  women  renders  advisable  the 
following  addition  to  the  foregoing  treatment. 

In  the  chapter  following  that  in  which  are  recorded  the 
incidents  last  considered,  Luke*  states  that  Jesus  went 
throughout  the  region,  visiting  every  city  and  village,  preach- 
ing the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  and  showing  the  glad  tidings 
thereof.  With  Him  on  this  tour  were  the  Twelve,  and  also 
"certain  women,  which  had  been  healed  of  evil  spirits  and 
infirmities,  Mary  called  Magdalene,  out  of  whom  went  seven 
devils,  and  Joanna  the  wife  of  Chuza  Herod's  steward,  and 
Susanna,  and  many  others,  which  ministered  unto  him  of 
their  substance."  Further  reference  is  made  to  some  or  all 
of  these  honorable  women  in  connection  with  the  death, 
burial,  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord,  and  of  Mary  Magdalene 
particular  mention  appears/  Mary  Magdalene,  whose  sec- 
ond name  is  probably  derived  from  her  home  town,  Magdala, 
had  been  healed  through  the  ministrations  of  Jesus  from  both 
physical  and  mental  maladies,  the  latter  having  been  asso- 
ciated with  possession  of  evil  spirits.  Out  of  her  we  are  told 
Christ  had  cast  seven  devils,*?  but  even  such  grievous  afflic- 
tion affords  no  warrant  for  the  asertion  that  the  woman  was 
unvirtuous  or  unchaste. 

Mary  Magdalene  became  one  of  the  closest  friends  Christ 
had  among  women ;  her  devotion  to  Him  as  her  Healer  and 
as  the  One  whom  she  adored  as  the  Christ,  was  unswerving ; 
she  stood  close  by  the  cross  while  other  women  tarried  afar 
off  in  the  time  of  His  mortal  agony ;  she  was  among  th*e  first 
at  the  sepulchre  on  the  resurrection  morning,  and  was  the 
first  mortal  to  look  upon  and  recognize  a  resurrected  Being 
— the  Lord  whom  she  had  loved  with  all  the  fervor  of  spir- 

oLuke  8:1-3. 

f  Matt.  27:55.  56,  61;  28:1,   5;   Mark   15:40.  47;   16:1,  9;   Luke  23:49.  55; 
24:10,  22;  John  19:25;  20:1.  13,  18. 
16:9;    Luke  8:2. 


MARY   MAGDALENE   UNJUSTLY    CENSURED.  265 

itual  adoration.  To  say  that  this  woman,  chosen  from  among 
women  as  deserving  of  such  distinctive  honors,  was  once  a 
fallen  creature,  her  soul  seared  by  the  heat  of  unhallowed 
lust,  is  to  contribute  to  the  perpetuating  of  an  error  for  which 
there  is  no  excuse.  Nevertheless  the  false  tradition,  arising 
from  early  and  unjustifiable  assumption,  that  this  noble 
woman,  distinctively  a  friend  of  the  Lord,  is  the  same  who, 
admittedly  a  sinner,  washed  and  anointed  the  Savior's  feet 
in  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  and  gained  the  boon  of 
forgiveness  through  contrition,  has  so  tenaciously  held  its 
place  in  the  popular  mind  through  the  centuries,  that  the 
name,  Magdalene,  has  come  to  be  a  generic  designation  for 
women  who  fall  from  virtue  and  afterward  repent.  We  are 
not  considering  whether  the  mercy  of  Christ  could  have  been 
extended  to  such  a  sinner  as  Mary  of  Magdala  is  wrongly 
reputed  to  have  been ;  man  cannot  measure  the  bounds  nor 
fathom  the  depths  of  divine  forgiveness ;  and  if  it  were  so 
that  this  Mary  and  the  repentant  sinner  who  ministered  to 
Jesus  as  He  sat  at  the  Pharisee's  table  were  one  and  the 
same,  the  question  would  stand  affirmatively  answered,  for 
that  woman  who  had  been  a  sinner  was  forgiven.  We  are 
dealing  with  the  scriptural  record  as  a  history,  and  nothing 
said  therein  warrants  the  really  repellant  though  common 
imputation  of  unchastity  to  the  devoted  soul  of  Mary  Mag- 
dalene. 

CHRIST'S  AUTHORITY  ASCRIBED  TO  BEELZEBUB/ 

At  the  time  of  our  Lord's  earthly  ministry,  the  curing  of 
the  blind,  deaf,  or  dumb  was  regarded  as  among  the  greatest 
possible  achievements  of  medical  science  or  spiritual  treat- 
ment; and  the  subjection  or  casting  out  of  demons  was  rank- 
ed among  the  attainments  impossible  to  rabbinical  exorcism. 
Demonstrations  of  the  Lord's  power  to  heal  and  restore,  even 
in  cases  universally  considered  as  incurable,  had  the  effect  of 

rMatt.   12:24-45;  compare  9:33,  34;   see  also  Mark  3:22-30;  Luke  11:14-24 


JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

intensifying  the  hostility  of  the  sacerdotal  classes ;  and  they, 
represented  by  the  Pharisaic  party,  evolved  the  wholly  incon- 
sistent and  ridiculous  suggestion  that  miracles  were  wrought 
by  Jesus  through  the  power  of  the  prince  of  devils,  with 
whom  He  was  in  league/ 

While  the  Lord  was  making  His  second  missionary  tour 
through  Galilee,  going  about  through  "all  the  cities  and  vil- 
lages, teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  every  sickness  and  every  disease 
among  the  people,"*  the  absurd  theory  that  Christ  was  Him- 
self a  victim  of  demoniacal  possession,  and  that  He  oper- 
ated by  the  power  of  the  devil,  was  urged  and  enlarged  upon 
until  it  became  the  generally  accepted  explanation  among 
the  Pharisees  and  their  kind.  Jesus  had  withdrawn  Him- 
self for  a  time  from  the  more  populous  centers,  where  He 
was  constantly  watched  by  emissaries,  whom  the  ruling 
classes  had  sent  from  Jerusalem  into  Galilee;  for  the  Phar- 
isees were  in  conspiracy  against  Him,  seeking  excuse  and  op- 
portunity to  take  His  life ;  but  even  in  the  smaller  towns  and 
rural  districts  He  was  followed  and  beset  by  great  multi- 
tudes, to  whom  He  ministered  for  both  physical  and  spiritual 
ailments.1* 

He  urged  the  people  to  refrain  from  spreading  His 
fame ;  and  this  He  may  have  done  for  the  reason  that  at  that 
stage  of  His  work  an  open  rupture  with  the  Jewish  hier- 
archy would  have  been  a  serious  hindrance;  or  possibly  He 
desired  to  leave  the  rulers,  who  were  plotting  against  Him, 
time  and  opportunity  to  brew  their  bitter  enmity  and  fill  to 
the  brim  the  flagons  of  their  determined  iniquity.  Matthew 
sees  in  the  Lord's  injunctions  against  publicity  a  fulfilment 
of  Isaiah's  prophecy  that  the  chosen  Messiah  would  not 
strive  nor  cry  out  on  the  street  to  attract  attention,  nor 
would  He  use  His  mighty  power  to  crush  even  a  bruised 

sMatt.  9:34. 
fMatt.  9:35. 
wMatt.  12:14-15. 


CHRIST'S  POWER  FALSELY  ASCRIBED  TO  BEELZEBUB.     267 

reed,  or  to  quench  even  the  smoking  flax;  He  would  not 
fail  nor  be  discouraged,  but  would  victoriously  establish  just 
judgment  upon  the  earth  for  the  Gentiles,  as  well  as,  by 
implication,  for  Israel.*'  The  figure  of  the  bruised  reed  and 
the  smoking  flax  is  strikingly  expressive  of  the  tender  care 
with  which  Christ  treated  even  the  weakest  manifestation 
of  faith  and  genuine  desire  to  learn  the  truth,  whether  ex- 
hibited by  Jew  or  Gentile. 

Soon  after  His  return  from  the  missionary  tour  referred 
to,  an  excuse  for  the  Pharisees  to  assail  Him  was  found  in 
His  healing  of  a  man  who  was  under  the  influence  of  a 
demon,  and  was  both  blind  and  dumb.  This  combination  of 
sore  afflictions,  affecting  body,  mind,  and  spirit,  was  re- 
buked, and  the  sightless,  speechless  demoniac  was  relieved 
of  his  three-fold  burden.^  At  this  triumph  over  the  powers 
of  evil  the  people  were  the  more  amazed  and  said :  "Is  not 
this  the  son  of  David?"  in  other  words,  Can  this  be  any 
other  than  the  Christ  we  have  been  so  long  expecting  ?  The 
popular  judgment  so  voiced  maddened  the  Pharisees,  and 
they  told  the  almost  adoring  people :  "This  fellow  doth  not 
cast  out  devils,  but  by  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  devils." 
Jesus  took  up  the  malicious  charge  and  replied  thereto,  not 
in  anger  but  in  terms  of  calm  reason  and  sound  logic.  He 
laid  the  foundation  of  His  defense  by  stating  the  evident 
truth  that  a  kingdom  divided  against  itself  cannot  endure 
but  must  surely  suffer  disruption.  If  their  assumption  were 
in  the  least  degree  founded  on  truth,  Satan  through  Jesus 
would  be  opposing  Satan.  Then,  referring  to  the  supersti- 
tious practises  and  exorcisms  of  the  time,  by  which  some 
such  effects  as  we  class  today  under  mind  cures  were  ob- 
tained, He  asked:  "If  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by 
whom  do  your  children  cast  them  out?  therefore  they  shall 
be  your  judges."  And  to  make  the  demonstration  plainer 
by  contrast,  He  continued :  "But  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  the 

v  Matt.   12:17-20;  compare  Isa.  42:1. 
wMatt.   12:22,   23. 


JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.   18. 

Spirit  of  God,  then  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  unto  you." 
By  the  acceptance  of  either  proposition,  and  surely  one  was 
true,  for  the  fact  that  Jesus  did  cast  out  devils  was  known 
throughout  the  land  and  was  conceded  in  the  very  terms  of 
the  charge  now  brought  against  Him,  the  accusing  Phari- 
sees stood  defeated  and  condemned. 

But  the  illustration  went  further.  Jesus  continued :  "Or 
else  how  can  one  enter  into  a  strong  man's  house,  and  spoil 
his  goods,  except  he  first  bind  the  strong  man  ?  and  then  he 
will  spoil  his  house."  Christ  had  attacked  the  stronghold  of 
Satan,  had  driven  his  evil  spirits  from  the  human  taber- 
nacles of  which  they  had  unwarrantably  taken  possession; 
how  could  Christ  have  done  this  had  He  not  first  subdued 
the  "strong  man,"  the  master  of  devils,  Satan  himself?  And 
yet  those  ignorant  scholars  dared  to  say  in  the  face  of  such 
self-evident  refutation  of  their  own  premises,  that  the 
powers  of  Satan  were  subdued  by  Satanic  agency.  There 
could  be  no  agreement,,  no  truce  nor  armistice  between  the 
contending  powers  of  Christ  and  Satan.  Offering  a  sug- 
gestion of  self-judgment  to  His  accusers,  that  they  might 
severally  decide  on  which  side  they  were  aligned,  Jesus 
added :  "He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me ;  and  he  that 
gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth  abroad." 

Then,  the  demonstration  being  complete,  and  the  absurd- 
ity of  His  opponents'  assumption  proved,  Christ  directed 
their  thoughts  to  the  heinous  sin  of  condemning  the  power 
and  authority  by  which  Satan  was  overcome.  He  had 
proved  to  them  on  the  basis  of  their  own  proposition  that 
He,  having  subdued  Satan,  was  the  embodiment  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  and  that  through  Him  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
brought  to  them.  They  rejected  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
sought  to  destroy  the  Christ  through  whom  that  Spirit 
was  made  manifest.  What  blasphemy  could  be  greater? 
Speaking  as  one  having  authority,  with  the  solemn  affirm- 
ation "I  say  unto  you,"  He  continued :  "All  manner  of  sin 


UNPARDONABLE  SIN.  269 

and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men:  but  the  blas- 
phemy against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto 
men.  And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word  against  the  Son  of 
man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him :  but  whosover  speaketh 
against  the\Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither 
in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come." 

Who  among  men  can  word  a  more  solemn  and  awful 
warning  against  the  danger  of  committing  the  dread  un- 
pardonable sin?*  Jesus  was  merciful  in  His  assurance  that 
words  spoken  against  Himself  as  a  Man,  might  be  forgiven ; 
but  to  speak  against  the  authority  He  possessed,  and  par- 
ticularly to  ascribe  that  power  and  authority  to  Satan,  was 
very  near  to  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  which 
sin  there  could  be  no  forgiveness.  Then,  in  stronger  terms, 
which  developed  into  cutting  invective,  He  told  them  to  be 
consistent — if  they  admitted  that  the  result  of  His  labors 
was  good,  as  the  casting  out  of  devils  surely  was,  to  be 
likened  unto  good  fruit — why  did  they  not  acknowledge 
that  the  power  by  which  such  results  were  attained,  in  other 
words  that  the  tree  itself,  was  good  ?  "Either  make  the  tree 
good,  and  his  fruit  good ;  or  else  make  the  tree  corrupt,  and 
his  fruit  corrupt :  for  the  tree  is  known  by  his  fruit."  With 
burning  words  of  certain  conviction  He  continued :  "O 
generation  of  vipers,  how  can  ye,  being  evil,  speak  good 
things?  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh."  By  the  truths  He  had  made  so  plain  it  was  evi- 
dent that  their  accusing  words  were  drawn  from  hearts 
stored  with  evil  treasure.  Moreover  their  words  were 
shown  to  be  not  only  malicious  but  foolish,  idle  and  vain,  and 
therefore  doubly  saturated  with  sin.  Another  authoritative 
declaration  followed:  "But  I  say  unto  you,  That  every  idle 
word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof 
in  the  day  of  judgment." 

11,  end  of  chapter. 


270  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18, 


AFTER 

The  Master's  lesson,  enforced  though  it  was  by  illustra- 
tion and  analogy,  by  direct  application,  and  by  authoritative 
avowal,  fell  on  ears  that  were  practically  deaf  to  spiritual 
truth,  and  found  no  place  in  hearts  already  stuffed  with 
great  stores  of  evil.  To  the  profound  wisdom  and  saving 
instruction  of  the  word  of  God  to  which  they  had  listened, 
they  responded  with  a  flippant  request  :  "Master,  we  would 
see  a  sign  from  thee."  Had  they  not  already  seen  signs  in 
profusion  ?  Had  not  the  blind  and  the  deaf,  the  dumb  and 
the  infirm,  the  palsied  and  the  dropsical,  and  people  afflicted 
with  all  manner  of  diseases,  been  healed  in  their  houses,  on 
their  streets,  and  in  their  synagogs;  had  not  devils  been 
cast  out  and  their  foul  utterances  been  silenced  by  His  word  ; 
and  had  not  the  dead  been  raised,  and  all  by  Him  whom 
they  now  importuned  for  a  sign?  They  would  have  some 
surpassing  wonder  wrought,  to  satisfy  curiosity,  or  perhaps 
to  afford  them  further  excuse  for  action  against  Him  —  they 
wanted  signs  to  waste  on  their  lust."  Small  wonder,  that 
"he  sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit"  when  such  demands  were 
made.0  To  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  who  had  shown  such 
inattention  to  His  words,  He  replied:  "An  evil  and  adul- 
terous generation**  seeketh  after  a  sign;  and  there  shall  no 
sign  be  given  to  it,  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas." 

The  sign  of  Jonas  (or  Jonah)  was  that  for  three  days  he 
had  been  in  the  belly  of  the  fish  and  then  had  been  restored 
to  liberty;  so  would  the  Son  of  Man  be  immured  in  the 
tomb,  after  which  He  would  rise  again.  That  was  the  only 
sign  He  would  give  them,  and  by  that  would  they  stand 
condemned.  Against  them  and  their  generation  would  the 


yMatt.   12:38-45;  compare  16:1;   Mark  8:11;  Luke  11:16,  29;   John  2:18;   J 
Cor.  1:22. 

zDoc.  and  Cov.  46:9;  compare  63:7-12, 

a  Mark  8:12. 

b  Note  12,  end  of  chapter. 


AN    EVIL   AND   ADULTEROUS    GENERATION.  271 

men  of  Nineveh  rise  in  judgment,  for  they,  wicked  as  they 
were,  had  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas ;  and  behold  a 
greater  than  Jonas  was  among  them.c  The  queen  of  Sheba 
would  rise  in  judgment  against  them,  for  she  had  journeyed 
far  to  avail  herself  of  Solomon's  wisdom ;  and  behold  a 
greater  than  Solomon  stood  before  them.** 

Then,  reverting  to  the  matter  of  unclean  and  evil  spirits, 
in  connection  with  which  they  had  spread  the  accusation  that 
He  was  one  of  the  devil's  own,  He  told  them,  that  when  a 
demon  is  cast  out,  he  tries  after  a  season  of  loneliness  to 
return  to  the  house  or  body  from  which  he  had  been  ex- 
pelled; and,  finding  that  house  in  order,  sweet  and  clean 
since  his  filthy  self  had  been  forced  to  vacate  it,  he  calls 
other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself,  and  they  take  pos- 
session of  the  man,  and  make  his  state  worse  than  it  was  at 
first/  In  this  weird  example  is  typified  the  condition  of 
those  who  have  received  the  truth,  and  thereby  have  been 
freed  from  the  unclean  influences  of  error  and  sin,  so  that 
in  mind  and  spirit  and  body  they  are  as  a  house  swept  and 
garnished  and  set  in  cleanly  order,  but  who  afterward  re- 
nounce the  good,  open  their  souls  to  the  demons  of  false- 
hood and  deceit,  and  become  more  corrupt  than  before. 
"Even  so,"  declared  the  Lord,  "shall  it  be  also  unto  this 
wicked  generation." 

Though  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  were  mostly  uncon- 
vinced, if  at  all  really  impressed  by  His  teachings,  our  L,ord 
was  not  entirely  without  appreciative  listeners.  A  woman 
in  the  company  raised  her  voice  in  an  invocation  of  blessing 
on  the  mother  who  had  given  birth  to  such  a  Son,  and  on 
the  breasts  that  had  suckled  Him.  While  not  rejecting  this 
tribute  of  reverence,  which  applied  to  both  mother  and  Son, 
Jesus  answered  :  "Yea,  rather  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the 
word  of  God,  and  keep  it."/ 

c  Jonah   chaps.    1-4. 

dl   Kings   10:1;  2  Chron.  9:1;   compare  Luke  11:31. 

*Matt.    12:43-45;    Luke   11:24-26. 

/Luke   11:27,  28. 


272  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 


CHRIST'S  MOTHER  AND  BRETHREN  COME)  TO  SEE  HIM.? 


While  Jesus  was  engaged  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
and  a  great  number  of  others,  possibly  at  or  near  the  con- 
clusion of  the  teachings  last  considered,  word  was  passed  to 
Him  that  His  mother  and  His  brethren  were  present  and  de- 
sired to  speak  with  Him.  On  account  of  the  press  of  people 
they  had  been  unable  to  reach  His  side.  Making  use  of  the 
circumstance  to  impress  upon  all  the  fact  that  His  work 
took  precedence  over  the  claims  of  family  and  kinship,  and 
thereby  explaining  that  He  could  not  meet  His  relatives  at 
that  moment,  He  asked,  "Who  is  my  mother?  and  who  are 
my  brethren?"  Answering  His  own  question  and  express- 
ing in  the  answer  the  deeper  thought  in  His  mind,  He  said, 
pointing  toward  His  disciples  :  "Behold  my  mother  and  my 
brethren!  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and 
mother." 

The  incident  reminds  one  of  the  answer  He  made  to  His 
mother,  when  she  and  Joseph  had  found  Him  in  the  temple 
after  their  long  and  anxious  search:  "How  is  it  that  ye 
sought  me?  wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's 
business?"^  In  that  business  He  was  engaged  when  His 
mother  and  brethren  desired  to  speak  with  Him  as  He  sat 
amidst  the  crowd.  The  superior  claims  of  His  Father's 
work  caused  Him  to  let  all  minor  matters  wait.  We  are 
not  justified  in  construing  these  remarks  as  evidence  of  dis- 
respect, far  less  of  filial  and  family  disloyalty.  Devotion, 
similar  in  kind  at  least,  was  expected  by  Him  of  the  apostles, 
who  were  called  to  devote  without  reserve  their  time  and 
talents  to  the  ministry.*  The  purpose  on  which  the  relatives 
of  Jesus  had  come  to  see  Him  is  not  made  known  ;  we  may 


12:46-50;  Mark  8:31-35;  Luke  8:19-21. 
h  Luke  2  :49.    Page  114  herein. 
»Matt.  10:37;  compare  Luke  14:26. 


NOTES.  273 

infer,  therefore,  that  it  was  of  no  great  importance  beyond 
the  family  circle.'* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  18. 

1.  The  Two  Accounts  of  the  Miracle. — In  the  commentary 
on  the  miraculous  healing  of  the  centurion's  servant,  as  given  in 
the    text,    we    have    followed    in    the    main    Luke's    more    circum- 
stantial   account.      Matthew's    briefer    statement    of    the    officer's 
petition,    and    the    Lord's    gracious    compliance    therewith,    repre- 
sents the  man  as  coming  in  person  to  Jesus;  while  Luke  refers 
to    the    elders    of    the    local    synagog    as    presenting    the    request. 
There    is    here    no    real    discrepancy.     It    was    then    allowable,    as 
in  our  time  it  is,  to  speak  of   one  who  causes   something  to  be 
done  as  doing  that  thing  himself.     One  may  properly  be  said  to 
notify  another,  when  he  sends  the  notification  by  a  third  party. 
A  man  may  say  he  has  built  a  house,  when  in  reality  others  did 
the  work  of  building  though  at  his  instance.     An  architect  may 
with  propriety  be   said  to  have  constructed  a  ^  building,   when   as 
a  matter  of   fact  he  made  the   design,  and  directed  others   who 
actually  reared  the  structure. 

2.  Jesus  Marveled. — Both  Matthew  and  Luke  tell  us  that 
Jesus  marveled  at  the  faith  shown  by  the  centurion,  who  begged 
that  his  beloved  servant  be  healed  (Matt.  8:10;  Luke  7:9).     Some 
have    queried    how    Christ,    whom    they    consider    to    have    been 
omniscient  during  His   life  in  the  flesh,  could  have  ^ marveled  at 
anything.    The   meaning   of    the   passage   is   evident   in   the   sense 
that  when  the   fact  of  the  centurion's   faith  was  brought  to  His 
attention,  He  pondered  over  it,  and  contemplated  it,  probably  as 
a   refreshing   contrast   to   the    absence   of    faith   He    so   generally 
encountered.      In    similar    way,   though    with   sorrow    in   place   of 
joy,  He  is  said  to  have  marveled  at  the  peoples'  unbelief   (Mark 
6:6). 

3.  Sequence  of  the  Miracles  of  Raising  the  Dead. — As  stated 
and   reiterated  in   the   text  the   chronology  of   the   events   in  our 
Lord's  ministry,  as  recorded  by  the  Gospel-writers,  is  uncertain. 
Literature    on    the    subject    embodies    much    disputation    and    dem- 
onstrates   absence    of    any    near    approach    to    agreement    among 
Biblical  scholars.     We  have  record  of  three   instances   of  mirac- 
ulous restoration  of  the  dead  to  life  at  the  word  of  Jesus — the 
raising   of   the   son   of    the    widow   of    Nain,    the    raising   of    the 
daughter  of  Jairus,  and  the  raising  of  Lazarus;   and  on  the  se- 
quence of  two  of  these  there  is  difference  of  opinion.     Of  course 
the  placing  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus  as  the  latest  of  the  three 
is   based  on   certainty.    Dr.    Richard   C.   Trench,   in   his   scholarly 
and  very  valuable  Notes  on  the  Miracles  of  our  Lord  definitely  as- 
serts that  the  raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus  is  the  first^of  the 
three   works   of   restoration   to    life.     Dr.   John   Laidlaw,   in    The 
Miracles  of  our  Lord,  treats  this  first  among  the  miracles  of  its 

/Note  13,  end  of  chapter. 


274:  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

class  though  without  affirming  its  chronological  precedence; 
many  other  writers  make  it  the  second  of  the  three.  The  in- 
centive to  arrange  the  three  miracles  of  this  group  in  the  se- 
quence indicated  may,  perhaps,  be  found  in  the  desire  to  present 
them  in  the  increasing  order  of  apparent  greatness — the  raising 
of  the  damsel  being  an  instance  of  recalling  to  life  one  who  had 
but  just  died,  ("hardly  dead"  as  some  wrongly  describe  her  con- 
dition), the  raising  of  the  young  man  of  Nain  being  the  restora- 
tion of  one  on  the  way  to  the  tomb,  and  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
an  instance  of  recalling  to  life  one  who  had  lain  four  days  in 
the  sepulchre.  We  cannot  consistently  conceive  of  these  cases 
as  offering  grades  of  greater  or  lesser  difficulty  to  the  power  of 
Christ;  in  each  case  His  word  of  authority  was  sufficient  to 
reunite  the  spirit  and  body  of  the  dead  person.  Luke,  the  sole 
recorder  of  the  miracle  at  Nain,  places  the  event  before  that  of 
the  raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  with  many  incidents  be- 
tween. The  great  preponderance  of  evidence  is  in  favor  of  con- 
sidering the  three  miracles  in  the  order  followed  herein,  (i)  the 
raising  of  the  young  man  of  Nain,  (2)  that  of  the  daughter  of 
Jairus,  and  (3)  that  of  Lazarus. 

4.  Tetrarch. — This  title  by  derivation  of  the  term  and  as 
originally  used  was  applied  to  the  ruler  of  a  fourth  part,  or  one 
of  four  divisions  of  a  region  that  had  formerly  been  one  coun- 
try.    Later  it  came  to  be  the   designation  of   any  ruler  or  gov- 
ernor over  a  part  of  a  divided  country,  irrespective  of  the  num- 
ber  or   extent   of   the    fractions.     Herod    Antipas    is    distinctively 
called  the  tetrarch  in   Matt.    14:1;   Luke  3:1,   19;   9:7;   and  Acts 
13:1;   and  is  referred  to  as  king  in   Matt.   14:9;   Mark  6:14,  22, 
25,  26. 

5.  Machaerus. — According  to  the  historian  Josephus   (An- 
tiquities  xviii;    5:2),  the  prison   to   which   John  the   Baptist   was 
consigned  by  Herod  Antipas  was  the  strong  fortress  Machaerus. 

6.  Christ  an  Offender  to  Many. — The  concluding  part  of 
our  Lord's  message  to  the  imprisoned  Baptist,  in  answer  to  the 
latter's    inquiry,   was,    "Blessed   is    he   whosoever   is    not   offended 
in  me."     In  passing  it  may  be  well  to  observe  that  whatever  of 
reproof    or    rebuke    these    words    may    connote,    the    lesson    was 
given  in  the  gentlest  way  and  in  the  form  most  easy  to  under- 
stand.    As  Deems  has  written,   "Instead  of   saying  'Woe  to  him 
who  is  offended  in  me,'  He  puts  it  in  the  softer  way  'Blessed  is 
he   who  is  not  offended.' "     In   our  English  version  of  the  Holy 
Bible  the   word   "offend"   and   its  cognates,  are  used  in  place  of 
several   different   expressions    which   occur   in   the   original  ^  Greek. 
Thus,  actual  infractions  of  the  law,  sin,  and  wickedness  in  gen- 
eral   are    all    called    offenses,    and    the    perpetrators    of    such    are 
guilty    offenders    who    deserve    punishment.      In    other    instances 
even    the    works    of    righteousness    are    construed    as    causes    of 
offense  to  the  wicked;  but  this  is  so,  not  because  the  good  works 
were  in  any  way  offenses  against  law  or  right,  but  because  the 
law-breaker    takes    offense    thereat.      The    convicted    felon,    if    un- 
repentant  and    still    of    evil   mind,    is    offended    and    angry   at   the 
law  by  which  he  has  been  brought  to  justice;  to  him  the  law  is 


NOTES.  275 

a  cause  of  offense.  In  a  very  significant  sense  Jesus  Christ 
stands  as  the  greatest  offender  in  history;  for  all  who  reject  His 
gospel,  take  offense  thereat.  On  the  night  of  His  betrayal 
Jesus  told  the  apostles  that  they  would  be  offended  because  of 
Him  (Matt.  26:31;  see  also  verse  33).  The  Lord's  personal  min- 
istry gave  offense  not  alone  to  Pharisees  and  priestly  oppo- 
nents, but  to  many  who  had  professed  belief  in  Him  (John  6 :6i ; 
compare  16:1).  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  designated  by 
Peter  as  "a  stone  of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  offense,  even  to 
them  which  stumble  at  the  word,  being  disobedient"  (i  Peter 
2:8;  compare  Paul's  words,  Romans  9:33).  Indeed  blessed  is  he 
to  whom  the  gospel  is  welcome,  and  who  'finds  therein  no  cause 
for  offense. 

7.  The  Greatness  of  the  Baptist's  Mission. — The  exalted 
nature  of  the  mission  of  John  the  Baptist  was  thus  testified  to 
by  Jesus :  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Among  them  that  are  born 
of  women  there  hath  not  risen  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist: 
notwithstanding  he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
greater  than  he"  (Matt.  11:11;  compare  Luke  7:28).  In  elucida- 
tion of  the  first  part  of  this  testimony,  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith 
said,  in  the  course  of  a  sermon  delivered  May  24,  1843,  (Hist,  of 
the  Church,  under  date  named)  :  "It  could  not  have  been  on 
account  of  the  miracles  John  performed,  for  he  did  no  miracles ; 
but  it  was — First,  because  he  was  trusted  with  a  divine  mission 
of  preparing  the  way  before  the  face  of  the  Lord.  Who  was 
trusted  with  such  a  mission  before  or  since?  No  man.  Second, 
he  was  trusted  and  it  was  required  at  his  hands  to  baptize  the 
Son  of  Man.  Who  ever  did  that?  Who  ever  had  so  great  a 
privilege  or  glory?  Who  ever  led  the  Son  of  God  into  the 
waters  of  baptism,  beholding  the  Holy  Ghost  descend  upon  Him 
in  the  sign  of  a  dove?  No  man.  Third,  John  at  that  time  was 
the  only  legal  administrator  holding  the  keys  of  power  there 
was  on  earth.  The  keys,  the  kingdom,  the  power,  the  glory  had 
departed  from  the  Jews;  and  John,  the  son  of  Zacharias,  by 
the  holy  anointing  and  decree  of  heaven,  held  the  keys  of  power 
at  that  time." 

The  latter  part  of  our  Lord's  statement — "notwithstanding 
he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he" 
(John),  has  given  rise  to  diverse  interpretations  and  comment. 
The  true  meaning  may  be,  that  surpassingly  great  as  was  John's 
distinction  among  the  prophets,  he  had  not  learned,  at  the  time 
of  the  incident  under  consideration,  the  full  purpose  of  the 
Messiah's  mission,  and  such  he  would  surely  have  to  learn  be- 
fore he  became  eligible  for  admission  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  therefore,  the  least  of  those  who  through  knowledge 
gained  and  obedience  rendered,  would  be  prepared  for  a  place  in 
the  kingdom  of  which  Jesus  taught,  was  greater  than  was  John 
the  Baptist  at  that  time.  Through  latter-day  inspiration  we 
learn  that  "it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  saved  in  ignorance" 
(Doc.  and  Cov.  131:6),  and  that  "The  glory  of  God  in  intelli- 
gence, or,  in  other  words,  light  and  truth"  (Doc.  and  Cov.  93:36). 
The  Baptist's  inquiry  showed  that  he  was  then  lacking  in 


276  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

knowledge,  imperfectly  enlightened  and  unable  to  comprehend 
the  whole  truth  of  the  Savior's  appointed  death  and  subsequent 
resurrection  as  the  Redeemer  cf  the  world.  But  we  must  not 
lose  sight  of  the  fact,  that  Jesus  in  no  wise  intimated  that  John 
would  remain  less  than  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
As  he  increased  in  knowledge  of  the  vital  truths  of  the  kingdom, 
and  rendered  obedience  thereto,  he  would  surely  advance,  and 
become  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as  he  was  great  among 
the  prophets  of  earth. 

8.    John  the  Baptist  the  Elias  that  was  to  Come. — In  the 

days  of  Christ  the  people  clung  to  the  traditional  belief  that  the 
ancient  prophet  Elijah  was  to  return  in  person.  Concerning  this 
tradition  the  Dummelow  Commentary  says,  on  Matt.  11:14:  "It 
was  supposed  that  his  [Elijah's]  peculiar  activity  would  consist 
in  settling  ceremonial  and  ritual  questions,  doubts  and  difficul- 
ties and  that  he  would  restore  to  Israel  (i)  the  golden  pot  of 
manna^  (2)  the  vessel  containing  the  anointing  oil,  (3)  the  vessel 
containing  the  waters  of  purification,  (4)  Aaron's  rod  that  budded 
and  bore  fruit."  For  this  belief  there  was  no  scriptural  affirma- 
tion. That  John  was  to  go  before  the  Messiah  in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias  was  declared  by  the  angel  Gabriel  in  his  an- 
nouncement to  Zacharias  (Luke  1:17);  and  our  Lord  made  plain 
the  fact  that  John  was  that  predicted  Elias.  "Elias"  is  both  a 
name  and  a  title  of  office.  Through  revelation  in  the  present 
dispensation  we  learn  of  the  separate  individuality  of  Elias  and 
Elijah,  each  of  whom  appeared  in  person  and  committed  to 
modern  prophets  the  particular  powers  pertaining  to  his  respec- 
tive office  (Doc.  and  Cov.  110:12,  13).  We  learn  that  the  office 
of  Elias  is  that  of  restoration  (Doc.  and  Cov.  27:6,  7;  76:100; 
77:9,  14).  Under  date  of  March  TO,  1844,  the  following  is  re- 
corded (Hist,  of  Church)  as  the  testimony  of  the  prophet  Joseph 
Smith : — 

"The  spirit  of  Elias  is  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  greater  reve- 
lation of  God,  which  is  the  Priesthood  of  Elias,  or  the  Priest- 
hood that  Aaron  was  ordained  unto.  And  when  God  sends  a 
man  into  the  world  to  prepare  for  a  greater  work,  holding  the 
keys  of  the  power  of  Elias,  it  was  called  the  doctrine  of  Elias, 
even  from  the  early  ages  of  the  world. 

"John's  mission  was  limited  to  preaching  and  baptizing;  but 
what  he  did  was  legal;  and  when  Jesus  Christ  came  to  any  of 
John's  disciples,  He  baptized  them  with  fire  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"We  find  the  apostles  endowed  with  greater  power  than 
John:  their  office  was  more  under  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah 
than  Elias. 

"In  the  case  of  Philip  when  he  went  down  to  Samaria,  when 
he  was  under  the  spirit  of  Elias,  he  baptized  both  men  and 
women.  When.  Peter  and  John  heard  of  it,  they  went  down  and 
laid  hands  upon  them,  and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  This 
shows  the  distinction  between  the  two  powers. 

"When  Paul  came  to  certain  disciples,  he  asked  if  they  had 
received  the  Holy  Ghost?  They  said,  No.  Who  baptized  you, 
then?  We  were  baptized  unto  John's  baptism.  No,  you  were 


NOffcs.  £77 

not  baptized  unto  John's  baptism,  or  you  would  have  been  bap- 
tized by  John.  And  so  JPaul  went  and  baptized  them,  for  he 
knew  what  the  true  doctrine  was,  and  he  knew  that  John  had  not 
baptized  therti.  And  these  principles  are  strange  to  me,  that 
men  who  have  read  the  Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament  are  so 
far  from  it. 

"What  I  want  to  impress  upon  your  minds  is  the  difference 
of  power  in  the  different  parts  of  the  Priesthood,  so  that  when 
any  man  comes  among  you,  saying,  'I  have  the  spirit  of  Elias,' 
you  can  know  whether  he  be  true  or  false ;  for  any  man  that 
comes,  having  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  he  will  not  tran- 
scend his  bounds. 

"John  did  not  transcend  his  bounds,  but  faithfully  performed 
that  part  belonging  to  his  office;  and  every  portion  of  the  great 
building  should  be  prepared  right  and  assigned  to  its  proper 
place;  and  it  is  necessary  to  know  who  holds  the  keys  of  power, 
and  who  does  not,  or  we  may  be  likely  to  be  deceived. 

"That  person  who  holds  the  keys  of  Elias  hath  a  prepara- 
tory work. 

"This  is  the  Elias  spoken  of  in  the  last  days,  and  here  is 
the  rock  upon  which  many  split,  thinking  the  time  was  past  in 
the  days  of  John  and  Christ,  and  no  more  to  be.  But  the  spirit 
of  Ellas  was  revealed  to  me,  and  I  know  it  is  true;  therefore  I 
speak  with  boldness,  for  I  know  verily  my  doctrine  is  true." 

9.  At  the  Pharisee's  Table. — The  expression  "sat  at  meat," 
as  in  Luke  7:37  and  in  other  instances,  is  stated  by  good  au- 
thority to  be  a  mistranslation;  it  should  be  rendered  "lay"  or 
"reclined"  (see  Smith's  Comp.  Diet,  of  the  Bible,  article  "Meals"). 
That  sitting  was  the  early  Hebrew  posture  at  meals  is  not  ques- 
tioned (Gen.  27:19;  Judges  19:6;  I  Siam.  16:11;  20:5,  18,  24;  I 
Kings  13  :2o)  ;  but  the  custom  of  reclining  on  couches  set  around 
the  table  seems  to  date  back  long  before  the  days  of  Jesus 
(Amos  3:12;  6:4).  The  Roman  usage  of  arranging  the  tables 
and  adjoining  couches  along  three  sides  of  a  square,  leaving  the 
fourth  side  open  for  the  passage  of  the  attendants  who  served 
the  diners  was  common  in  Palestine.  Tables  and  couches  so 
placed  constituted  the  triclinium.  In  reference  to  the  ceremonial 
of  the  Pharisees  in  the  matter  of  prescribed  washing  of  articles 
used  in  eating,  Mark  (7:4)  specifies  "tables";  this  mention  is 
conceded  to  be  a  mistranslation,  as  couches  or  literally  beds,  are 
meant  by  the  Greek  expression.  (See  marginal  reading,  "beds"  in 
Oxford  Bible,  and  others.)  A  person  reclining  at  table  would  have 
the  feet  directed  outward.  Thus  it  was  a  simple  matter  for  the 
contrite  woman  to  approach  Jesus  from  behind  arid  anoint  His 
feet  without  causing  disturbance  to  others  at  the  table. 

ID.  The  Woman's  Identity  not  Specified. — The  attempt  to 
identify  the  contrite  sinner  who  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus  in 
the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  with  Mary  of  Bethany  is  thus 
strongly  condemned  by  Farrar  (p.  228,  note)  :  "Those  who 
identify  this  feast  at  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee,  in  Galilee, 


278  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

with  the  long-subsequent  feast  at  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper, 
at  Bethany,  and  the  anointing  of  the  feet  by  'a  woman  that  was 
a  sinner,  in  the  city,  with  the  anointing  of  the  head  by  Mary 
the  sister  of  Martha,  adopt  principles  of  criticism  so  reckless  and 
arbitrary  that  their  general  acceptance  would  rob  the  Gospels  of 
all  credibility,  and  make  them  hardly  worth  study  as  truthful 
narratives.  As  for  the  names  Simon  and  Judas,  which  have  led 
to  so  many  identifications  of  different  persons  and  different  inci- 
dents, they  were  at  least  as  common  among  the  Jews  of  that  day 
as  Smith  and  Jones  among  ourselves.  There  are  five  or  six 
Judes  and  nine  Simons  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
two  Judes  and  two  Simons  among  the  Apostles  alone;  Josephus 
speaks  of  some  ten  Judes  and  twenty  Simons  in  his  writings, 
and  there  must,  therefore,  have  been  thousands  of  Bothers  who 
at  this  period  had  one  of  these  two  names.  The  incident  (of 
anointing  with  ointment)  is  one  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
customs  of  the  time  and  country,  and  there  is  not  the  least  im- 
probability in  its  repetition  under  different  circumstances. 
(Eccles.  9:8;  Cant.  4:10;  Amos  6:6.)  The  custom  still  con- 
tinues." 

The  learned  canon  is  fully  justified  in  his  vigorous  criticism; 
nevertheless  he  endorses  the  commonly-accepted  identification 
of  the  woman  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  meal  in  the 
house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  with  Mary  Magdalene,  although  he 
admits  that  the  foundation  of  the  assumed  identification  is  "an 
ancient  tradition, — especially  prevalent  in  the  Western  Church, 
and  followed  by  the  translation  of  our  English  version"  (p.  233). 
As  stated  in  our  text,  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  trustworthy 
evidence  that  Marv.  Magdalene  was  ever  tainted  with  the  sin 
for  which  the  repentant  woman  in  the  Pharisee's  house  was  so 
graciously  pardoned  by  our  Lord. 

ii.  The  Unpardonable  Sin. — The  nature  of  the  awful  sin 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  against  which  the  Lord  warned  the 
Pharisaic  accusers  who  sought  to  ascribe  His  divine  power  to 
Satan,  is  more  fully  explained,  and  its  dread  results  are  more 
explicitly  set  forth  in  modern  revelation.  Concerning  them  and 
their  dreadful  fate,  the  Almighty  has  said: — "I  say  that  it  had 
been  better  for  them  never  to  have  been  born,  for  they  are  ves- 
sels of  wrath,  doomed  to  suffer  the  wrath  of  God,  with  the  devil 
and  his  angels  in  eternity;  concerning  whom  I  have  said  there 
is  no  forgiveness  in  this  world  nor  in  the  world  to  come. 

They  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment, 
which  is  endless  punishment,  which  is  eternal  punishment,  to 
reign  with  the  devil  and  his  angels  in  eternity,  where  their  worm 
dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched,  which' is  their  torment; 
and  the  end  thereof,  neither  the  place  thereof,  nor  their  torment, 
no  man  knows,  neither  was  it  revealed,  neither  is,  neither  will  be 
revealed  unto  man,  except  to  them  who  are  made  partakers 
thereof :  nevertheless  I,  the  Lord,  show  it  by  vision  unto  many, 
but  straightway  shut  it  up  again ;  wherefore  the  end,  the  width, 
the  height,  the  depth,  and  the  misery  thereof,  they  understand 
not,  neither  any  man  except  them  who  are  ordained  unto  this 


KOTES. 

Condemnation."  (Doc.  and  Cov.  76:31-48;  see  also  Heb.  6:4-6; 
B.  of  M.,  Alma  39:6.) 

12.     An  Adulterous   Generation   Seeking  after  Signs. — Our 

Lord's  reply  to  those  who  clamored  for  a  sign,  that  "An  evil  and 
adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign"  (Matt.  12:39;  see  also 
16:4;  Mark  8:38)  could  only  be  interpreted  by  the  Jews  as  a  su- 
preme reproof.  That  the  descriptive  designation  "adulterous" 
was  literally  applicable  to  the  widespread  immorality  of  the 
time,  they  all  knew.  Adam  Clarke  in  his  commentary  on  Matt. 
12:39,  says  of  this  phase  of  our  topic:  "There  is  the  utmost 
proof  from  their  [the  Jews']  own  writings,  that  in  the  time  of 
our  Lord,  they  were  most  literally  an  adulterous  race  of  people ; 
for  at  this  very  time  Rabbi  Jachanan  ben  Zacchi  abrogated  the 
trial  by  the  bitter  waters  of  jealousy,  because  so  many  were 
found  to  be  thus  criminal."  For  the  information  concerning  the 
trial  of  the  accused  by  the  bitter  waters,  see  Numb.  5:11-31.  Al- 
though Jesus  designated  the  generation  in  which  He  lived  as 
adulterous,  we  find  no  record  that  the  Jewish  rulers,  who  by 
their  demand  for  a  sign  had  given  occasion  for  the  accusation, 
ventured  to  deny  or  attempt  to  repel  the  charge.  The  sin  of 
adultery  was  included  among  capital  offenses  (Deut.  22:22-25). 
The  severity  of  the  accusation  as  applied  by  Jesus,  however,  was 
intensified  by  the  fact  that  the  older  scriptures  represented  the 
covenant  between  Jehovah  and  Israel  as  a  marriage  bond  (Isa. 
54-5-7J  Jer.  3:14;  31:32;  Hos.  2:19,  20);  even^  as  the  later  scrip- 
tures typify  the  Church  as  a  bride,  and  Christ  as  the  husband 
(2  Cor.  11:2;  compare  Rev.  21:2).  To  be  spiritually  adulterous, 
as  the  rabbis  construed  the  utterances  of  the  prophets,  was  to 
be  false  to  the  covenant  by  which  the  Jewish  nations  claimed 
distinction,  as  the  worshipers  of  Jehovah,  and  to  be  wholly 
recreant  and  reprobate.  Convicted  on  such  a  charge  those  sign- 
seeking  Pharisees  and  scribes  understood  that  Jesus  classed 
them  as  worse  than  the  idolatrous  heathen.  The  words  "adul- 
tery" and  "idolatry"  are  of  related  origin,  each  connoting  the 
act  of  unfaithfulness  and  the  turning  away  after  false  objects  of 
affection  or  worship. 

13.  The  Mother  and  the  Brethren  of  Jesus. — The  attempt 
of  Mary  and  some  members  of  her  family  to  speak  with  Jesus 
on  the  occasion  referred  to  in  the  text  has  been  construed  by 
many  writers  to  mean  that  the  mother  and  sons  had  come  to 
protest  against  the  energy  and  zeal  with  which  Jesus  was  pur- 
suing His  work.  Some  indeed  have  gone  so  far  ^as  to  say  that 
the  visiting  members  of  the  family  had  come  to  put  Him  under 
restraint,  and  to  stem,  if  they  could,  the  tide  of  popular  interest, 
criticism,  and  offense,  which  surged  about  Him.  The  scriptural 
record  furnishes  no  foundation  for  even  a  tentative  conception 
of  ^the  kind.  The  purpose  of  the  chesired  visit  is  not  intimated. 
It  is  a  fact  as  will  be  shown  in  pages  to  follow,  that  some  mem- 
bers of  Mary's  household  had  failed  to  understand  the  great  im- 
port of  the  work  in  which  Jesus  was  so  assiduously  engaged ;  and 
we  are  told  that  some  of  His  friends  (marginal  rendering,  "kins- 
men,") on  one  occasion  set  out  with  the  purpose  of  laying  hold 


280  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    18. 

on  Him  and  stopping  His  public  activities  by  physical  force,  for 
they  said  "He  is  beside  Himself."  (Mark  3:21)  ;  furthermore  we 
learn  that  His  brethren  did  not  believe  on  Him  (John  7:5). 
These  facts,  however,  scarcely  warrant  the  assumption  that  the 
desire  of  Mary  and  her  sons  to  speak  with  Him  on  the  occasion 
referred  to  was  other  than  peaceful.  And  to  assume  that  Mary, 
His  mother,  had  so  far  forgotten  the  wondrous  scenes  of  the 
angelic  annunciation,  the  miraculous  conception,  the  heavenly 
accompaniments  of  the  birth,  the  more  than  human  wisdom  and 
power  exhibited  in  youth  and  manhood,  as  to  believe  her  divine 
Son  an  unbalanced  enthusiast,  whom  she  ought  to  restrain,  is  to 
assume  responsibility  for  injustice  to  the  character  of  one  whom 
the  angel  Gabriel  declared  was  blessed  among  women,  and 
highly  favored  of  the  Lord. 


BY    THE    SEASIDE.  281 


CHAPTER  19. 

"HE  SPAKE  MANY  THINGS  UNTO  THEM  IN 
PARABLES." 

Throughout  the  period  of  Christ's  ministry  with  which 
we  have  thus  far  dealt,  His  fame  had  continuously  increased, 
because  of  the  authority  with  which  He  spoke  and  of  the 
many  mighty  works  He  did.  His  popularity  had  become 
such  that  whenever  He  moved  abroad  great  multitudes  fol- 
lowed Him.  At  times  the  people  so  thronged  as  to  impede 
His  movements,  some  with  a  desire  to  hear  more  of  the  new 
doctrine,  others  to  plead  at  His  feet  for  relief  from  physical 
or  other  ills ;  and  many  there  were  who  had  faith  that  could 
they  but  reach  Him,  or  even  touch  the  border  of  His  robe, 
they  would  be  healed.0  One  effect  of  the  people's  eager- 
ness, which  led  them  to  press  and  crowd  around  Him,  was 
to  render  difficult  if  not  impossible  at  times  the  effective 
delivery  of  any  discourse.  His  usual  place  for  open-air 
teaching  while  He  tarried  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sea,  or  lake, 
of  Galilee  was  the  shore;  and  thither  flocked  the  crowds  to 
hear  Him.  At  His  request  the  disciples  had  provided  a 
"small  ship,"  which  was  kept  in  readiness  on  the  beach  ;& 
and  it  was  usual  with  Him  to  sit  in  the  boat  a  short  distance 
off  shore,  and  preach  to  the  people,  as  He  had  done  when 
in  the  earlier  days  He  called  the  chosen  fishermen  to  leave 
their  nets  and  follow  Him.c 

On  one  such  occasion  He  employed  a  means  of  instruc- 
tion, which,  prior  to  that  time,  had  not  been  characteristic 
of  His  teaching;  this  consisted  in  the  use  of  parables/  or 
simple  stories  to  illustrate  His  doctrines.  Some  of  these  we 


a  Mark   3:10;   compare   Matt.   9:20,   21;    14:36;   Mark   6:56;   Luke   6:19. 

fcMark   3:9. 

c  Luke   5:10;   page   197   herein. 

d  Note  1,   end  of  chapter. 


282  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

shall  here  consider  briefly,  in  the  order  most  advantageous 
for  treatment,  and,  as  best  we  know,  in  what  may  have  been 
the  sequence  in  which  they  were  given. 

"A  SOWER  WENT  FORTH  TO  sow." 

First  in  the  order  of  delivery  is  the  Parable  of  the  Sower. 
It  is  a  splendid  type  of  our  Lord's  parables  in  general,  and 
is  particularly  valuable  for  its  great  intrinsic  worth  and  be- 
cause we  possess  a  comprehensive  interpretation  of  it  by 
the  divine  Author.  This  is  the  story: 

"Behold,  a  sower  went  forth  to  sow  ;  and  when  he  sowed, 
some  seeds  fell  by  the  way  side,  and  the  fowls  came  and  de- 
voured them  up:  some  fell  upon  stony  places,  where  they 
had  not  much  earth  :  and  forthwith  they  sprung  up,  because 
they  had  no  deepness  of  earth:  and  when  the  sun,.was  up, 
they  were  scorched  ;  and  because  they  had  no  root,  they 
withered  away.  And  some  fell  among  thorns  ;  and  the 
thorns  sprung  up,  and  choked  them  :  but  other  fell  into  good 
ground,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  some  an  hundredfold,  some 
sixtyfold,  some  thirtyfold.  Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear."' 

This  new  way  of  teaching,  this  departure  from  the  Mas- 
ter's earlier  method  of  doctrinal  exposition,  caused  even  the 
most  devoted  of  the  disciples  to  marvel.  The  Twelve  and  a 
few  others  came  to  Jesus  when  He  was  apart  from  the  mul- 
titude, and  asked  why  He  had  spoken  to  the  people  in  this 
manner,  and  what  was  the  meaning  of  this  particular  par- 
able. Our  Lord's  reply  to  the  first  part  of  the  inquiry  we 
shall  consider  presently  ;  concerning  the  second  He  asked 
"Know  ye  not  this  parable  ?  and  how  then  will  ye  know  all 
parables  ?"/  Thus  did  He  indicate  the  simplicity  of  this  the 
first  of  His  parables,  together  with  its  typical  and  funda- 
mental character,  and  at  the  same  time  intimate  that  other 


cMatt.    13:3-9;    compare   Mark   4:3-9;   Luke   8:5-8. 
/Mark  4:13. 


PARABLE    OF    THE    SOWER.  283 

parables  would  follow  in  the  course  of  His  teaching.    Then 
He  gave  the  interpretation: 

"Hear  ye  therefore  the  parable  of  the  sower.  When  any 
one  heareth  the  word  of  the  kingdom,  and  understandeth  it 
not,  then  cometh  the  wicked  one,  and  catcheth  away  that 
which  was  sown  in  his  heart.  This  is  he  which  received 
seed  by  the  way  side.  But  he  that  received  the  seed  into 
stony  places,  the  same  is  he  that  heareth  the  word,  and  anon 
with  joy  receiveth  it;  yet  hath  he  not  root  in  himself,  but 
dureth  for  a  while :  for  when  tribulation  or  persecution 
ariseth  because  of  the  word,  by  and  by  he  is  offended.  He 
also  that  received  seed  among  the  thorns  is  he  that  heareth 
the  word ;  and  the  care  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness 
of  riches,  choke  the  word,  and  he  becometh  unfruitful.  But 
he  that  received  seed  into  the  good  ground  is  he  that  heareth 
the  word,  and  understandeth  it;  which  also  beareth  fruit, 
and  bringeth  forth,  some  an  hundredfold,  some  sixty,  some 
thirty.'"* 

Further  exposition  may  appear  superflous ;  some  sug- 
gestion as  to  the  individual  application  of  the  contained  les- 
sons may  be  in  place,  however.  Observe  that  the  prominent 
feature  of  the  story  is  that  of  the  prepared  or  unprepared 
condition  of  the  soil.  The  seed  was  the  same,  whether  it  fell 
on  good  ground  of  bad,  on  mellow  mold  or  among  stones 
and  thistles.  The  primitive  method  of  sowing,  still  followed 
in  many  countries,  consisted  in  the  sower  throwing  the  grain 
by  handfuls  against  the  wind,  thus  securing  a  widespread 
scattering.  Running  through  the  Galilean  fields  were  path- 
ways, hard  trodden  by  feet  of  men  and  beasts.  Though 
seed  should  fall  on  such  tracts,  it  could  not  grow;  birds 
would  pick  up  the  living  kernels  lying  unrooted  and  un- 
covered and  some  of  the  grains  would  be  crushed  and  trod- 
den down.  So  with  the  seed  of  truth  falling  upon  the  har- 
dened heart;  ordinarily  it  cannot  take  root,  and  Satan,  as 
a  marauding  crow,  steals  it  away,  lest  a  grain  of  it  perchance 


0Matt.   13:18-23;  compare  Mark  4:13-20;  Luke  8:11-15 


284:  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

find  a  crack  in  the  trampled  ground,  send  down  its  rootlet, 
and  possibly  develop. 

Seed  falling  in  shallow  soil,  underlain  by  a  floor  of  un- 
broken stone  or  hard-pan,  may  strike  root  and  flourish  for  a 
brief  season ;  but  as  the  descending  rootlets  reach  the  im- 
penetrable stratum  they  shrivel,  and  the  plant  withers  and 
dies,  for  the  nutritive  juices  are  insufficient  where  there  is 
no  depth  of  earth. h  So  with  the  man  whose  earnestness  is 
but  superficial,  whose  energy  ceases  when  obstacles  are  en- 
countered or  opposition  met;  though  he  manifest  enthu- 
siasm for  a  time  persecution  deters  him;  he  is  offended,* 
and  endures  not.  Grain  sown  where  thorns  and  thistles 
abound  is  soon  killed  out  by  their  smothering  growth ;  even 
so  with  a  human  heart  set  on  riches  and  the  allurements  of 
pleasure — though  it  receive  the  living  seed  of  the  gospel  it 
will  produce  no  harvest  of  good  grain,  but  instead,  a  rank 
tangle  of  noxious  weeds.  The  abundant  yield  of  thorny 
thistles  demonstrates  the  fitness  of  the  soil  for  a  better  crop, 
were  it  only  free  from  the  cumbering  weeds.  The  seed  that 
falls  in  good  deep  soil,  free  from  weeds  and  prepared  for 
the  sowing,  strikes  root  and  grows ;  the  sun's  heat  scorches 
it  not,  but  gives  it  thrift ;  it  matures  and  yields  to  the  har- 
vester according  to  the  richness  of  the  soil,  some  fields  pro- 
ducing thirty,  others  sixty,  and  a  few  even  a  hundred  times 
as  much  grain  as  was  sown. 

Even  according  to  literary  canons,  and  as  judged  by  the 
recognized  standards  of  rhetorical  construction  and  logical 
arrangement  of  its  parts,  this  parable  holds  first  place  among 
productions  of  its  class.  Though  commonly  known  to  us  as 
the  Parable  of  the  Sower,  the  story  could  be  expres- 
sively designated  as  the  Parable  of  the  Four  Kinds  of  Soil. 
It  is  the  ground  upon  which  the  seed  is  cast,  to  which  the 
story  most  strongly  directs  our  attention,  and  which  so  aptly 
is  made  to  symbolize  the  softened  or  the  hardened  heart, 


h  Note    2,    end    of    chapter. 
»  Pages  254  and  274. 


THE    FOUR    KINDS    OF    SOIL.  285 

the  clean  or  the  thorn-infested  soil.  Observe  the  grades  of 
soil,  given  in  the  increasing  order  of  their  fertility:  (i) 
the  compacted  highway,  the  wayside  path,  on  which,  save 
by  a  combination  of  fortuitous  circumstances  practically 
amounting  to  a  miracle,  no  seed  can  possibly  strike  root  or 
grow;  (2)  the  thin  layer  of  soil  covering  an  impenetrable 
bed-rock,  wherein  seed  may  sprout  yet  can  never  mature; 
(3)  the  weed-encumbered  field,  capable  of  producing  a  rich 
crop  but  for  the  jungle  of  thistles  and  thorns ;  and  (4)  the 
clean  rich  mold  receptive  and  fertile.  Yet  even  soils  classed 
as  good  are  of  varying  degrees  of  productiveness,  yielding 
an  increase  of  thirty,  sixty,  or  even  a  hundred  fold,  with 
many  inter-gradations. 

Some  Bible  expositors  have  professed  to  find  in  this 
splendid  parable  evidence  of  decisive  fatalism  in  the  lives  of 
individuals,  so  that  those  whose  spiritual  state  is  comparable 
to  the  hardened  pathway  or  wayside  ground,  to  the  shallow 
soil  on  stony  floor,  or  to  the  neglected,  thorn-ridden  tract, 
are  hopelessly  and  irredeemably  bad ;  while  the  souls  who 
may  be  likened  unto  good  soil  are  safe  against  deterioration 
and  will  be  inevitably  productive  of  good  fruit.  Let  it 
not  be  forgotten  that  a  parable  is  but  a  sketch,  not  a  picture 
finished  in  detail;  and  that  the  expressed  or  implied  simili- 
tude in  parabolic  teaching  cannot  logically  and  consistently 
be  carried  beyond  the  limits  of  the  illustrative  story.  In  the 
parable  we  are  considering,  the  Teacher  depicted  the  varied 
grades  of  spiritual  receptivity  existing  among  men,  and 
characterized  with  incisive  brevity  each  of  the  specified 
grades.  He  neither  said  nor  intimated  that  the  hard-baked 
soil  of  the  wayside  might  not  be  plowed,  harrowed,  fertilr 
ized,  and  so  be  rendered  productive ;  nor  that  the  stony  im- 
pediment to  growth  might  not  be  broken  up  and  removed, 
or  an  increase  of  good  soil  be  made  by  actual  addition ;  nor 
that  the  thorns  could  never  be  uprooted,  and  their  former 
habitat  be  rendered  fit  to  support  good  plants.  The  parable 


286  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

is  to  be  studied  in  the  spirit  of  its  purpose;  and  strained 
inferences  or  extensions  are  unwarranted.  A  strong  meta- 
phor, a  striking  simile,  or  any  other  expressive  figure  of 
speech,  is  of  service  only  when  rationally  applied ;  if  carried 
beyond  the  bounds  of  reasonable  intent,  the  best  of  such 
may  become  meaningless  or  even  absurd. 

THE    WHEAT   AND   THE}    TARES. 

Another  parable,  somewhat  closely  related  to  the  fore- 
going as  to  the  actual  story,  dealing  again  with  seed  and 
sowing,  and,  like  the  first,  accompanied  by  an  interpretation, 
was  delivered  by  the  Master  as  follows : 

"The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man  which 
sowed  good  seed  in  his  field :  but  while  men  slept,  his  enemy 
came  and  sowed  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his  way. 
But  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit, 
then  appeared  the  tares  also.  So  the  servants  of  the  house- 
holder came  and  said  unto  him,  Sir,  didst  not  thou  sow  good 
seed  in  thy  field  ?  from  whence  then  hath  it  tares  ?  He  said 
unto  them,  An  enemy  hath  done  this.  The  servants  sai4 
unto  him,  Wilt  thou  then  that  we  go  and  gather  them  ufk 
But  he  said,  Nay ;  lest  while  ye  gather  up  the  tares,  ye  root 
up  also  the  wheat  with  them.  Let  both  grow  together  until 
the  harvest;  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I  will  say  to  the 
reapers,  Gather  ye  together  first  the  tares,  and  bind  them  in 
bundles  to  burn  them :  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn."'' 

When  Jesus  had  retired  to  the  house  in  which  He  lodged, 
the  disciples  came,  saying :  "Declare  unto  us  the  parable  of 
the  tares  of  the  field." 

"He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  He  that  soweth  the 
good  seed  is  the  Son  of  man ;  the  field  is  the  world ;  the  good 
seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom ;  but  the  tares  are  the 
children  of  the  wicked  one :  the  enemy  that  sowed  them  is 
the  devil ;  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  world ;  and  the  reapers 

yMatt.   13:24-30. 


PARABLE    OF   THE    WHEAT   AND   THE    TARES.  287 

are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and 
burned  in  the  fire;  so  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  this  world. 
The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his  angels,  and  they  shall 
gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and  them 
which  do  iniquity  ;  and  shall  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire : 
there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall  the 
righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their 
Father.  Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."  * 

By  the  Author's  explication,  the  sower  was  Himself,  the 
Son  of  Man ;  and,  as  the  condition  of  wheat  and  tares  grow- 
ing together  was  one  that  shall  continue  until  "the  end  of 
the  world,"  those  who  were  ordained  to  carry  on  the  min- 
istry after  Him  are  by  direct  implication  also  sowers.  The 
seed  as  here  represented  is  not,  as  in  the  last  parable,  the 
gospel  itself,  but  the  children  of  men,  the  good  seed  typify- 
ing the  honest  in  heart,  righteous-minded  children  of  the 
kingdom ;  while  the  tares  are  those  souls  who  have  given 
themselves  up  to  evil  and  are  counted  as  children  of  the 
wicked  one.  Inspired  by  zeal  for  their  Master's  profit, 
the  servants  would  have  forcibly  rooted  up  the  tares,  but 
were  restrained,  for  their  unwise  though  well-intended  course 
would  have  endangered  the  wheat  while  yet  tender,  since  in 
the  early  stages  of  growth  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
distinguish  the  one  from  the  other,  and  the  intertwining  of 
the  roots  would  have  caused  much  destruction  of  the 
precious  grain. 

One  cardinal  lesson  of  the  parable,  apart  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  actual  conditions  present  and  future,  is  that  of 
patience,  long-suffering,  and  toleration — each  an  attribute 
of  Deity  and  a  trait  of  character  that  all  men  should  culti- 
vate. The  tares  mentioned  in  the  story  may  be  considered 
as  any  kind  of  noxious  weed,  particularly  such  as  in  early 
growth  resembles  the  wholesome  grain.7  Over-sowing  with 
the  seed  of  weeds  in  a  field  already  sown  with  grain  is  a 


k  Verses   36-43. 

I  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


288  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

species  of  malignant  outrage  not  unknown  even  in  the  pres- 
ent day."1  The  certainty  of  a  time  of  separation,  when  the 
wheat  shall  be  garnered  in  the  store-house  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  tares  be  burned,  that  their  poisonous  seed  may  re- 
produce no  more,  is  placed  beyond  question  by  the  Lord's 
own  exposition. 

So  important  is  the  lesson  embodied  in  this  parable,  and 
so  assured  is  the  literal  fulfilment  of  its  contained  predic- 
tions, that  the  Lord  has  given  a  further  explication  through 
revelation  in  the  current  dispensation,  a  period  in  which  the 
application  is  direct  and  immediate.  Speaking  through 
Joseph  Smith  the  Prophet  in  1832,  Jesus  Christ  said: 

"But  behold,  in  the  last  days,  even  now  while  the  Lord 
is  beginning  to  bring  forth  the  word,  and  the  blade  is  spring- 
ing up  and  is  yet  tender.  Behold,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  the 
angels  are  crying  unto  the  Lord  day  and  night,  who  are 
ready  and  waiting  to  be  sent  forth  to  reap  down  the  fields ; 
but  the  Lord  saith  unto  them,  pluck  not  up  the  tares  wjiile 
the  blade  is  yet  tender,  (for  verily  your  faith  is  weak^ks 
you  destroy  the  wheat  also.  Therefore  let  the  wheat  and 
the  tares  grow  together  until  the  harvest  is  fully  ripe,  then 
ye  shall  first  gather  out  the  wheat  from  among  the  tares, 
and  after  the  gathering  of  the  wheat,  behold  and  lo!  the 
tares  are  bound  in  bundles,  and  the  field  remaineth  to  be 
burned."" 

THE   SEED  GROWING   SECRETLY. 

Matthew  records  the  Parable  of  the  Tares  as  imme- 
diately following  that  of  the  Sower ;  Mark  places  in  the  same 
position  of  sequence  a  parable  found  in  his  writings  alone. 
It  is  presented  in  outline  form,  and  by  critical  expositors 
would  be  classed  rather  as  a  simple  analogy  than  a  typical 
parable.  Read  it : 

"And  he  said,  So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a  man 

rn  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 

n  Doc.   and  Cov.  86:4-7;   read  the  entire  section. 


THE    SECRETLY    GROWING    SEED.  289 

should  cast  seed  into  the  ground ;  and  should  sleep,  and  rise 
night  and  day,  and  the  seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he 
knoweth  not  how.  For  the  earth  bringeth  forth  fruit  of 
herself ;  first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn 
in  the  ear.  But  when  the  fruit  is  brought  forth,  immediately 
he  putteth  in  the  sickle,  because  the  harvest  is  come."0 

We  have  no  record  of  the  disciples  asking  nor  of  the 
Master  giving  any  interpretation  of  this,  or  of  any  later 
parable.^  In  this  story  we  find  effectively  illustrated  the 
fact  of  the  vitality  of  the  seed  of  truth,  though  the  secret 
processes  of  its  growth  be  a  mystery  to  all  save  God  alone. 
A  man  having  planted  seed  must  needs  leave  it  alone.  He 
may  tend  the  field,  removing  weeds,  protecting  the  plants 
as  best  he  may,  but  the  growth  itself  is  dependent  upon  con- 
ditions and  forces  beyond  his  power  to  ultimately  control. 
Though  it  were  Paul  who  planted  and  Apollos  who  watered, 
none  but  God  could  insure  the  increased  The  one  who 
sowed  may  go  about  his  other  affairs,  for  the  field  does  not 
demand  continuous  or  exclusive  attention ;  nevertheless,  un- 
der the  influences  of  sunshine  and  shower,  of  breeze  and 
dew,  the  blade  develops,  then  the  ear,  and  in  due  time  the 
full  corn  in  the  ear.  When  the  grain  is  ripe  the  man  gladly 

harvests  his  crop.  

The  sower  in  this  story  is  the  [authorizedLpreacher  of  the 
word  of  God;  he  implants  the  seed  of  the  gospel  in  the 
hearts  of  men,  knowing  not  what  the  issue  shall  be.  Pass- 
ing  on  to  similar  or  other  ministry  elsewhere,  attending  to 
his  appointed  duties  in  other  fields,  he,  with  faith  and  hope, 
leaves  with  God  the  result  of  his  planting.  In  the  harvest 
of  souls  converted  through  his  labor,  he  is  enriched  and 
made  to  rejoice/  This  parable  was  probably  directed  more 
particularly  to  the  apostles  and  the  most  devoted  of  the  other 

oMark  4:26-29. 
P  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 
$1  Cor.  3:8. 

rRead  the  Lord's  early  promise  of  souls  as  the  hire  of  the  appointed 
harvesters:  John  4:35-38;  see  also  Matt.  9:37,  38}  Luke  10:2, 

10 


290  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

disciples,  rather  than  to  the  multitude  at  large ;  the  lesson  is 
one  for  teachers,  for  workers  in  the  Lord's  fields,  for  the 
chosen  sowers  and  reapers.  It  is  of  perennial  value,  as  truly 
applicable  today  as  when  first  spoken.  Let  the  seed  be  sown, 
even  though  the  sower  be  straightway  called  to  other  fields 
or  other  duties;  in  the  gladsome  harvest  he  shall  find  his 
recompense. 

THE;  MUSTARD  SEED. 

"Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which 
a  man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field :  which  indeed  is  the  least 
of  all  seeds :  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  the  greatest  among 
herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come 
and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof. "J 

x.N , 

This  little  story,  addressed  to  the  assembled  multitude, 

must  have  set  many  thinking,  because  of  the  simplicity  of 
the  incident  related  and  the  thoroughly  un-Jewish  applica- 
tion made  of  it.  To  the  mind  taught  by  teachers  of  the  time 
the  kingdom  was  to  be  great  and  glorious  from  its  begin- 
ning ;  it  was  to  be  ushered  in  by  blare  of  trumpets  and  tramp 
of  armies,  with  King  Messiah  at  the  head ;  yet  this  new 
Teacher  spoke  of  it  as  having  so  small  a  beginning  as  to  be 
comparable  to  a  mustard  seed.  To  make  the  illustration 
more  effective  He  specified  that  the  seed  spoken  of  was  "the 
least  of  all  seeds."  This  superlative  expression  was  made 
in  a  relative  sense ;  for  there  were  and  are  smaller  seeds 
than  the  mustard,  even  among  garden  plants,  among  which 
rue  and  poppy  have  been  named ;  but  each  of  these  plants  is 
very  small  in  maturity,  while  the  well-cultivated  mustard 
plant  is  one  of  the  greatest  among  common  herbs,  and  pre- 
sents a  strong  contrast  of  growth  from  tiny  seed  to  spread- 
ing shrub. 

Moreover,  the  comparison  "as  small  as  a  mustard  seed" 

jMatt.  13:31,  32;  compare  Mark  4:30-32;  Luke  13:18,  19. 


THE   LEAVEN    IN    THE    MEAL.  291 

was  in  every-day  use  among  the  Jews  of  the  time.  The 
comparison  employed  by  Jesus  on  another  occasion  evidences 
the  common  usage,  as  when  He  said  :  "If  ye  have  faith  as  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed  .  .  .  nothing  shall  be  impossible 
unto  you."'  It  should  be  known  that  the  mustard  plant  at- 
tains in  Palestine  a  larger  growth  than  in  more  northerly 
climes."  The  lesson  of  the  parable  is  easy  to  read.  The 
seed  is  a  living  entity.  When  rightly  planted  it  absorbs  and 
assimilates  the  nutritive  matters  of  soil  and  atmosphere, 
grows,  and  in  time  is  capable  of  affording  lodgment  and  food 
to  the  birds.  So  the  seed  of  truth  is  vital,  living,  and  cap- 
able of  such  development  as  to  furnish  spiritual  food  and 
shelter  to  all  who  come  seeking.  In  both  conceptions,  the 
plant  at  maturity  produces  seed  in  abundance,  and  so  from 
a  single  grain  a  whole  field  may  be  covered. 


"Another  parable  spake  he  unto  them  ;  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  and  hid  in 
three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened.  "v 

Points  of  both  similarity  and  contrast  between  this  par- 
able and  the  last  are  easily  discerned.  In  each  the  inherent 
vitality  and  capacity  for  development  so  essentially  charac- 
teristic of  the  kingdom  of  God,  are  illustrated.  The  mus- 
tard seed,  however,  typifies  the  effect  of  vital  growth  in  gath- 
ering the  substance  of  value  from  without  ;  while  the  leaven 
or  yeast  disseminates  and  diffuses  outward  its  influence 
throughout  the  mass  of  otherwise  dense  and  sodden  dough. 
Each  of  these  processes  represents  a  means  whereby  the 
Spirit  of  Truth  is  made  effective.  Yeast  is  no  less  truly  a 
living  organism  than  a  mustard  seed.  As  the  microscopic 
yeast  plant  develops  and  multiplies  within  the  dough,  its 

JMatt.   17:20;  compare  Luke  17:6. 

u  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

z/Matt.   13:33;   compare  Luke  13:20,  21. 


292  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

myriad  living  cells  permeate  the  lump,  and  every  bit  of  the 
leavened  mass  is  capable  of  affecting  likewise  another  batch 
of  properly  prepared  meal.  The  process  of  leavening,  or 
causing  dough  "to  rise,"  by  the  fermentation  of  the  yeast 
placed  in  the  mass,  is  a  slow  one,  and  moreover  as  quiet  and 
seemingly  secret  as  that  of  the  planted  seed  growing  without 
the  sower's  further  attention  or  concern.™ 

HIDDEN  TREASURE. 


"Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  treasure  hid 
in  a  field  ;  the  which  when  a  man  hath  found,  he  hideth,  and 
for  joy  thereof  goeth  and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth 
that  field."* 

^V 

This  and  the  two  parables   following  are  recorded  by 

Matthew  only  ;  and  the  place  assigned  them  in  his  narrative 
indicates  that  they  were  spoken  to  the  disciples  alone,  in  the 
house,  after  the  multitude  had  departed.  The  quest  for 
treasure-trove  is  always  fascinating.  Instances  of  finding 
buried  valuables  were  not  uncommon  in  the  time  of  which 
we  speak,  since  the  practise  of  so  concealing  treasure  was 
usual  with  people  exposed  to  bandit  incursions  and  hostile 
invasion.  Observe  that  the  fortunate  and  happy  man  is  rep- 
resented as  finding  the  treasure  seemingly  by  accident  rather 
than  as  a  result  of  diligent  search.  He  gladly  sold  all  that 
he  possessed  to  make  possible  his  purchase  of  the  field.  The 
hidden  treasure  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  when  a  man  finds 
that,  he  ought  to  be  ready  to  sacrifice  all  that  he  has,  if  by 
so  doing  he  may  gain  possession.  His  joy  in  the  new  acqui- 
sition will  be  unbounded;  and,  if  he  but  remain  a  worthy 
holder,  the  riches  thereof  shall  be  his  beyond  the  grave.? 

Casuists  have  raised  the  question  of  propriety  as  to  the 
man's  course  of  action  in  the  story,  inasmuch  as  he  concealed 


w  Page  288.    Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 

*Matt.   13:44. 

y  Compare  Matt.  6:19,  20. 


THE   GOODLY    PEARL.  293 

the  fact  of  his  discovery  from  the  owner  of  the  field,  to 
whom  the  treasure,  they  say,  rightly  belonged.  Whatever 
opinion  one  may  hold  as  to  the  ethics  of  the  man's  procedure, 
his  act  was  not  illegal,  since  there  was  an  express  provision 
in  Jewish  law  that  the  purchaser  of  land  became  the  legal 
owner  of  everything  the  ground  contained.2  Assuredly 
Jesus  commended  no  dishonest  course  ;  and  had  not  the 
story  been  in  every  detail  probable,  its  effect  as  a  parable 
would  have  been  lost.  The  Master  taught  by  this  illustration 
that  when  once  the  treasure  of  the  kingdom  is  found,  the 
finder  should  lose  no  time  nor  shrink  from  any  sacrifice 
needful  to  insure  his  title  thereto. 

PEARL  OF  GREAT  PRICE:. 


"Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchant 
man,  seeking  goodly  pearls  :  who,  when  he  had  found  one 
pearl  of  great  price,  went  and  sold  all  that  he  had,  and 
bought  it."a 

Pearls  have  always  held  high  place  among  gems,  and 
long  before,  as  indeed  ever  since,  the  time  of  Christ,  pearl- 
merchants  have  been  active  and  diligent  in  seeking  the 
largest  and  richest  to  be  had.  Unlike  the  man  in  the  last 
parable,  who  found  a  hidden  treasure  with  little  or  no  search, 
the  merchant  in  this  story  devoted  his  whole  energy  to  the 
quest  for  goodly  pearls,  to  find  and  secure  which  was  his 
business.  When  at  last  he  beheld  the  pearl  that  excelled  all 
others,  though  it  was,  as  of  right  it  ought  to  have  been,  held 
at  high  cost,  he  gladly  sold  all  his  other  gems  ;  indeed  he  sac- 
rificed "aU  that  he  had"  —  gems  and  other  possessions  —  and 
purchased  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Seekers  after  truth  may 
acquire  much  that  is  good  and  desirable,  and  not  find  the 
greatest  truth  of  all,  the  truth  that  shall  save  them.  Yet,  if 
they  seek  persistently  and  with  right  intent,  if  they  are  really 

s  Note  8,  end  of  chapter. 
oMatt.   13:45,   46. 


294  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

in  quest  of  pearls  and  not  of  imitations,  they  shall  find.  Men 
who  by  search  and  research  discover  the  truths  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  may  have  to  abandon  many  of  their  cher- 
ished traditions,  and  even  their  theories  of  imperfect  philos- 
ophy and  "science  falsely  so  called,"'6  if  they  would  possess 
themselves  of  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Observe  that  in  this 
parable  as  in  that  of  the  hidden  treasure,  the  price  of  posses- 
sion is  one's  all.  No  man  can  become  a  citizen  of  the  king- 
dom by  partial  surrender  of  his  earlier  allegiances ;  he  must 
renounce  everything  foreign  to  the  kingdom  or  he  can  never 
be  numbered  therein.  If  he  willingly  sacrifices  all  that 
he  has,  he  shall  find  that  he  has  enough.  The  cost  of  the 
hidden  treasure,  and  of  the  pearl,  is  not  a  fixed  amount,  alike 
for  all ;  it  is  all  one  has.  Even  the  poorest  may  come  into 
enduring  possession ;  his  all  is  a  sufficient  purchase  price. 

TH£  GOSPEL  NET. 

"Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net,  that 
was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  gathered  of  every  kind:  which, 
when  it  was  full,  they  drew  to  shore,  and  sat  down,  and 
gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast  the  bad  away.  So 
shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world:  the  angels  shall  come 
forth,  and  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the  just,  and  shall 
cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire :  there  shall  be  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth."c 

Men  of  many  minds,  men  good  and  bad,  all  nationalities 
and  races,  are  affected  by  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom.  The 
"fishers  of  men"^  are  skilful,  active,  and  comprehensive  in 
their  haul.  The  sorting  takes  place  after  the  net  is  brought 
to  shore ;  and,  as  the  fisherman  discards  every  bad  fish  while 
he  saves  the  good,  so  shall  the  angels  who  do  the  bidding  of 
the  Son  of  Man  separate  the  just  and  the  wicked,  preserving 
the  one  kind  to  life  eternal,  consigning  the  other  to  destruc- 

bl  Tim.   6:20. 

cMatt.    13:47-50. 

dMatt.   4:19;   Mark  1:17;   Luke  5:10. 


THE    PURPOSE   OF    PARABLES.  295 

tion.  Unwise  efforts  to  carry  the  application  of  the  parable 
beyond  the  Author's  intent  have  suggested  the  criticism  that 
whether  the  fish  be  good  or  bad  they  die.  The  good,  how- 
ever, die  to  usefulness,  the  bad  to  utter  waste.  Though  all 
men  die,  they  die  not  alike ;  some  pass  to  rest,  and  shall  come 
forth  in  the  resurrection  of  the  just;  others  go  to  a  state  of 
sorrow  and  disquiet  there  to  anxiously  and  with  dread  await 
the  resurrection  of  the  wicked/  Similarity  of  application  in 
the  present  parable  as  in  that  of  the  tares,  is  apparent  in  the 
emphasis  given  to  the  decreed  separation  of  the  just  from  the 
unjust,  and  in  the  awful  fate  of  those  who  are  fit  subjects  for 
condemnation.  A  further  parallelism  is  noticed  in  the  post- 
ponement of  the  judgment  until  the  "end  of  the  world,"  by 
which  expression  we  may  understand  the  consummation  of 
the  Redeemer's  work,  subsequent  to  the  Millennium  and  the 
final  resurrection  of  all  who  have  had  existence  on  earth/ 

Following  His  delivery  of  this,  the  last  of  the  group  of 
parables  recorded  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Matthew,  Jesus 
asked  the  disciples,  "Have  ye  understood  all  these  things?" 
They  answered,  "Yea,  Lord."  He  impressed  upon  them 
that  they  should  be  ready,  like  well-taught  teachers,  to  bring, 
from  the  store-house  of  their  souls,  treasures  of  truth  both 
old  and  new,  for  the  edification  of  the  worlds 

CHRIST'S  PURPOSE  IN  USING  PARABLES. 

As  before  stated,  the  Twelve  and  other  disciples  were 
surprized  at  the  Lord's  innovation  of  parabolic  instruction. 
Prior  to  that  time  His  doctrines  had  been  set  forth  in  un- 
veiled plainness,  as  witness  the  explicit  teachings  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  introduction 
of  parables  occurred  when  opposition  to  Jesus  was  strong, 
and  when  scribes,  Pharisees,  and  rabbis  were  alert  in  main- 

ejohn  5:29;  see  also  B.  of  M.,  Alma  40:11-14;  and  the  author,  "Articles 
of  Faith,"  xxi:24-39. 
/  See  chapter  42. 
I  Matt.   13:51,  52. 


296  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

taining  a  close  watch  upon  His  movements  and  His  works, 
ever  ready  to  make  Him  an  offender  for  a  word.  The  use 
of  parables  was  common  among  Jewish  teachers;  and  in 
adopting  this  mode  of  instruction  Jesus  was  really  following 
a  custom  of  the  time ;  though  between  the  parables  He  spake 
and  those  of  the  scholars  there  is  possible  no  comparison 
except  that  of  most  pronounced  contrast.7* 

To  the  chosen  and  devoted  followers  who  came  asking 
the  Master  why  He  had  changed  f rom^direct  exposition  to 
parables.,  He  explained1  that  while  it  was  their  privilege  to 
receive  and  understand  the  deeper  truths  of  the  gospel,  "the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven"  as  He  expressed  it, 
with  people  in  general,  who  were  unreceptive  and  unpre- 
pared, such  fulness  of  understanding  was  impossible.  To 
the  disciples  who  had  already  gladly  accepted  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  more  should  be  given ;  while 
from  those  who  had  rejected  the  proffered  boon,  even  what 
they  had  theretofore  possessed  should  be  taken  away.' 
"Therefore,"  said  He,  "speak  I  to  them  in  parables :  because 
they  seeing  see  not ;  and  hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do 
they  understand."  That  the  state  of  spiritual  darkness  then 
existing  among  the  Jews  had  been  foreseen  was  instanced  by 
a  citation  of  Isaiah's  words,  in  which  the  ancient  prophet  had 
told  of  the  people  becoming  blind,  deaf,  and  hard  of  heart 
respecting  the  things  of  God,  whereby  though  they  would 
both  hear  and  see  in  a  physical  sense  yet  should  they  not 
understand.* 

There  is  plainly  shown  an  element  of  mercy  in  the  para- 
bolic mode  of  instruction  adopted  by  our  Lord  under  the 
conditions  prevailing  at  the  time.  Had  He  always  taught 
in  explicit  declaration,  such  as  required  no  interpretation, 
many  among  His  hearers  would  have  come  under  condemna- 
tion, inasmuch  as  they  were  too  weak  in  faith  and  unpre- 

h  Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 

»Matt.  13:10-17;  compare  Mark  4:10-13;  Luke  8:9,  10. 

/Matt.    13:12;    compare    25:29;    Mnrk    4:25;    Luke   8:18;    19:26. 

*Isa.   6:9;    see   also  42:20;   43:8;    Ezek.    12:2;   John    12:40;   Acts   28:26,   27, 


WHO    HATH    EARS    TO    HEAR,    LET    HIM    HEAR.  297 

pared  in  heart  to  break  the  bonds  of  traditionalism  and  the 
prejudice  engendered  by  sin,  so  as  to  accept  and  obey  the 
saving  word.  Their  inability  to  comprehend  the  require- 
ments of  the  gospel  would  in  righteous  measure  give  Mercy 
some  claim  upon  them,  while  had  they  rejected  the  truth  with 
full  understanding,  stern  Justice  would  surely  demand  their 
condemnation.7 

That  the  lesson  of  the  parables  was  comprehensible 
through  study,  prayer  and  search  was  intimated  in  the 
Teacher's  admonishment:  "Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear."m  To  the  more  studious  inquirers,  the  Master  added : 
"Take  heed  what  ye  hear:  with  what  measure  ye  mete,  it 
shall  be  measured  to  you :  and  unto  you  that  hear  shall  more 
be  given.  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given:  and  he 
that  hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  even  that  which  he 
hath."n  Two  men  may  hear  the  same  words;  one  of  them 
listens  in  indolence  and  indifference,  the  other  with  active 
mind  intent  on  learning  all  that  the  words  can  possibly  con- 
vey ;  and,  having  heard,  the  diligent  man  goes  straightway 
to  do  the  things  commended  to  him,  while  the  careless  one 
neglects  and  forgets.  The  one  is  wise,  the  other  foolish ;  the 
one  has  heard  to  his  eternal  profit,  the  other  to  his  everlast- 
ing condemnation.0 

Another  example  of  the  merciful  adaptation  of  the  word 
of  truth  to  the  varied  capacities  of  the  people  who  heard  the 
parables  is  found  in  the  psychological  fact,  that  the  incidents 
of  an  impressive  though  simple  story  will  live,  even  in  minds 
which  for  the  time  being  are  incapable  of  comprehending  any 
meaning  beyond  that  of  the  common-place  story  itself.  Many 
a  peasant  who  had  heard  the  little  incident  of  the  sower  and 
the  four  kinds  of  soil,  of  the  tares  sown  by  an  enemy  at 
night,  of  the  seed  that  grew  though  the  planter  had  tem- 


ISee  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  iii:12,  13;  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  9:25- 
27;  Rom.  2:12;  Doc.  and  Cov.  45:54;  76:72. 

m  Matt.  13:9,  43;  see  also  11:15;  Mark  4:9. 

ft  Mark  4:24,  25. 

oRead  again  Matt.  7:24-27;  Luke  6:46-49. 


298  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

porarily  forgotten  it,  would  be  reminded  by  the  recurring 
circumstances  of  his  daily  work ;  the  gardener  would  recol- 
lect the  story  of  the  mustard  seed  whenever  he  planted 
afresh,  or  when  he  looked  upon  the  umbrageous  plant  with 
birds  nesting  in  its  branches;  the  housewife  would  be  im- 
pressed anew  by  the  story  of  the  leaven  as  she  mixed  and 
kneaded  and  baked;  the  fisherman  at^tHsjjets  would  think 
again  of  the  good  fish  and  the  bad  and  compare  the  sorting 
of  his  catch  with  the  judgment  to  come.  And  then,  when 
time  and  experience,  including  suffering  perhaps,  had  pre- 
pared them  for  deeper  thought,  they  would  find  the  living 
kernel  of  gospel  truth  within  the  husk  of  the  simple  tale. 


PARABLES   IN   GENERA^. 

The  essential  feature  of  a  parable  is  that  of  comparison 
or  similitude,  by  which  some  ordinary,  well-understood  in- 
cident is  used  to  illustrate  a  fact  or  principle  not  directly 
expressed  in  the  story.  The  popular  thought  that  a  parable 
necessarily  rests  on  a  fictitious  incident  is  incorrect ;  for, 
inasmuch  as  the  story  or  circumstance  of  the  parable  must 
be  simple  and  indeed  common-place,  it  may  be  real.  There 
is  no  fiction  in  the  parables  we  have  thus  far  studied ;  the 
fundamental  stories  are  true  to  life  and  the  given  circum- 
stances are  facts  of  experience.  The  narrative  or  incident 
upon  which  a  parable  is  constructed  may  be  an  actual  occur- 
rence or  fiction;  but,  if  fictitious,  the  story  must  be  con- 
sistent and  probable,  with  no  admixture  of  the  unusual  or 
miraculous.  In  this  respect  the  parable  differs  from  the 
fable,  the  latter  being  imaginative,  exaggerated  and  improb- 
able as  to  fact ;  moreover,  the  intent  is  unlike  in  the  two, 
since  the  parable  is  designed  to  convey  some  great  spiritual 
truth,  while  the  so-called  moral  of  the  fable  is  at  best  sug- 
gestive only  of  worldly  achievement  and  personal  advantage. 
Stories  of  trees,  animals  and  inanimate  things  talking  to- 


ALLEGORIES,   PARABLES,    AND    PROVERBS.  299 

gether  or  with  men  are  wholly  fanciful;  they  are  fables  or 
apologues  whether  the  outcome  be  depicted  as  good  or  bad ; 
to  the  parable  these  show  contrast,  not  similarity.  The 
avowed  purpose  of  the  fable  is  rather  to  amuse  than  to  teach. 
The  parable  may  embody  a  narrative  as  in  the  instances  of 
the  sower  and  the  tares,  or  merely  an  isolated  incident,  as  in 
those  of  the  mustard  seed  and  the  leaven. 

Allegories  are  distinguished  from  parables  by  greater 
length  and  detail  of  the  story,  and  by  the  intimate  admixture 
of  the  narrative  with  the  lesson  it  is  designed  to  teach ;  these 
are  kept  distinctly  separate  in  the  parable.  Myths  are  ficti- 
tious stories,  sometimes  with  historic  basis  of  fact,  but  with- 
out symbolism  of  spiritual  worth".  A  proverb  is  a  short,  sen- 
tentious saying,  in  the  nature  of  a  maxim,  connoting  a 
definite  truth  or  suggestion  by  comparison.  Proverbs  and 
parables  are  closely  related,  and  in  the  Bible  the  terms  are 
sometimes  used  interchangeably.^  The  Old  Testament  con- 
tains two  parables,  a  few  fables  and  allegories,  and  numer- 
ous proverbs ;  of  the  last-named  we  possess  an  entire  book.<? 
Nathan  the  prophet  reproved  King  David  by  the  parable  of 
the  poor  man's  ewe  lamb,  and  so  effective  was  the  story  that 
the  king  decreed  punishment  for  the  wealthy  offender,  and 
was  overcome  by  sorrow  and  contrition  when  the  prophet 
made  application  of  his  parable  by  the  fateful  words,  "Thou 
art  the  man."r  The  story  of  the  vineyard,  which  though 
fenced  and  well-tended  yet  brought  forth  only  wild,  useless 
fruit,  was  used  by  Isaiah  to  portray  the  sinful  state  of  Israel 
in  his  attempt  to  awaken  the  people  to  lives  of  righteousness. * 

The  parables  of  the  New  Testament,  spoken  by  the 
Teacher  of  teachers,  are  of  such  beauty,  simplicity,  and 
effectiveness,  as  to  stand  unparalleled  in  literature. 


p  Note   10,  end  of  chapter. 
q  Note  11,   end  of  chapter. 
r2'Sam.  12:1-7,  13. 
jlsa.  5:L7. 


300  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  19. 

1.  The  First  Group  of  Parables. — Many  Bible  scholars  hold 
that    the    seven    parables    recorded    in    the    thirteenth    chapter    of 
Matthew  were   spoken   at   different  time^  and  to   different  people, 
and   that   the    writer   of    the    first   Gospei ^grouped   them    for   con- 
venience in  recording  and  with  prime  consideration  of  their  sub- 
jective   interest.     Some    color    is    found    for    this    claim    in    Luke's 
mention  of  some  of  these  parables   in   different  relations   of   both 
time  and  place ;   thus,  the  parables  of  the   Mustard   Seed  and  the 
Leaven  are  given   (Luke  13:18,  21)   as  directly  following  the  heal- 
ing of  the   infirm   woman  in  the   synagog,  and  the  rebuke   to  the 
hypocritical   ruler.      While    we    must    admit    that    Matthew    may 
have    grouped    with    the    parables    spoken    on    that    particular    day 
some  of   other   dates,  it  is   probable   that  Jesus   repeated   some  of 
His  parables,  as   He   certainly  did  other   teachings,   and  thus  pre- 
sented the  same  lesson  on  more  occasions  than  one.     As  a  matter 
of   fact  each  parable  is  a  lesson  in  itself,  and  holds  its  high  in- 
trinsic value  whether  considered    as   an   isolated   story   or   in   con- 
nection  with   related   teachings.      Let   us   give   heed   to    the   lesson 
of   each   whatever   opinions   men   may   promulgate    as   to   the   cir- 
cumstances of  its  first  delivery. 

2.  Local  Setting  for  the  Parable  of  the  Sower.— Dr.  R.  C. 

Trench,  in  his  excellent  work  Notes  on  the  Parables  of  our  Lord 
(P-  57.  note),  quotes  Dean  Stanley's  description  of  existing  con- 
ditions in  the  place  where  the  Parable  of  the  Sower  was  given 
by  Jesus;  and  as  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  environment 
has  changed  but  little  since  the  days  of  Christ,  the  account  is 
here  reproduced  :•  "A  slight  recess  in  the  hillside  close  upon  the 
plain  disclosed  at  once  in  detail,  and  with  a  conjunction  which  I 
remember  nowhere  else  in  Palestine,  every  feature  of  the  great 
parable.  There  was  the  undulating  corn-field  descending  to  the 
water's  edge.  There  was  the  trodden  pathway  running  through 
the  midst  of  it,  with  no  fence  or  hedge  to  prevent  the  seed  fall- 
ing here  or  there  on  either  side  of  it,  or  upon  it — itself  hard  with 
the  constant  tramp  of  horse  and  mule  and  human  feet.  There 
was  the  'good'  rich  soil,  which  distinguishes  the  whole  of  that 
plain  and  its  neighborhood  from  the  bare  hills  elsewhere,  de- 
scending into  the  lake,  and  which,  where  there  is  no  interruption, 
produces  one  vast  mass  of  corn.  There  was  the  rocky  ground 
of  the  hillside  protruding  here  and  there  through  the  corn-fields, 
as  elsewhere,  through  the  grassy  slopes.  There  were  the  large 
bushes  of  thorn,  the  'nabk'  .  .  .  springing  up,  like  the  fruit- 
trees  of  the  more  inland  parts,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  waving 
wheat." 

3.  Tares. — This  term  occurs  nowhere  within  the  Bible  ex- 
cept^  in  this  instance  of  the  parable.     Plainly  any  kind  of   weed, 
particularly  a  poisonous   sort,  such   as  would   seriously  depreciate 
the  garnered  crop,  would  serve  the  Master's  purpose  in  the  illus- 
tration.    The  traditional   belief   commonly  held   is   that  the   plant 
referred  to  in  the  oarable  is  the  darnel  weed,  known  to  botanists 


NOTES.  301 

as  Lolium  tcmulentum,  a  species  of  bearded  rye-grass.  This  plant 
closely  resembles  wheat  in  the  early  period  of  growth,  and  exists 
as  a  pest  to  the  farmers  in  Palestine  to-day;  it  is  called  by  the 
Arabians  "Zowan"  or  "Zawan"  which  name,  says  Arnot,  citing 
Thompson,  "bears  some  resemblance  to  the  original  word  in  the 
Greek  text."  The  writer  of  the  article  "Tares"  in  Smith's  Dic- 
tionary says :  "Critics  and  expositors  are  agreed  that  the  Greek 
plural  sisania,  A.  V.  'tares/  of  the  parable  (Matt.  13:25)  denotes 
the  weed  called  'bearded  darnel'  (Lolium  tcmulentum},  a  widely- 
distributed  grass,  and  the  only  species  of  the  order  that  has 
deleterious  properties.  The  bearded  darnel  before  it  comes  into 
ear  is  very  similar  in  appearance  to  wheat,  and  the  roots  of  the 
two  are  often  intertwined;  hence  the  command  that  the  'tares' 
should  be  left  till  the  harvest,  lest  while  men  plucked  up  the 
tares  'they  should  root  up  also  the  wheat  with  them.'  This 
darnel  is  easily  distinguishable  from  the  wheat  and  barley  when 
headed  out,  but  when  both  are  less  developed,  'the  closest 
scrutiny  will  often  fail  to  detect  it.  Even  the  farmers  who  in 
this  country  generally  weed  their  fields,  do  not  attempt  to  sep- 
arate the  one  from  the  other The  taste  is  bitter,  and, 

when  eaten  separately,  or  even  when  diffused  in  ordinary  bread, 
it  causes  dizziness,  and  often  acts  as  a  violent  emetic.' "  The 
secondary  quotation  is  from  Thompson's  The  Land  and  the  Book, 
ii,  in,  112.  It  has  been  asserted  that  the  darnel  is  a  degenerated 
kind  of  wheat;  and  attempts  have  been  made  to  give  additional 
significance  to  our  Lord's  instructive  parable  by  injecting  this 
thought ;  there  is  no  scientific  warrant  for  the  strained  concep- 
tion, however,  and  earnest  students  will  not  be  misled  thereby. 

4.  The  Wickedness  of  the  Sower  of  Tares. — Attempts  have 
been  made  to  disparage  the  Parable  of  the  Tares  on  the  ground 
that  it  rests  on  an  unusual  if  not  unknown  practise.     Trench  thus 
meets    the   criticism    (Notes   on    the   Parables,   pp.    72,  73)  :      "Our 
Lord    did   not   imagine   here   a    form   of   malice    without   example, 
but   adduced   one   which   may   have   been    familiar   enough   to    His 
hearers,    one    so    easy    of    execution,    involving    so    little    risk,  and 
yet  effecting  so  great  and  lasting  a  mischief,  that  it  is  not  strange, 
where    cowardice    and    malice    meet,    that    this    should    have    been 
often    the    shape    in    which    they    displayed    themselves.      We   meet 
traces   of   it  in  many  quarters.     In   Roman   law  the  possibility  of 
this   form  of  injury  is  contemplated;   and  a  modern'  writer,  illus- 
trating Scripture   from  the  manners   and  habits  of  the  East,  with 
which    he    had   become    familiar   through    a   sojourn   there,    affirms 
the  same    to    be    now    practised    in    India."      In    a    subjoined    note 
the    author    adds :      "We    are    not    without    this    form    of    malice 
nearer  home.     Thus  in  Ireland  I  have  known  an  outgoing  tenant, 
in   spite  at  his  eviction,   to  sow  wild  oats   in  the   fields   which  he 
was   leaving.     These,   like   the   tares    in   the   parable,   ripening   and 
seeding  themselves  before  the  crops  in  which  they  were  mingled, 
it  became  next  to  impossible  to  extirpate." 

5.  The  Parable  of  the  Seed  Growing  Secretly. — This  parable 
has  given  rise  to  much  discussion  among  expositors,  the  question 
being   as    to    who    is    meant   by   the   man    who   cast   seed    into    the 


302  JESUS  THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

ground.  If,  as  in  the  parables  of  the  Sower  and  the  Tares,  the 
Lord  Jesus  be  the  planter,  then,  some  ask,  how  can  it  be  said 
"that  the  seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth  not  how," 
when  all  things  are  known  unto  Him?  If,  on  the  other  hand  the 
planter  represents  the  authorized  teacher  or  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  how  can  it  be  said  that  at  the  harvest  time  "he  putteth 
.in  the  sickle,"  since  the  final  harvesting  of  souls  is  the  preroga- 
tive of  God.  The  perplexities  of  the  critics  arise  from  their 
attempt  to  find  in  the  parable  a  literalism  never  intended  by  the 
Author.  Whether  the  seed  be  planted  by  the  Lord  Himself,  as 
when  He  taught  in  Person,  or  by  any  one  of  His  authorized 
servants,  the  seed  is  alive  and  will  grow.  Time  is  required ;  the 
blade  appears  first  and  is  followed  by  the  ear,  and  the  ear  ripens 
in  season,  without  the  constant  attention  which  a  shaping  of  the 
several  parts  by  hand  would  require.  The  man  who  figures  in 
the  parable  is  presented  as  an  ordinary  farmer,  who  plants,  and 
waits,  and  in  due  time  reaps.  The  lesson  imparted  is  the  vitality 
of  the  seed  as  a  living  thing,  endowed  by  its  Creator  with  the 
capacity  to  both  grow  and  develop. 

6.  The   Mustard   Plant. — The   wild   mustard,   which   in   the 
temperate    zone    seldom    attains    a   height    of    more    than    three    or 
four  feet,  reaches  in  semitropical  lands  the  height  of  a  horse  and 
its  rider  (Thompson,  The  Land  and  the  Book  ii,  100).     Those  who 
heard    the    parable    evidently    understood    the    contrast    between 
size  of  seed  and  that  of  the  fully  developed  plant.     Arnot,    (The 
Parables,  p.    102) ,   aptly   says :    "This   plant   obviously   was   chosen 
by  the   Lord,   not   on   account   of   its   absolute   magnitude,   but  be- 
cause  it    was,    and    was    recognized   to    be,    a   striking   instance   of 
increase   from   very  small   to  very  great.     It   seems   to   have  been 
in  Palestine,  at  that  time,  the  smallest  seed   from  which  so  large 
a  plant  was  known  to  grow.     There  were,  perhaps,  smaller  seeds, 
but    the    plants    which    sprung    from    them    were    not    so    great ; 
and    there    were   greater    plants,    but    the    seeds    from    which    they 
sprung  were  not  so  small."     Edersheim   (i,  p.  593)    states  that  the 
diminutive  size  of  the  mustard  seed  was  commonly  used  in  com- 
parison  by  the   rabbis,    "to   indicate   the   smallest   amount   such   as 
the  least  drop  of  blood,  the  least  defilement,  etc."     The  same  au- 
thor  continues,    in    speaking    of    the    grown    plant :      "Indeed,    it 
looks  no  longer  like  a  large  garden-herb  or  shrub,  but  'becomes' 
or    rather    appears    like    'a    tree' — as    St.    Luke    puts    it,    'a    great 
tree,'    of    course,    not    in    comparison    with    other    trees,    but  with 
garden-shrubs.      Such    growth    of    mustard    seed    was    also    a    fact 
well  known  at  the  time,  and,  indeed,  still  observed   in  the   East. 

And  the  general  meaning  would  the  more  easily 

be     apprehended,    that    a    tree,    whose     wide-spreading    branches 
afforded    lodgment   to   the   birds    of   heaven,    was    a    familiar    Old 
Testament  figure  for  a  mighty  kingdom  that  gave  shelter  to  the 
nations   (Ezek.  31:6,  12;  Dan.  4:12,  14,  21,  22).     Indeed,  it  is  spe- 
cifically used  as  an  illustration  of  the  Messianic  Kingdom    (Ezek. 
17:23)." 

7.  The  Symbolism  of  Leaven. — In  the  parable,  the  kingdom 
of   heaven  is   likened  unto   leaven.     In   other   scriptures   leaven   is 


NOTES.  303 

figuratively  mentioned  as  representing  evil,  thus,  "the  leaven  of 
the  Pharisees  and  of  the  Sadducees"  (Matt.  16:6,  see  also  Luke 
12:1),  "the  leaven  of  Herod"  (Mark  8:15).  These  instances, 
and  others  (i  Cor.  5:7,  8)  are  illustrative  of  the  contagion  of 
evil.  In  the  incident  of  the  woman  using  leaven  in  the  ordinary 
process  of  bread-making,  the  spreading,  penetrating,  vital  effect 
of  truth  is  symbolized  by  the  leaven.  The  same  thing  in  differ- 
ent aspects  may  very  properly  be  used  to  represent  good  in  one 
instance  and  evil  in  another. 

8.  Treasure  Belonging  to  the  Finder. — As  to  the  justifica- 
tion of  the  man   who   found   a  treasure  hidden   in   another's   field 
and   then,   concealing  the    fact   of   his    discovery,   bought  the   field 
that  he  might  possess  the  treasure,  Edersheim   (i,  p.  595-6)   says : 
"Some  difficulty  has  been  expressed  in  regard  to  the  morality  of 
such  a  transaction.     In  reply  it  may  be  observed,  that  it  was,  at 
least,  in  entire  accordance  with  Jewish  law.     If  a  man  had  found 
a  treasure   in   loose  coins   among   the   corn   it   would   certainly  be 
his  if  he  bought  the  corn.     If  he  had  found  it  on  the  ground,  or 
in  the  soil,  it  would  equally  certainly  belong  to  him  if  he  could 
claim  ownership  of   the   soil,   and   even  if   the   field   were  not  his 
own,   unless   others   could  prove  their   right  to   it.     The  law  went 
so    far  as   to   adjudge   to   the  purchaser  of    fruits   anything   found 
among  these   fruits.     This   will   suffice  to   vindicate  a  question  of 
detail,   which,  in  any  case,  should   not  be  too   closely  pressed  in 
a  parabolic  history." 

9.  Superiority  of  our  Lord's  Parables. — "Perhaps  no  other 
mode   of    teaching   was    so   common    among   the   Jews    as    that   by 
parables.     Only  in   their   case,   they  were   almost  entirely  illustra- 
tions of  what  had  been  said  or  taught;  while  in  the  case  of  Christ, 
they  served  as  the  foundation  for  His  teaching.     ...       In  the 
one  case  it  was  intended  to  make  spiritual  teaching  appear  Jew- 
ish  and   national,   in   the   other   to   convey   spiritual   teaching   in    a 
form  adapted  to  the  stand-point  of  the  hearers.     This  distinction 
will^be   found  to  hold  true,  even  in  instances   where  there  seems 
the    closest    parallelism    between    a    Rabbinic    and    an    Evangelic 
parable.     ...       It   need    scarcely   be    said   that   comparison   be- 
tween such  parables,  as  regards  their  spirit,  is   scarcely  possible, 
except   by    way   of    contrast"    (Edersheim,    i,    pp.    580-1).      Geikie 
tersely   says :      "Others    have   uttered   parables,    but   Jesus    so    far 
transcends    them,    that   He   may   justly   be   called   the   creator    of 
this  mode  of  instruction"  (ii,  p.  145). 

10.  Parables  and  Other  Forms  of  Analogy. — "The  parable 
is  also  clearly  distinguishable  from  the  proverb,  though  it  is  true 
that,   in   a  certain   degree,   the   words   are  used   interchangeably  in 
the    New    Testament,    and    as    equivalent    the    one    to    the    other. 
Thus   'Physician,  heal  thyself    (Luke  4:23)    is  termed  a  parable, 
being    more    strictly    a    proverb ;    so    again,    when    the    Lord    had 
used   that   proverb,   probably   already    familiar   to   His   hearers    'If 
the  blind  lead  the  blind,  both  shall  fall  into  the  ditch';  Peter  said 
'Declare  unto  us  this  parable'  (Matt.  15:14,  15)  ;  and  Luke  5:36  is  a 
proverb   or   proverbial   expression,    rather    than    a   parable,    which 
name  it  bears So,  upon  the  other  hand, 


304  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    19. 

rs 

those  are  called  'proverbs'  in  St.^Tphn,  which  if  not  strictly 
parables,  yet  claim  much  closer  affinity  to  the  parable  than 
to  the  proverb,  being  in  fact  allegories;  thus  Christ's  set- 
ting forth  of  His  relations  to  His  people  under  those 
of  a  shepherd  to  his  sheep  is  termed  a  'proverb,1  though  our 
translators,  holding  fast  to  the  sense  rather  than  to  the  letter, 
have  rendered  it  a  'parable'  (John  10:6;  compare  16:25,  29).  It 
is  easy  to  account  for  this  interchange  of  words.  Partly  it  arose 
from  one  word  in  Hebrew  signifying  both  parable  and  proverb." 
• — Trench,  Notes  on  the  Parables,  pp.  9,  10. 

For  the  convenience  of  readers  who  may  not  have  a  dic- 
tionary at  hand  as  they  read,  the  following  definitions  are  given : 

Allegory. — The  setting  forth  of  a  subject  under  the  guise  of 
some  other  subject  or  aptly  suggestive  likeness. 

Apologue. — A  fable  or  moral  tale,  especially  one  in  which 
animals  or  inanimate  things  speak  or  act,  and  by  which  a  useful 
lesson  is  suggested  or  taught. 

Fable. — A  brief  story  or  tale  feigned  or  invented  to  embody 
a  moral,  and  introducing  animals  and  sometimes  even  inanimate 
things  as  rational  speakers  and  actors ;  a  legend  or  myth. 

Myth. — A  fictitious  or  conjectural  narrative  presented  as  his- 
torical, but  without  any  basis  of  fact. 

Parable. — A  brief  narrative  or  descriptive  allegory  founded 
on  real  scenes  or  events  such  as  occur  in  nature  and  human  life, 
and  usually  with  a  moral  or  religious  application. 

Proverb. — A  brief,  pithy  saying,  condensing  in  witty  or  strik- 
ing form  the  wisdom  of  experience;  a  familiar  and  widely  known 
popular  saying  in  epigrammatic  form. 

ii.  Old  Testament  Parables,  Etc.— "Of  parables  in  the 
strictest  sense  the  Old  Testament  contains  only  two"  (2  Sam. 
12  :i-;  and  Isa.  5:1-).  "Other  stories,  such  as  that  of  the  trees 
assembled  to  elect  a  king  (Judges  9:8),  and  of  the  thistle  and 
cedar  (2  Kings  14:9),  are  more  strictly  fables.  Still  others,  such 
as  Ezekiel's  account  of  the  two  eagles  and  the  vine  (17:2-),  and 
of  the  caldron  (24:3-)  are  allegories.  The  small  number  of 
parabolic  narratives  to  be  found  in  the  Old  Testament  must  not, 
however,  be  taken  as  an  indication  of  indifference  toward  this 
literary  form  as  suitable  for  moral  instruction.  The  number  is 
only  apparently  small.  In  reality,  similitudes,  which,  though  not 
explicitly  couched  in  the  terms  of  fictitious  narrative,  suggest 
and  furnish  the  materials  for  such  narrative,  are  abundant." — • 
Zenos,  Stand.  Bible  Diet.,  article  "Parables." 


UNACCEPTABLE  CANDIDATES  FOR  THE  MINISTRY.        305 


CHAPTER   20. 
"PEACE,  BE  STILL." 

INCIDENTS    PRELIMINARY   TO   THE   VOYAGE. 

Near  the  close  of  the  day  on  which  Jesus  had  taught  the 
multitudes  for  the  first  time  by  parables,  He  said  to  the  dis- 
ciples, "L,et  us  pass  over  unto  the  other  side."a  The  destina- 
tion so  indicated  is  the  east  side  of  the  sea  of  Galilee.  While 
the  boat  was  being  made  ready,  a  certain  scribe  came  to 
Jesus  and  said:  "Master,  I  will  follow  thee  whithersoever 
thou  goest."  Prior  to  that  time,  few  men  belonging  to  the 
titled  or  ruling  class  had  offered  to  openly  ally  themselves 
with  Jesus.  Had  the  Master  been  mindful  of  policy  and  de- 
sirous of  securing  official  recognition,  this  opportunity  to  at- 
tach to  Himself  as  influential  a  person  as  a  scribe  would  have 
received  careful  consideration  if  not  immediate  acceptance  ; 
but  He,  who  could  read  the  minds  and  know  the  hearts  of 
men,  chose  rather  than  accepted.  He  had  called  men  who 
were  to  be  thenceforth  His  own,  from  their  fishing  boats  and 
nets,  and  had  numbered  one  of  the  ostracized  publicans 
among  the  Twelve ;  but  He  knew  them,  every  one,  and  chose 
accordingly.  The  gospel  was  offered  freely  to  all;  but  au- 
thority to  officiate  as  a  minister  thereof  was  not  to  be  had 
for  the  asking ;  for  that  sacred  labor,  one  must  be  called  of 
God.& 

In  this  instance,  Christ  knew  the  character  of  the  man, 
and,  without  wounding  his  feelings  by  curt  rejection,  pointed 
out  the  sacrifice  required  of  one  who  would  follow  whitherso- 
ever the  L,ord  went,  saying :  "The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the 


a  Mark  4 :35. 

&  "Articles  of  Faith,"  x:l-20— "Men  called  of  God.' 


306  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  20. 

birds  of  the  air  have  nests;  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not 
where  to  lay  his  head."  As  Jesus  had  no  fixed  place  of 
abode,  but  went  wherever  His  duty  called  Him,  so  was  it 
necessary  that  they  who  represented  Him,  men  ordained  or 
set  apart  to  His  service,  be  ready  to  deny  themselves  the  en- 
joyment of  their  homes  and  the  comfort  of  family  associa- 
tions, if  the  duties  of  their  calling  so  demanded.  We  do  not 
read  that  the  aspiring  scribe  pressed  his  offer. 

Another  man  indicated  his  willingness  to  follow  the  Lord, 
but  asked  first  for  time  to  go  and  bury  his  father;  to  him 
Jesus  said :  "Follow  me ;  and  let  the  dead  bury  their  dead." 
Some  readers  have  felt  that  this  injunction  was  harsh, 
though  such  an  inference  is  scarcely  justified.  While,  it 
would  be  manifestly  unfilial  for  a  son  to  absent  himself  from 
his  father's  funeral  under  ordinary  conditions,  nevertheless, 
if  that  son  had  been  set  apart  to  service  of  importance  tran- 
scending all  personal  or  family  obligations,  his  ministerial 
duty  would  of  right  take  precedence.  Moreover,  the  re- 
quirement expressed  by  Jesus  was  no  greater  than  that  made 
of  every  priest  during  his  term  of  active  service,  nor  was  it 
more  afflicting  than  the  obligation  of  the  Nazarite  vow,c  un- 
der which  many  voluntarily  placed  themselves.  The  duties 
of  ministry  in  the  kingdom  pertained  to  spiritual  life;  one 
dedicated  thereto  might  well  allow  those  who  were  negligent 
of  spiritual  things,  and  figuratively  speaking,  spiritually  dead, 
to  bury  their  dead. 

A  third  instance  is  presented ;  a  man  who  wanted  to  be 
a  disciple  of  the  Lord  asked  that,  before  entering  upon  his 
duties,  he  be  permitted  to  go  home  and  bid  farewell  to  his 
family  and  friends.  The  reply  of  Jesus  has  become  an 
aphorism  in  life  and  literature:  "No  man,  having  put  his 
hand  to  the  plough,  and  looking  back,  is  fit  for  the  kingdom 
of  God."4 


c  Page   87. 

dLuke  9:57-62;  see  also  Matt.  8:19-22. 


JESUS   ASLEEP   IN   THE   SHIP.  307 

From  Matthew's  record  we  draw  the  inference  that  the 
first  two  of  these  candidates  for  discipleship  offered  them- 
selves to  our  Lord  as  He  stood  on  the  shore  or  in  the  boat 
ready  to  begin  the  evening  voyage  across  the  lake.  Luke 
places  the  instances  in  a  different  connection,  and  adds  10 
the  offers  of  the  scribe  and  the  man  who  would  first  bury  his 
father,  that  of  the  one  who  wished  to  go  home  and  then  re- 
turn to  Christ.  The  three  incidents  may  be  profitably  con- 
sidered together,  whether  all  occurred  in  the  evening  of  that 
same  eventful  day  or  at  different  times. 

STILLING   THE  STORM.* 

The  instruction  to  launch  forth  and  cross  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  lake  was  given  by  Jesus,  who  probably  desired  a 
respite  after  the  arduous  labors  of  the  day.  No  time  had 
been  lost  in  unnecessary  preparation ;  "they  took  him,  even 
as  he  was,  into  the  ship,"  and  set  out  without  delay.  Even 
on  the  water  some  of  the  eager  people  tried  to  follow ;  for  a 
number  of  small  boats,  "little  ships"  as  Mark  styles  them, 
accompanied  the  vessel  on  which  Jesus  was  embarked;  but 
these  lesser  craft  may  have  turned  back,  possibly  on  account 
of  the  approaching  storm ;  anyway,  we  do  not  hear  of 
them  further. 

Jesus  found  a  resting  place  near  the  stern  of  the  ship 
and  soon  fell  asleep.  A  great  storm  arose  /  and  still  He 
slept.  The  circumstance  is  instructive  as  it  evidences  at  once 
the  reality  of  the  physical  attributes  of  Christ,  and  the 
healthy,  normal  condition  of  His  body.  He  was  subject  to 
fatigue  and  bodily  exhaustion  from  other  causes,  as  are  all 
men ;  without  food  He  grew  hungry ;  without  drink  He 
thirsted;  by  labor  He  became  weary.  The  fact  that  after 
a  day  of  strenuous  effort  He  could  calmly  sleep,  even  amidst 
the  turmoil  of  a  tempest,  indicates  an  unimpaired  nervous 

*Matt.  8:23-27;  Mark  4:35-41;   Luke  8:22-25. 
/  Note   1,   end  of  chapter. 


308  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

system  and  a  good  state  of  health.  Nowhere  do  we  find  rec- 
ord of  Jesus  having  been  ill.  He  lived  according  to  the  laws 
of  health,  yet  never  allowed  the  body  to  rule  the  spirit ;  and 
His  daily  activities,  which  were  of  a  kind  to  make  heavy  de- 
mands on  both  physical  and  mental  energy,  were  met  with 
nc  symptoms  of  nervous  collapse  nor  of  functional  dis- 
turbance. Sleep  after  toil  is  natural  and  necessary.  The 
day's  work  done,  Jesus  slept. 

Meanwhile  the  storm  increased  in  fury ;  the  wind  ren- 
dered the  boat  unmanageable ;  waves  beat  over  the  side ;  so 
much  water  was  shipped  that  the  vessel  seemed  about  to 
founder.  The  disciples  were  terror-stricken ;  yet  through  it 
all  Jesus  rested  peacefully.  In  their  extremity  of  fear,  the 
disciples  awakened  Him,  crying  out,  according  to  the  sev- 
eral independent  accounts,  "Master,  Master,  we  perish" ; 
"Lord,  save  us :  we  perish" ;  and,  "Master,  carest  thou  not 
that  we  perish?"  They  were  abjectly  frightened,  and  at 
least  partly  forgetful  that  there  was  with  them  One  whose 
voice  even  death  had  to  obey.  Their  terrified  appeal  was  not 
wholly  devoid  of  hope  nor  barren  of  faith :  "Lord,  save  us" 
they  cried.  Calmly  He  replied  to  their  piteous  call,  "Why 
are  ye  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith?" 

Then  He  arose ;  and  out  through  the  darkness  of  that 
fearsome  night,  into  the  roaring  wind,  over  the  storm- 
lashed  sea.  went  the  voice  of  the  Lord  as  He  "rebuked  the 
wind,  and  said  unto  the  sea,  Peace,  be  still.  And  the  wind 
ceased,  and  there  was  a  great  calm."  Turning  to  the  disci- 
ples. He  asked  in  tones  of  gentle  yet  unmistakable  reproof : 
"Where  is  your  faith?"  and  "How  is  it  that  ye  have  no 
faith?"  Gratitude  for  rescue  from  what  but  a  moment  be- 
fore had  seemed  impending  death  was  superseded  by  amaze- 
ment and  fear.  "What  manner  of  man  is  this,"  they  asked 
one  of  another,  "that  even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him?" 

Among  the  recorded  miracles  of  Christ,  none  has  elicited 
greater  diversity  in  comment  and  in  attempt  at  elucidation 


CHRIST'S  CONTROL  OVER  MATTER  AND  ENERGY.      309 

than  has  this  marvelous  instance  of  control  over  the  forces 
of  nature.  Science  ventures  no  explanation.  The  Lord  of 
earth,  air,  and  sea  spoke  and  was  obeyed.  He  it  was  who, 
amidst  the  black  chaos  of  creation's  earliest  stages,  had  com- 
manded with  immediate  effect — Let  there  be  light ;  Let  there 
be  a  firmament  in  the  midst  of  the  waters ;  Let  the  dry  land 
appear — and,  as  He  had  decreed,  so  it  was.  The  dominion 
of  the  Creator  over  the  created  is  real  and  absolute.  A  small 
part  of  that  dominion  has  been  committed  to  man*7  as  the 
offspring  of  God,  tabernacled  in  the  very  image  of  his  di- 
vine Father.  But  man  exercizes  that  delegated  control 
through  secondary  agencies,  and  by  means  of  complicated 
mechanism.  Man's  power  over  the  objects  of  his  own  de- 
vizing is  limited.  It  is  according  to  the  curse  evoked  by 
Adam's  fall,  which  came  through  transgression,  that  by  the 
strain  of  his  muscles,  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  and  by  stress 
of  his  mind,  shall  he  achieve.  His  word  of  command  is  but 
a  sound-wave  in  air,  except  as  it  is  followed  by  labor. 
Through  the  Spirit  that  emanates  from  the  very  Person  of 
Deity,  and  which  pervades  all  space,  the  command  of  God 
is  immediately  operative. 

Not  man  alone,  but  also  the  earth  and  all  the  elemental 
forces  pertaining  thereto  came  under  the  Adamic  curse;71 
and  as  the  soil  no  longer  brought  forth  only  good  and  use- 
ful fruits,  but  gave  of  its  substance  to  nurture  thorns  and 
thistles,  so  the  several  forces  of  nature  ceased  to  be  obedient 
to  man  as  agents  subject  to  his  direct  control.  What  we  call 
natural  forces — heat,  light,  electricity,  chemical  affinity — 
are  but  a  few  of  the  manifestations  of  eternal  energy  through 
which  the  Creator's  purposes  are  subserved ;  and  these  few, 
man  is  able  to  "direct  and  utilize  only  through  mechanical 
contrivance  and  physical  adjustment.  But  the  earth  shall 
yet  be  "renewed  and  receive  its  paradisaical  glory" ;  then 


gGen.  1:28;  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  2:26;  5:1. 
ft  Gen.  3:17-19. 


310  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

soil,  water,  air,  and  the  forces  acting  upon  them,  shall  di- 
rectly respond  to  the  command  of  glorified  man,  as  now 
they  obey  the  word  of  the  Creator.* 

QUIETING   THE)   DEMONS/ 

Jesus  and  the  disciples  with  Him  landed  on  the  eastern 
or  Perean  side  of  the  lake,  in  a  region  known  as  the  country 
of  the  Gadarenes  or  Gergesenes.  The  precise  spot  has  not 
been  identified,  but  it  was  evidently  a  country  district  apart 
from  the  towns.*  As  the  party  left  the  boat,  two  maniacs, 
who  were  sorely  tormented  by  evil  spirits,  approached. 
Matthew  states  there  were  two ;  the  other  writers  speak  of 
but  one ;  it  is  possible  that  one  of  the  afflicted  pair  was  in  a 
condition  so  much  worse  than  that  of  his  companion  that  to 
him  is  accorded  greater  prominence  in  the  narrative ;  or,  one 
may  have  run  away  while  the  other  remained.  The  demoniac 
was  in  a  pitiful  plight.  His  frenzy  had  become  so  violent 
and  the  physical  strength  incident  to  his  mania  so  great  that 
all  attempts  to  hold  him  in  captivity  had  failed.  He  had 
been  bound  in  chains  and  fetters,  but  these  he  had  broken 
asunder  by  the  aid  of  demon  power ;  and  he  had  fled  to  the 
mountains,  to  the  caverns  that  served  as  tombs,  and  there  he 
had  lived  more  like  a  wild  beast  than  a  man.  Night  and  day 
his  weird,  terrifying  shrieks  had  been  heard,  and  through 
dread  of  meeting  him  people  traveled  by  other  ways  rather 
than  pass  his  haunts.  He  wandered  about  naked,  and  in 
his  madness  often  gashed  his  flesh  with  sharp  stones. 

Seeing  Jesus,  the  poor  creature  ran  toward  Him,  and, 
impelled  by  the.  power  of  his  demon  control,  prostrated 
himself  before  Christ,  the  while  crying  out  with  a  loud 
voice :  "What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of 
the  most  high  God?"  As  Jesus  commanded  the  evil  spirits 
to  leave,  one  or  more  of  them,  through  the  voice  of  the  man, 


i  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

/Matt.  8:28-34;   Mark  5:1-19;  Luke  8:26-39. 

k  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


DEMONS    ENTER   SWINE.  311 

pleaded  to  be  left  alone,  and  with  blasphemous  presumption 
exclaimed:  "I  adjure  thee  by  God,  that  thou  torment  me 
not."  Matthew  records  the  further  question  addressed  to 
Jesus :  "Art  thou  come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the 
time?"  The  demons,  by  whom  the  man  was  possessed  and 
controlled,  recognized  the  Master,  whom  they  knew  they 
had  to  obey ;  but  they  pleaded  to  be  left  alone  until  the  de- 
creed time  of  their  final  punishment  would  come.* 

Jesus  asked,  "What  is  thy  name  ?"  and  the  demons  within 
the  man  answered,  "My  name  is  Legion,  for  we  are  many." 
The  fact  of  the  man's  dual  consciousness  or  multi-person- 
ality is  here  apparent.  So  complete  was  his  possession  by 
wicked  spirits  that  he  could  no  longer  distinguish  between  his 
individual  personality  and  theirs.  The  devils  implored  that 
Jesus  would  not  banish  them  from  that  country ;  or  as  Luke 
records  in  words  of  awful  import,  "that  he  would  not  com- 
mand them  to  go  out  into  the  deep."m  In  their  wretched 
plight,  and  out  of  diabolical  eagerness  to  find  abode  in  bodies 
of  flesh  even  though  of  beasts,  they  begged  that,  being  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  man  they  be  allowed  to  enter  a  herd  of 
hogs  feeding  nearby.  Jesus  gave  permission ;  the  unclean 
demons  entered  the  swine;  and  the  whole  herd,  numbering 
about  two  thousand,  went  wild,  stampeded  in  terror,  ran 
violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea,  and  were  drowned. 
The  swineherds  were  frightened,  and,  hastening  to  the  town, 
told  what  had  happened  to  the  hogs.  People  came  out  in 
crowds  to  see  for  themselves ;  and  all  were  astounded  to  be- 
hold the  once  wild  man  of  whom  they  had  all  been  afraid, 
now  clothed,  and  restored  to  a  normal  state  of  mind,  sitting 
quietly  and  reverently  at  the  feet  of  Jesus.  They  were  afraid 
of  One  who  could  work  such  wonders,  and,  conscious  of 
their  sinful  unworthiness,  begged  Him  to  leave  their  coun- 
try." 


/Compare   Rev.   20:3. 

m  Revised  version,  "abyss"   instead  of  "deep." 

n  Note  4,    end   of   chapter. 


312  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

The  man  who  had  been  rid  of  the  demons  feared  not ;  in 
his  heart  love  and  gratitude  superseded  all  other  feelings; 
and  as  Jesus  returned  to  the  boat  he  prayed  that  he  might 
go  also.  But  Jesus  forbade,  saying:  "Go  home  to  thy 
friends,  and  tell  them  how  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done 
for  thee,  and  hath  had  compassion  on  thee."  The  man  be- 
came a  missionary,  not  alone  in  his  home  town  but  through- 
out Decapolis,  the  region  of  the  ten  cities ;  wherever  he  went 
he  told  of  the  marvelous  change  Jesus  had  wrought  on  him. 

The  testimony  of  wicked  and  unclean  spirits  to  the 
divinity  of  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  is  not  confined  to  this 
instance.  We  have  already  considered  the  case  of  the  de- 
moniac in  the  synagog  at  Capernaum  \°  and  another  instance 
appeared,  when  Jesus,  withdrawing  from  the  towns  in  Gal- 
ilee, betook  Himself  to  the  sea  shore,  and  was  followed  by  a 
great  multitude  comprizing  Galileans  and  Judeans,  and  peo- 
ple from  Jerusalem  and  Idumea,  and  from  beyond  Jordan 
(i.  e.  from  Perea),  and  inhabitants  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
amongst  whom  He  had  healed  many  of  divers  diseases ;  and 
those  who  were  in  bondage  to  unclean  spirits  had  fallen 
down  and  worshiped  Him;  while  the  demons  cried  out: 
"Thou  art  the  Son  of  God."* 

In  the  course  of  the  short  journey  considered  in  this  chap- 
ter, the  power  of  Jesus  as  Master  of  earth,  men  and  devils, 
was  manifest  in  miraculous  works  of  the  most  impressive 
kind.  We  cannot  classify  the  Lord's  miracles  as  small  and 
great,  nor  as  easy  and  difficult  of  accomplishment ;  what  one 
may  consider  the  least  is  to  another  of  profound  import. 
The  Lord's  word  was  sufficient  in  every  instance.  To  the 
wind  and  the  waves,  and  to  the  demon-ridden  mind  of  the 
man  possessed,  He  had  but  to  speak  and  be  obeyed.  "Peace, 
be  still." 


o  Mark  1:24;  Luke  4:34,  also  verse  41;   see  page   181   herein. 
p  Mark  3:7-11;   compare   Luke  6:17-19. 


PITIFUL   REQUEST   BY   THE   RULER   OF   A   SYNAGOG.         313 
THF,   RAISING   OF   THF,  DAUGHTER   OF   JAIRUS.^ 

Jesus  and  His  attendants  recrossed  the  lake  from  the  land 
of  Gadara  to  the  vicinity  of  Capernaum,  where  He  was  re- 
ceived with  acclamation  by  a  multitude  of  people,  "for  they 
were  all  waiting  for  him."  Immediately  after  landing,  Jesus 
was  approached  by  Jairus,  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  local 
synagog,  who  "besought  him  greatly,  saying,  My  little 
daughter  lieth  at  the  point  of  death :  I  pray  thee,  come  and 
lay  thy  hands  on  her,  that  she  may  be  healed ;  and  she  shall 
live." 

The  fact  of  this  man's  coming  to  Jesus,  with  the  spirit 
of  faith  and  supplication,  is  an  evidence  of  the  deep  impres- 
sion the  ministry  of  Christ  had  made  even  in  priestly  and 
ecclesiastical  circles.  Many  of  the  Jews,  rulers  and  officials 
as  well  as  the  people  in  common,  believed  in  Jesus  ;r  though 
few  belonging  to  the  upper  classes  were  willing  to  sacrifice 
prestige  and  popularity  by  acknowledging  their  discipleship. 
That  Jairus,  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagog,  came  only 
when  impelled  by  grief  over  the  impending  death  of  his  only 
daughter,  a  girl  of  twelve  years,  is  no  evidence  that  he  had 
not  before  become  a  believer ;  certainly  at  this  time  his  faith 
was  genuine  and  his  trust  sincere,  as  the -circumstances  of 
the  narrative  prove.  He  approached  Jesus  with  the  rever- 
ence due  One  whom  he  considered  able  to  grant  what  he 
asked,  and  fell  at  the  Lord's  feet,  or  as  Matthew  says,  wor- 
shiped Him.  When  the  man  had  started  from  his  home 
to  seek  aid  of  Jesus,  the  maiden  was  at  the  point  of  death ; 
he  feared  lest  she  had  died  in  the  interval.  In  the  very  brief 
account  given  in  the  first  Gospel,  he  is  reported  as  saying  to 
Jesus  t  "My  daughter  is  even  now  dead :  but  come  and  lay 
thy  hand  upon  her  and  she  shall  live."*  Jesus  went  with  the 
imploring  father,  and  many  followed. 


<?Mark  5:22-24,  35-43;  Luke  8:41,  42,  49-56;  Matt.  9:18,   19,  23-26. 
i- John   11:45;   compare  8:30;   10:42. 
.y  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


% 


314  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20, 

On  the  way  to  the  house  an  incident  occurred  to  hinder 
progress.  A  sorely  afflicted  woman  was  healed,  under'  cir- 
cumstances of  peculiar  interest ;  this  occurrence  we  shall  con- 
sider presently.  No  intimation  is  given  that  Jairus  showed 
impatience  or  displeasure  over  the  delay ;  he  had  placed  trust 
in  the  Master  and  awaited  His  time  and  pleasure ;  and  while 
Christ  was  engaged  in  the  matter  of  the  suffering  woman, 
messengers  came  from  the  ruler's  house  with  the  saddening 
word  that  the  girl  was  dead.  We  may  infer  that  even  these 
dread  tidings  of  certainty  failed  to  destroy  the  man's  faith ; 
he  seems  to  have  still  looked  to  the  Lord  for  help,  and  those 
who  had  brought  the  message  asked,  "Why  troublest  thou 
the  Master  any  further?"  Jesus  heard  what  was  said,  and 
sustained  the  man's  sorely-taxed  faith  by  the  encouraging 
behest:  "Be  not  afraid,  only  believe."  Jesus  permitted 
none  of  His  followers  save  three  of  the  apostles  to  enter  the 
house  with  Himself  and  the  bereaved  but  trusting  father. 
Peter  and  the  two  brothers  James  and  John  were  admitted. 

The  house  was  no  place  of  such  respectful  silence  or  sub- 
dued quiet  as  we  now  consider  appropriate  to  the  time  and 
place  of  death ;  on  the  contrary  it  was  a  scene  of  tumult,  but 
that  condition  was  customary  in  the  orthodox  observances  of 
mourning  at  the  time/  Professional  mourners,  including 
singers  of  weird  dirges,  and  minstrels  who  made  great  noise 
with  flutes  and  other  instruments,  had  already  been  sum- 
moned to  the  house.  To  all  such  Jesus  said,  on  entering: 
"Why  make  ye  this  ado,  and  weep?  the  damsel  is  not  dead 
but  slecpeth."  It  was  in  effect  a  repetition  of  His  command 
uttered  on  a  then  recent  occasion — Peace,  Le  still.  His 
words  drew  scorn  and  ridicule  from  those  who  were  paid  for 
the  noise  they  made,  and  who,  if  what  He  said  proved  true, 
would  lose  this  opportunity  of  professional  service.  More- 
over, they  knew  the  maid  was  dead ;  preparations  for  the 
funeral,  which"  custom  required  should  follow  death  as  speed- 


t  Note  6,   end  of  chapter. 


315 

ily  as  possible,  were  already  in  progress.  Jesus  ordered 
these  people  out,  and  restored  peace  to  the  house."  He  then 
entered  the  death  chamber,  accompanied  only  by  the  three 
apostles  and  the  parents  of  the  girl.  Taking  the  dead  maiden 
by  the  hand  He  "said  unto  her,  Talitha  cumi ;  which  is,  being 
interpreted,  Damsel,  I  say  unto  thee  arise."  To  the  astonish- 
ment of  all  but  the  Lord,  the  girl  arose,  left  her  bed,  and 
walked.  Jesus  directed  that  food  be  given  her,  as  bodily 
needs,  suspended  by  death,  had  returned  with  trie  girl's  re- 
newal of  life. 

The  Lord  imposed  an  obligation  of  secrecy,  charging  all 
present  to  refrain  from  telling  what  they  had  seen.  The 
reasons  for  this  injunction  are  not  stated.  In  some  other 
instances  a  similar  instruction  was  given  to  those  who  had 
been  blessed  by  Christ's  ministrations ;  while  on  many  occa- 
sions of  healing  no  such  instructions  are  recorded,  and  in 
one  case  at  least  the  man  who  had  been  relieved  of  demons 
was  told  to  go  and  tell  how  great  a  thing  had  been  done  for 
him.17  In  His  own  wisdom  Christ  knew  when  to  prudently 
forbid  and  when  to  permit  publication  of  His  doings. 
Though  the  grateful  parents,  the  girl  herself,  and  the  three 
apostles  who  had  been  witnesses  of  the  restoration,  may  all 
have  been  loyal  to  the  Lord's  injunction  of  silence,  the  fact 
that  the  maiden  had  been  raised  to  life  could  not  be  kept 
secret,  and  the  means  by  which  so  great  a  wonder  had  been 
wrought  would  certainly  be  inquired  into.  The  minstrels 
and  the  wailers  who  had  been  expelled  from  the  place  while 
it  was  yet  a  house  of  mourning,  and  who  had  scornfully 
laughed  at  the  Master's  assertion  that  the  maiden  was  asleep 
and  not  dead  as  they  thought,  would  undoubtedly  spread  're- 
ports. It  is  not  surprizing,  therefore,  to  read  in  Matthew's 
short  version  of  the  history,  that  the  fame  of  the  miracle 
"went  abroad  into  all  that  land." 


«  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 

vHark  5:19-20;  Luke  8:39.     Page  312. 


316  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 


RESTORATION    TO    UFF,   AND   RESURRECTION. 

The  vital  distinction  between  a  restoration  of  the  dead  to 
a  resumption  of  mortal  life,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body 
from  death  to  a  state  of  immortality,  must  be  thoughtfully 
heeded.  In  each  of  the  instances  thus  far  considered — that 
of  the  raising  of  the  dead  man  of  Nain,w  and  that  of  the 
daughter  of  Jairus,  as  also  in  the  raising  of  Lazarus  to  be 
studied  later — the  miracle  consisted  in  reuniting  the  spirit 
and  the  body  in  a  continuation  of  the  interrupted  course  of 
mortal  existence.  That  the  subject  of  each  of  these  mira- 
cles had  to  subsequently  die  is  certain.  Jesus  Christ  was  the 
first  of  all  men  who  have  lived  on  earth  to  come  forth  from 
the  tomb  an  immortalized  Being;  He  is  therefore  properly 
designated  as  "the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept."* 

Though  both  Elijah  and  Elisha,  many  centuries  prior  to 
the  time  of  Christ,  were  instrumental  in  restoring  life  to  the 
dead^  the  former  to  the  widow's  son  in  Zareptha,  the  latter 
to  the  child  of  the  Shunammite  woman/  in  these  earlier 
miracles  the  restoration  was  to  mortal  existence,  not  to  im- 
mortality. It  is  instructive  to  observe  the  difference  in  the 
procedure  of  each  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  mentioned 
as  compared  with  that  of  Christ  in  analogous  miracles. 
By  both  Elijah  and  Elisha  the  wonderful  change  was  brought 
about  only  after  long  and  labored  ministrations,  and  earnest 
invocation  of  the  power  and  intervention  of  Jehovah ;  but 
Jehovah,  embodied  in  flesh  as  Jesus  Christ,  did  nothing  out- 
wardly but  command,  and  the  bonds  of  death  were  immedi- 
ately broken.  He  spoke  in  His  own  name  and  by  inherent 
authority,  for  by  the  power  with  which  He  was  invested  He 
held  control  of  both  life  and  death. 


wPage   251. 

x\  Cor.  15:20,  23;  see  also  Acts  26:23;  Col.   1:18;  Rev.  1:5;  and  "Articles 
of  Faith,"   xxi:24-27. 

yl   Kings   17:17-24;  2  Kings  4:31-37. 


A    WOMAN    HEALED   AMIDST   THE    THRONG.  317 


A   REMARKABLE   HEALING   BY   THE   WAY/ 

While  Jesus  was  walking  to  the  house  of  Jairus  with  a 
great  crowd  of  people  thronging  about  Him,  the  progress  of 
the  company  was  arrested  by  another  case  of  suffering.  In 
the  throng  was  a  woman  who  for  twelve  years  had  been 
afflicted  with  a  serious  ailment  involving  frequent  hem- 
orrhage. She  had  spent  in  medical  treatment  all  she  had 
owned,  and  "had  suffered  many  things  of  many  physicians," 
but  had  steadily  grown  worse.  She  worked  her  way  through 
the  crowd,  and,  approaching  Jesus  from  behind,  touched  His 
robe ;  "For  she  said,  If  I  may  touch  but  his  clothes  I  shall  be 
whole."  The  effect  was  more  than  magical;  immediately 
she  felt  the  thrill  of  health  throughout  her  body,  and  knew 
that  she  had  been  healed  of  her  affliction.  Her  object  at- 
tained, the  blessing  she  sought  being  now  secured,  she  tried 
to  escape  notice  by  hastily  dropping  back  into  the  crowd. 
But  her  touch  was  not  unheeded  by  the  L,ord.  He  turned  to 
look  over  the  throng  and  asked,  "Who  touched  my  clothes  ?" 
or  as  Luke  puts  it,  "Who  touched  me  ?"  As  the  people  de- 
nied, the  impetuous  Peter  speaking  for  himself  and  the 
others  said :  "Master,  the  multitude  throng  thee  and  press 
thee,  and  sayest  thou  Who  touched  me?"  But  Jesus  an- 
swered :  "Somebody  hath  touched  me :  for  I  perceive  that 
virtue  is  gone  out  of  me." 

The  woman,  finding  that  she  could  not  escape  identifica- 
tion, came  tremblingly  forward,  and,  kneeling  before  the 
Lord,  confessed  what  she  had  done,  her  reason  for  so  doing, 
and  the  beneficent  result.  If  she  had  expected  censure  her 
fears  were  promptly  set  at  rest,  for  Jesus,  addressing  her  by 
a  term  of  respect  and  kindness,  said :  "Daughter,  be  of  good 
comfort ;  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole ;  go  in  peace,"  and 
as  Mark  adds,  "be  whole  of  thy  plague." 

This  woman's  faith  was  sincere  and  free  from  guile, 

.srMark  5:25-34;  Matt.  9:20-22;  Luke  8:43-48. 


318  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

nevertheless  it  was  in  a  sense  defective.  She  believed  that 
the  influence  of  Christ's  person,  and  even  that  attaching  to 
His  raiment,  was  a  remedial  agency,  ample  to  cure  her 
malady ;  but  she  did  not  realize  that  the  power  to  heal  was 
an  inherent  attribute  to  be  exercized  at  His  will,  and  as  the 
influence  of  faith  might  call  it  forth.  True,  her  faith  had 
already  been  in  part  rewarded,  but  of  greater  worth  to  her 
than  the  physical  cure  of  her  illness  would  be  the  assurance 
that  the  Divine  Healer  had  granted  the  desire  of  her  heart, 
and  that  the  faith  she  had  manifested  was  accepted  by  Him. 
To  correct  her  misapprehension  and  to  confirm  her  faith, 
Jesus  gently  subjected  her  to  the  necessary  ordeal  of  con- 
fession, which  must  have  been  made  easier  through  her  con- 
sciousness of  the  great  relief  already  experienced.  He  con- 
firmed the  healing  and  let  her  depart  with  the  comforting 
assurance  that  her  recovery  was  permanent. 

In  contrast  with  the  many  cases  of  healing  in  connection 
with  which  the  Lord  charged  the  beneficiaries  that  they 
should  tell  none  how  or  by  whom  they  had  been  relieved,  we 
see  here  that  publicity  was  made  sure  by  His  own  action,  and 
that  too,  when  secrecy  was  desired  by  the  recipient  of  the 
blessing.  The  purposes  and  motives  of  Jesus  may  be  but 
poorly  understood  by  man ;  but  in  this  woman's  case  we  see 
the  possibility  of  stories  strange  and  untrue  getting  afloat, 
and  it  appears  to  have  been  the  wiser  course  to  make  plain 
the  truth  then  and  there.  Moreover  the  spiritual  worth  of 
the  miracle  was  greatly  enhanced  by  the  woman's  confession 
and  by  the  Lord's  gracious  assurance. 

Observe  the  significant  assertion,  "Thy  faith  hath  made 
thee  whole."  Faith  is  of  itself  a  principle  of  power  ;a  and 
by  its  presence  or  absence,  by  its  fulness  or  paucity,  even  the 
Lord  was  and  is  influenced,  and  in  great  measure  controled, 
in  the  bestowal  or  withholding  of  blessings ;  for  He  min- 
isters according  to  law,  and  not  with  caprice  or  uncertainty. 


a  "Articles  of  Faith,"  v:ll-13. 


PASSIVE   BELIEF   AND   ACTIVE   FAITH.  319 

We  read  that  at  a  certain  time  and  place  Jesus  "could  do 
there  no  mighty  work,"  because  of  the  people's  unbelief. b 
Modern  revelation  specifies  that  faith  to  be  healed  is  one  of 
the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  analagous  to  the  manifestations  of 
faith  in  the  work  of  healing  others  through  the  exercize  of 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Priesthood/ 

Our  Lord's  inquiry  as  to  who  had  touched  Him  in  the 
throng  affords  us  another  example  of  His  asking  questions 
in  pursuance  of  a  purpose,  when  He  could  readily  have  de- 
termined the  facts  directly  and  without  aid  from  others. 
There  was  a  special  purpose  in  the  question,  as  every  teacher 
finds  a  means  of  instruction  in  the  questioning  of  his  pupils. d 
But  there  is  in  Christ's  question,  "Who  touched  me?"  a 
deeper  significance  than  could  inhere  in  a  simple  inquiry  as 
to  the  identity  of  an  individual;  and  this  is  implied  in  the 
Lord's  further  words :  "Somebody  hath  touched  me :  for  I 
perceive  that  virtue  is  gone  out  of  me."  The  usual  external 
act  by  which  His  miracles  were  wrought  was  a  word  or  a 
command,  sometimes  accompanied  by  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
or  by  some  other  physical  ministration  as  in  anointing  the 
eyes  of  a  blind  man/  That  there  was  an  actual  giving  of 
His  own  strength  to  the  afflicted  whom  He  healed  is  evident 
from  the  present  instance.  Passive  belief  on  the  part  of  a 
would-be  recipient  of  blessing  is  insufficient ;  only  when  it  is 
vitalized  into  active  faith  is  it  a  power ;  so  also  of  one  who 
ministers  in  the  authority  given  of  God,  mental  and  spiritual 
energy  must  be  operative  if  the  service  is  to  be  effective. 

THE)  BLIND  SEE  AND  THE}  DUMB  SPEAK/ 

Two  other  instances  of  miraculous  healing  are  chronicled 
by  Matthew  as  closely  following  the  raising  of  the  daughter 
of  Jairus.  As  Jesus  passed  down  the  streets  of  Capernaum, 

b  Mark  6:5,  6;   compare  Matt.   13:58. 

cDoc.  and  Cov.  46:19;  compare  Matt.  8:10;  9:28,  29.     Acts  14:9. 

d  Note  8,  end  of  chapter. 

<?Matt.  8:3;  Luke  4:40;  13:13;  John  9:6;  compare  Mark  6:5;  7:33;  8:23, 

/Matt.  9:27-35. 


320  JESUS    TTTR    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20.    ! 

presumably  on  His  departure  from  the  house  of  the  ruler  of 
the  synagog,  two  blind  men  followed  Him,  crying  out: 
"Thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us."  This  title  of  ad- 
dress was  voiced  by  others  at  sundry  times,  and  in  no  case 
do  we  find  record  of  our  Lord  disclaiming  it  or  objecting 
to  its  use.0  Jesus  paused  not  to  heed  this  call  of  the  blind, 
and  the  two  sightless  men  followed  Him,  even  entering  the 
house  after  Him.  Then  He  spoke  to  them,  asking:  "Be- 
lieve ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this  ?"  And  they  replied,  "Yea, 
Lord."  Their  persistency  in  following  the  Lord  was  evi- 
dence of  their  belief  that  in  some  way,  though  to  them  un- 
known and  mysterious,  He  could  help  them;  and  they 
promptly  and  openly  confessed  that  belief.  Our  Lord 
touched  their  eyes,  saying:  "According  to  your  faith  be  it 
unto  you."  The  effect  was  immediate;  their  eyes  were 
opened.  They  were  explicitly  instructed  to  say  nothing  of 
the  matter  to  others;  but,  rejoicing  in  the  inestimable  bless- 
ing of  sight,  they  "spread  abroad  his  fame  in  all  that  coun- 
try." So  far  as  we  can  unravel  the  uncertain  threads  of 
sequence  in  the  works  of  Christ,  this  is  the  earliest  instance 
recorded  with  attendant  details  of  His  giving  sight  to  the 
blind.  Many  remarkable  cases  follow. h 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  blessing  the  sightless  by  the 
exercize  of  His  healing  power,  Jesus  usually  ministered  by 
some  physical  contact  in  addition  to  uttering  the  authorita- 
tive words  of  command  or  assurance.  In  this  instance,  as 
also  in  that  of  two  blind  men  who  sat  by  the  wayside,  He 
touched  the  sightless  eyes ;  in  the  giving  of  sight  to  the  blind 
indigent  in  Jerusalem  He  anointed  the  man's  eyes  with  clay ; 
to  the  eyes  of  another  He  applied  saliva.*  An  analogous 
circumstance  is  found  in  the  healing  of  one  who  was  deaf 
and  defective  of  speech,  in  which  instance  the  Lord  put  His 
fingers  into  the  man's  ears  and  touched  his  tongue.''  In  no 

0Matt.   15:22;  20:30,  31;  Mark  10:47,  48;   Luke  18:38,  39. 

h  Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 

t'Matt.  20:30-34;  John  9:6;  Mark  8:23. 

/Mark  7:32-37, 


A   DUMB    DEMONIAC    HEALED.  321 

case  can  such  treatment  be  regarded  as  medicinal  or  thera- 
peutic. Christ  was  not  a  physician  who  relied  upon  curative 
substances,  nor  a  surgeon  to  perform  physical  operations ; 
His  healings  were  the  natural  results  of  the  application  of  a 
power  of  His  own.  It  is  conceivable  that  confidence,  which 
is  a  stepping-stone  to  belief,  as  that  in  turn  is  to  faith,  may 
have  been  encouraged  by  these  physical  ministrations, 
strengthened,  and  advanced  to  a  higher  and  more  abiding 
trust  in  Christ,  on  the  part  of  the  afflicted  who  had  not 
sight  to  look  upon  the  Master's  face  and  derive  inspiration 
therefrom,  nor  hearing  to  hear  His  uplifting  words.  There 
is  apparent  not  alone  an  entire  absence  of  formula  and 
formalism  in  His  ministration,  but  a  lack  of  uniformity  of 
procedure  quite  as  impressive. 

As  the  two  men,  once  sightless  but  now  seeing,  departed, 
others  came,  bringing  a  dumb  friend  whose  affliction  seems 
to  have  been  primarily  due  to  the  malignant  influence  of  an 
evil  spirit  rather  than  to  any  organic  defect.  Jesus  rebuked 
the  wicked  spirit — cast  out  the  demon  that  had  obsessed  the 
afflicted  one  and  held  him  in  the  tyranny  of  speechlessness. 
The  man's  tongue  was  loosened,  he  was  freed  from  the  evil 
incubus,  and  was  no  longer  dumb.^ 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  20. 

i.  Storms  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee. — It  is  a  matter  of  record 
that  sudden  and  violent  storms  are  common  on  the  lake  or  sea 
of  Galilee;  and  the  tempest  that  was  quieted  by  the  Lord's  word 
of  command  was  of  itself  no  unusual  phenomenon,  except  per- 
haps in  its  intensity.  Another  incident  connected  with  a  storm 
on  this  small  body  of  water  is  of  scriptural  record,  and  will  be 
considered  later  in  the  text  (Matt.  14:22-26;  Mark  6:45-56;  John 
6:15-21).  Dr.  Thompson  (The  Land  and  the  Book  ii  :32)  gives  a 
description  founded  on  his  personal  experience  on  the  shores  of 
the  lake:  "I  spent  a  night  in  that  Wady  Shukaiyif,  some  three 
miles  up  it,  to  the  left  of  us.  The  sun  had  scarcely  set  when 
the  wind  began  to  rush  down  toward  the  lake,  and  it  continued 
all  night  long  with  constantly  increasing  violence,  so  that  when 
we  reached  the  shore  next  morning  the  face  of  the  lake  was  a 

k  Matt.   9:32,   33. 
II 


322  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

huge  boiling  caldron.  The  wind  howled  down  every  wady  from 
the  north-east  and  east  with  such  fury  that  no  efforts  of  rowers 
could  have  brought  a  boat  to  shore  at.any^point  along  that  coast. 

To    understand    the    causes    of    these    sudden    and 

violent  tempests,  we  must  remember  that  the  lake  lies  low — six 
hundred  feet  lower  than  the  ocean;  that  the  vast  and  naked 
plateaus  of  the  Jaulan  rise  to  a  great  height,  spreading  backward 
to  the  wilds  of  the  Hauran,  and  upward  to  snowy  Hermon ;  and 
the  water-courses  have  cut  out  profound  ravines  and  wild  gorges, 
converging  to  the  head  of  this  lake,  and  that  these  act  like  gigan- 
tic funnels  to  draw  down  the  cold  winds  from  the  mountains." 

2.  The  Earth  Before  and  After  Its  Regeneration. — That  the 
earth  itself  fell  under  the  curse  incident  to  the  fall  of  the  first 
parents  of  the  race,  and  that  even  as  man  shall  be  redeemed  so 
shall  the  earth  be  regenerated,  is  implied  in  Paul's  words :  "Be- 
cause the  creature  itself  also  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bondage 
of  corruption  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God. 
For  we  know  that  the  whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in 
pain  together  until  now.  And  not  only  they,  but  ourselves  also, 
which  have  the  firstfruits  of  the  Spirit,  even  we  ourselves  groan 
within  ourselves,  waiting  for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption 
of  our  body"  (Rom.  8:21-23).  The  present  author  has  written 
elsewhere :  "According  to  the  scriptures,  the  earth  has  to  un- 
dergo a  change  analogous  to  death,  and  to  be  regenerated  in  a 
manner  comparable  to  a  resurrection.  References  to  the  elements 
melting  with  heat,  and  to  the  earth  being  consumed  and  passing 
away,  such  as  occur  in  many  scriptures  already  cited,  are  sug- 
gestive of  death ;  and  the  new  earth,  really  the  renewed  or  regen- 
erated planet,  which  is  to  result,  may  be  compared  with  a  resur- 
rected organism.  The  change  has  been  likened  unto  a  transfig- 
uration (Doc.  and  Cov.  63:20,  21).  Every  created  thing  has  been 
made  for  a  purpose ;  and  everything  that  fills  the  measure  of  its 
creation  is  to  be  advanced  in  the  scale  of  progression,  be  it  an 
atom  or  a  world,  an  animalcule,  or  man — the  direct  and  literal 
offspring  of  Deity.  In  speaking  of  the  degrees  of  glory  pro- 
vided for  His  creations,  and  of  the  laws  of  regeneration  and 
sanctification,  the  Lord,  in  a  revelation  dated  1832,  speaks  plainly 
of  the  approaching  death  and  subsequent  quickening  of  the 
ear.th.  These  are  His  words : — 'And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
the  earth  abideth  the  law  of  a  celestial  kingdom,  for  it  filleth  the 
measure  of  its  creation,  and  transgresseth  not  the  law.  Where- 
fore it  shall  be  sanctified ;  yea,  notwithstanding  it  shall  die,  it 
shall  be  quickened  again,  and  shall  abide  the  power  by  which  it 
is  quickened,  and  the  righteous  shall  inherit  it.'  (Doc.  and  Cov. 
88:25-26.)" 

The  vital  Spirit  that  emanates  from  God  and  is  coextensive 
with  space,  may  operate  directly  and  with  as  positive  effect  upon 
inanimate  things,  and  upon  energy  in  its  diverse  manifestations 
known  to  us  as  the  forces  of  nature,  as  upon  organized  intelli- 
gences, whether  yet  unembodied,  in  the  flesh,  or  disembodied. 
Thus,  the  Lord  may  speak  directly  to  the  earth,  the  air,  the  sea, 
and  be  heard  and  obeyed,  for  the  divine  affluence,  which  is  the 


NOTES.  323 

sum  of  all  energy  and  power  may  and  does  operate  throughout 
the  universe.  In  the  course  of  a  revelation  from  God  to  Enoch, 
the  earth  is  personified,  and  her  groans  and  lamentations  over 
the  wickedness  of  men  were  heard  by  the  prophet:  "And  it 
came  to  pass  that  Enoch  looked  upon  the  earth;  and  he  heard  a 
voice  from  the  bowels  thereof,  saying:  Wo,  wo  is  me,  the  mother 
of  men;  I  am  pained,  I  am  weary,  because  of  the  wickedness  of 
my  children.  When  shall  I  rest,  and  be  cleansed  from  the  filth- 
iness  which  is  gone  forth  out  of  me?  When  will  my  Creator 
sanctify  me,  that  I  may  re.st,  and  righteousness  for  a  season  abide 
upon  my  face?"  Enoch  pleaded:  "O  Lord  wilt  thou  not  have 
compassion  upon  the  earth?"  Following  further  revelation  as 
to  the  then  future  course  of  mankind  in  sin  and  in  the  rejection 
of  the  Messiah  who  was  to  be  sent,  the  prophet  wept  with 
anguish,  and  asked  of  God  "When  shall  the  earth  rest?"  It  was 
then  shown  unto  him  that  the  crucified  Christ  shall  return  to 
earth  and  establish  a  millennial  reign  of  peace:  "And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Enoch :  As  I  live,  even  so  will  I  come  in  the  last  days, 
in  the  days  of  wickedness  and  vengeance,  to  fulfil  the  oath  which 
I  have  made  unto  you  concerning  the  children  of  Noah ;  and  the 
day  shall  come  that  the  earth  shall  rest,  but  before  that  day  the 
heavens  shall  be  darkened,  and  a  veil  of  darkness  shall  cover  the 
earth ;  and  the  heavens  shall  shake,  and  also  the  earth ;  and  great 
tribulations  shall  be  among  the  children  of  men. "  And  the 
glorious  assurance  followed  "that  for  the  space  of  a  thousand 
years  the  earth  shall  rest."  (P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  7:48,  49,  58,  60, 
61,  64.) 

A  partial  description  of  the  earth  in  its  regenerated  state  has 
been  given  through  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith  in  the  present  dis- 
pensation :  "This  earth,  in  its  sanctified  and  immortal  state,  will 
be  made  like  unto  crystal  and  will  be  a  Urim  and  Thummim  to 
the  inhabitants  who  dwell  thereon,  whereby  all  things  pertaining 
to  an  inferior  kingdom,  or  all  kingdoms  of  a  lower  order,  will  be 
manifest  to  those  who  dwell  on  it;  and  this  earth  will  be  Christ's." 
(Doc.  and  Cov.  130:9). 

That  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  exercize  of  His  powers  of  Godship, 
should  speak  directly  to  the  wind  or  the  sea  and  be  obeyed,  is  no 
less  truly  in  accord  with  the  natural  law  of  heaven,  than  that  He 
should  effectively  command  a  man  or  an  imembodied  spirit.  That 
through  faith  even  mortal  man  may  set  in  operation  the  forces 
that  act  upon  matter  and  with  assurance  of  stupendous  results 
has  been  explicitly  declared  by  Jesus  Christ:  "For  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye  shall 
say  unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence  to  yonder  place;  and  it 
shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you"  (Matt. 
17:20;  compare  Mark  11:23;  Luke  17:6). 

3.  The  Land  of  the  Gergesenes.— Attempts  have  been  made 
to  discredit  the  account  of  Christ's  healing  the  demoniac  in  "the 
country  of  the  Gadarenes"  (Mark  5:1;  Luke  8:26)  on  the  claim 
that  the  ancient  town  of  Gadara  the  capital  of.  the  district  (see 
Josephus,  Wars,  iii,  7:1),  was  too  far  inland  to  make  possible  the 
precipitous  dash  of  the  swine  into  the  sea  from  that  place.  Others 


324  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

lay  stress  on  the  fact  that  Matthew  differs  from  the  two  other 
Gospel-historians,  in  specifying  "the  country  of  the  Gergesenes" 
(8:28).  As  stated  in  the  text,  a  whole  region  or  section  is  re- 
ferred to,  not  a  town.  The  keepers  of  the  swine  ran  off  to  the 
towns  tc  report  the  disaster  that  had  befallen  their  herd.  In 
that  district  of  Perea  there  were  at  the  time  towns  named  re- 
spectively Gadara,  Gerasa,  and  Gergesa;  the  region  in  general, 
therefore,  could  properly  be  called  the  land  of  the  Gadarenes  or 
of  the  Gergesenes.  Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  p.  254  note)  says : 
"After  the  researches  of  Dr.  Thompson  (The  Land  and  the  Book, 
ii:25),  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Gergesa  .  .  was  the  name  of 
a  little  town  nearly  opposite  Capernaum,  the  ruined  site  of  which 
is  still  called  Kerza  or  Gersa  by  the  Bedawin.  The  existence  of 
this  little  town  was  apparently  known  both  to  Origen,  who  first 
introduced  the  reading,  and  to  Eusebius  and  Jerome ;  and  in  their 
day  a  steep  declivity  near  it,  where  the  hills  approach  to  within  a 
little  distance  from  the  lake,  was  pointed  out  as  the  scene  of 
the  miracle." 

4.  Jesus  Entreated  to  Leave  the  Country. — The  people  were 
frightened    over    the    power    possessed   by   Jesus,    as    demonstrated 
in  the  cure  of  the  demoniac,  and  in  the  destruction  of  the  swine, 
which   latter  -occurrence,   however,    was   not   in    pursuance   of   His 
command.     It  was  the   fear  that   sinful  men   feel   in  the  presence 
of  the   Righteous.     They  were  not  prepared   for  other  manifesta- 
tions of  divine  power,  and  they  dreaded  to  think  who  among  them 
might  be  directly  affected  thereby  should  it  be  exerted.     We  must 
judge    the    people    mercifully,    however,    if    at    all.      They   were    in 
part    heathen,    and    had    but    superstitious    conceptions    of    Deity. 
Their   prayer   that   Jesus   leave   them   brings   to   mind   the   ejacula- 
tion  of    Simon   Peter  in   his   witnessing  one  of   Christ's   miracles : 
"Depart  from  me:  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord"  (Luke  5:8). 

5.  "Dead,"  or  "At  the  Point  of  Death."— According  to  Luke 
(8:42)    the    daughter    of    Jairus    "lay    a    dying"    when    the    grief- 
stricken  father  sought  help  of  the  Lord;  Mark  (5:23)    reports  the 
man  as  stating  that  the  girl  lay  "at  the  point  of  death."     These 
two  accounts  agree;  but  Matthew  (9:18)   represents  the  father  as 
saying:      "My    daughter   is   even   now   dead."     Unbelieving   critics 
have    dwelt    at    length    on    what    they    designate    an    inconsistency 
if   not   a   contradiction   in   these   versions ;    and   yet   both    accounts 
embodied   in   the   three   records   are   plainly   true.     The   maid   was 
seemingly  breathing  her  last,  she  was  in  the  very  throes  of  death, 
when  the  father  hurried  away.     Before  he  met  Jesus  he  felt  that 
the  end  had  probably  come ;   nevertheless  his   faith   endured.     His 
words   attest   his   trust,   that   even   had   his   daughter   actually  died 
since   he   left  her   side,   the   Master   could   recall   her   to   life.     He 
was  in  a  state  of  frenzied  grief,  and  still  his  faith  held  true. 

6.  Mourning  Customs  Among  Orientals. — Observances  that 
to  us  seem  strange,  weird,  and  out  of  place,  prevailed   from  very 
early  times  among  oriental  peoples,  some  of  which  customs  were 
common   to   the   Jews   in   the   days   of   Christ.     Noise   and   tumult, 
including    screeching    lamentations    by    members    of    the    bereaved 
family  and  by  professional  mourners,  as  also   the  din  of  instru- 


NOTES.  325 

ments,  were  usual  accompaniments  of  mourning.  Geikie,  citiiig 
Buxtorf's  quotation  from  the  Talmud,  gives  place  to  the  follow- 
ing: "Even  a  poor  Israelite  was  required  to  have  not  fewer  than 
two  flute  players  and  one  mourning  woman  at  the  death  of  his 
wife;  but  if  he  be  rich  all  things  are  to  be  done  according  to  his 
quality."  In  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  we  read :  "The 
number  of  words  (about  eleven  Hebrew  and  as  many  Greek) 
employed  in  scripture  to  express  the  various  actions  character- 
istic of  mourning,  shows  in  a  great  degree  the  nature  of  Jewish 
customs  in  this  respect.  They  appear  to  have  consisted  chiefly 
in  the  following  particulars :  ( I )  Beating  upon  the  breast  or 
other  parts  of  the  body.  (2)  Weeping  and  screaming  in  an  ex- 
cessive degree.  (3)  Wearing  sad-colored  garments.  (4)  Songs 
of  lamentation.  (5)  Funeral  feasts.  (6)  Employment  of  per- 
sons, especially  women,  to  lament.  One  marked  feature  of  ori- 
ental mourning  is  what  may  be  called  its  studied  publicity,  and 
the  careful  observance  of  prescribed  ceremonies  (Gen.  23:2;  Job 
I  :20;  2:8;  Isa.  15:3;  etc.)." 

7.  "Not  Dead,  but  Sleepeth."— That  the  daughter  of  Jairus 
was    dead    is    placed    beyond    reasonable    doubt    by    the    scriptural 
record.     Our    Lord's   statement   to   the   noisy  mourners   that   "the 
damsel  is  not  dead  but  sleepeth"   told  that  her   sleep   was   to  be 
of   short   duration.     It  was   a  rabbinical   and   common   custom  of 
the  time  to   speak  of   death   as   a   sleep,   and   those   who   laughed 
Jesus  to  scorn  for  His  statement  chose  to  construe  His  words  in 
a  sense  of  such  literalism  as  the  context  scarcely  warrants.     It  is 
noticeable    that    the    Lord    used    a    strictly    equivalent    expression 
with    respect    to    the    death    of    Lazarus.      "Our    friend    Lazarus 
sleepeth,"    said    He,    "but    I    go    that    I    may    awake    him    out    of 
sleep."     The  literal  construction  placed  upon  these  words  by  the 
apostles    evoked    the    plain    declaration    "Lazarus    is    dead"    (John 
11:11,   14).      In    the    Talmud    death    is    repeatedly    designated    as 
sleep — hundreds    of   times    says    Lightfoot,   a   recognized   authority 
on  Hebrew  literature. 

8.  Why  Did  Jesus  Make  Inquiries?— We  have  already  con- 
sidered many  instances  of  Christ's  possession  of  what  man  would 
call    superhuman    knowledge,    extending    even    to    the    reading    of 
unuttered    thoughts.      Some    people    find    difficulty    in    reconciling 
this   superior   quality  with   the   fact   that  Jesus   often   asked   ques- 
tions even  on  matters  of  minor  circumstance.     We  should  realize 
that  even  complete  knowledge  may  not  preclude  the  propriety  of 
making  inquiries,   and,   moreover,   that  even   omniscience   does   not 
imply    ever-present    consciousness    of    all    that    is.      Undoubtedly 
through  his  paternal  heritage  of  divine  attributes,  Jesus  had  the 
power   of   ascertaining    for   Himself,   by  means   not   possessed   by 
others,   any   facts   He   might   have   desired   to   know ;   nevertheless 
we  find  Him  repeatedly  asking  questions  on  circumstantial  detail 
(Mark  9:21;  8:27;  Matt.  16:13;  Luke  8:45)  ;  and  this  He  did  even 
after  His  resurrection  (Luke  24:41;  John  21:5;  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi 
I77). 

That    catechization    is    one    of    the    most    effective    means    of 
mind   development   is   exampled  in   the  methods    followed   by  the 


326  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    20. 

best  of  human  teachers.  Trench  (Notes  on  the  Miracles,  pp.  148-9), 
thus  instructively  points  the  lesson  as  illustrated  by  our  Lord's 
question  concerning  the  woman  who  was  healed  of  her  issue  of 
blood  :  With  little  force  "can  it  be  urged  that  it  would  have  been 
inconsistent  with  absolute  truth  for  the  Lord  to  profess  ignor- 
ance, and  to  ask  the  question  which  He  did  ask,  if  all  the  while 
He  perfectly  knew  what  He  thus  seemed  implicitly  to  say  that 
He  did  not  know.  A  father  among  his  children,  and  demanding 
Who  committed  this  fault?  himself  conscious,  even  while  he 
asks,  but  at  the  same  time  willing  to  bring  the  culprit  to  a  full 
confession,  and  so  to  put  him  in  a  pardonable  state,  can  he  be 
said,  in  any  way  to  violate  the  law  of  the  highest  truth?  The 
same  offense  might  be  found  in  Elisha's  'Whence  comest  thou, 
Gehazi?  (2  Kings  5:25)  when  his  heart  went  with  his  servant  all 
the  way  that  he  had  gone;  and  even  in  the  question  of  God  Him- 
self to  Adam,  'Where  art  thou?'  (Gen.  3:9),  and  to  Cain,  'Where 
is  Abel  thy  brother?'  (Gen.  4:9).  In  every  case  there  is  a  moral 
purpose  in  the  question,  an  opportunity  given  even  at  the  latest 
moment  for  making  good  at  least  a  part  of  the  error  by  its  un- 
reserved confession." 

g.  The  Blind  See. — In  his  treatment  of  the  miraculous  heal- 
ing of  the  two  blind  men  who  had  followed  Jesus  into  the  house, 
Trench  (Notes  on  the  Miracles  of  our  Lord,  p.  152)  says:  "We 
have  here  the  first  of  those  many  healings  of  the  blind  recorded 
(Matt.  12:22;  20:30;  21:14;  John  9)  or  alluded  to  (Matt.  11:5)  in 
the  Gospels ;  each  of  them  a  literal  fulfilment  of  that  prophetic 
word  of  Isaiah  concerning  the  days  of  Messiah :  'Then  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  shall  be  opened'  (35:5).  Frequent  as  these  miracles 
are,  they  yet  will  none  of  them  be  found  without  distinguishing 
features  of  their  own.  That  they  should  be  so  numerous  is  noth- 
ing wonderful,  whether  we  regard  the  fact'4 from  a  natural  or  spir- 
itual point  of  view.  Regarded  naturally  they  need  not  surprize 
us  if  we  keep  in  mind  how  far  commoner  a  calamity  is  blindness 
in  the  East  than  with  us.  Regarded  from  a  spiritual  point  of 
view  we  have  only  to  remember  how  commonly  sin  is  contem- 
plated in  Scripture  as  a  moral  blindness  (Deut.  28:29;  Isa.  59:10; 
Job  12:25;  Zeph.  i:j7),  and  deliverance  from  sin  as  a  removal  of 
this  blindness  (Isa.  6:9,  10;  43:8;  Eph.  1:18;  Matt.  15:14);  and 
we  shall  at  once  perceive  how  fit  it  was  that  He  who  was  the 
'light  of  the  world'  should  often  accomplish  works  which  sym- 
bolized so  well  that  higher  work  which  He  came  into  the  world 
to  accomplish." 


JESUS    THE    CARPENTER.  327 


CHAPTER   21. 

THE  APOSTOLIC  MISSION,  AND  EVENTS  RELATED 
THERETO. 

JESUS   AGAIN    IN    NAZARETH." 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  in  the  early  days  of  His  public 
ministry,  Jesus  had  been  rejected  by  the  people  of  Nazareth, 
who  thrust  Him  out  from  their  synagog  and  tried  to  kill 
Him.&  It  appears  that  subsequent  to  the  events  noted  in  our 
last  chapter,  He  returned  to  the  town  of  His  youth,  and  again 
raised  His  voice  in  the  synagog,  thus  mercifully  affording 
the  people  another  opportunity  to  learn  and  accept  the 
truth.  The  Nazarenes,  as  they  had  done  before,  now  again 
openly  expressed  their  astonishment  at  the  words  He  spoke, 
and  at  the  many  miraculous  works  He  had  wrought ;  never- 
theless they  rejected  Him  anew,  for  He  came  not  as  they 
expected  the  Messiah  to  come ;  and  they  refused  to  know 
Him  save  as  "the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary,  the  brother  of 
James,  and  Joses,  and  of  Juda,  and  Simon ;"  all  of  whom 
were  common  folks  as  were  also  His  sisters.  "And  they  were 
offended  at  him."c  Jesus  reminded  them  of  the  proverb  then 
current  among  the  people,  "A  prophet  is  not  without  honour, 
but  in  his  own  country,  and  among  his  own  kin,  and  in  his 
own  house."  Their  unbelief  was  so  dense  as  to  cause  Him 
to  marvel  \s  and  because  of  their  lack  of  faith  He  was  unable 
to  accomplish  any  great  work  except  to  heal  a  few  excep- 
tional believers  upon  whom  He  laid  His  hands.  Leaving 
Nazareth,  He  entered  upon  His  third  tour  of  the  Galilean 
towns  and  villages,  preaching  and  teaching  as  He  went.d 

a  Matt.    13:53-58;   Mark  6:1-6. 

fcLuke  4:28-30.     See  pages  179-181. 

c  Pages    254,    274. 

z  Note  2,  page  273. 

d  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


328  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 


THE   TWELVE   CHARGED   AND   SENT/ 

About  this  time,  also,  Jesus  inaugurated  a  notable  expan- 
sion of  the  ministry  of  the  kingdom,  by  sending  forth  the 
Twelve  on  assigned  missions.  Since  their  ordination  the 
apostles  had  been  with  their  Lord,  learning  from  Him  by 
public  discourse  and  private  exposition,  and  acquiring  inval- 
uable experience  and  training  through  that  privileged  and 
blessed  companionship.  The  purpose  of  their  ordination  was 
specified — "that  they  should  be  with  him,  and  that  he  might 
send  them  forth  to  preach."^  They  had  been  pupils  under  the 
Master's  watchful  guidance  for  many  months ;  and  now  they 
were  called  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  their  calling  as 
preachers  of  the  gospel  and  individual  witnesses  of  the 
Christ.  By  way  of  final  preparation  they  were  specifically 
and  solemnly  charged.*7  Some  of  the  instructions  given  them 
on  this  occasion  had  particular  reference  to  their  first  mis- 
sion, from  which  they  would  in  due  time  return  and  report ; 
other  directions  and  admonitions  were  to  be  of  effect 
throughout  their  ministry,  even  after  the  Lord's  ascension. 

They  were  directed  to  confine  their  ministrations  for  the 
time  being  "to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,"  and 
not  to  open  a  propaganda  among  the  Gentiles/1  nor  even  in 
Samaritan  cities.  This  was  a  temporary  restriction,  im- 
posed in  wisdom  and  prudence ;  later,  as  we  shall  see,  they 
were  directed  to  preach  among  all  nations,  with  the  world 
for  their  field.*  The  subject  of  their  discourses  was  to  be 
that  upon  which  they  had  heard  the  Master  preach — "the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  They  were  to  exercize  the 
authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood  as  conferred  upon  them  by 
ordination ;  it  was  a  specified  part  of  their  mission  to  "heal 


<?Matt.   10:5-42;  Mark  6:7-13;  Luke  9:1-6. 

/Mark   3:14. 

0Matt.   10:5-42;   Mark  6:7-13;  Luke  9:1-6. 

h  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

tMatt.  28:19;  Mark  16:15.    Page  695  herein. 


THE  TWELVE  SOLEMNLY   CHARGED.  329 

the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead,  cast  out  devils," 
as  occasion  presented  itself ;  and  they  were  commanded  to 
give  freely,  even  as  they  had  freely  received.  Personal  com- 
fort and  bodily  needs  they  were  not  to  provide  for ;  the  peo- 
ple were  to  be  proved  as  to  their  willingness  to  receive  and 
assist  those  who  came  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  and  the 
apostles  themselves  were  to  learn  to  rely  upon  a  Provider 
more  to  be  trusted  than  man ;  therefore  money,  extra  cloth- 
ing, and  things  of  mere  convenience  were  to  be  left  be- 
hind. In  the  several  towns  they  entered  they  were  to 
seek  entertainment  and  leave  their  blessing  upon  every  wor- 
thy family  into  which  they  were  received.  If  they  found 
themselves  rejected  by  a  household  or  by  a  town  as  a  whole, 
they  were  to  shake  the  dust  from  their  feet  on  leaving,  as  a 
testimony  against  the  people ;'  and  it  was  decreed  that,  in 
the  day  of  judgment,  the  place  so  denounced  would  fare 
worse  than  wicked  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  upon  which  fire 
from  heaven  had  descended. 

The  apostles  were  told  to  be  prudent,  to  give  no  needless 
offense,  but  to  be  wise  as  serpents,  and  harmless  as  doves ; 
for  they  were  sent  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves. 
They  were  not  to  recklessly  entrust  themselves  to  the  power 
of -men;  for  wicked  men  would  persecute  them,  seek  to  ar- 
raign them  before  councils  and  courts,  and  to  afflict  them  in 
the  synagogs.  Moreover  they  might  expect  to  be  brought 
before  governors  and  kings,  under  which  extreme  condi- 
tions they  were  to  rely  upon  divine  inspiration  as  to  what 
they  should  say,  and  not  depend  upon  their  own  wisdom  in 
preparation  and  premeditation ;  "For,"  said  the  Master,  "it 
is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  which 
speaketh  in  you."6 

They  were  not  to  trust  even  the  claims  of  kinship  for 
protection,  for  families  would  be  divided  over  the  truth, 

/  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

fc  Matt.  10:18-20;  compare  Mark  13:9;  Luke  12:10-12. 


330  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

brother  against  brother,  children  against  parents,  and  the 
resulting  strife  would  be  deadly.  These  servants  of  Christ 
were  told  that  they  would  be  hated  of  all  men,  but  were 
assured  that  their  sufferings  were  to  be  for  His  name's  sake. 
They  were  to  withdraw  from  the  cities  that  persecuted  them, 
and  go  to  others ;  and  the  Lord  would  follow  them,  even 
before  they  would  be  able  to  complete  the  circuit  of  the  cities 
of  Israel.  They  were  admonished  to  humility,  and  were 
always  to  remember  that  they  were  servants,  who  ought  not 
to  expect  to  escape  when  even  their  Master  was  assailed. 
Nevertheless  they  were  to  be  fearless,  hesitating  not  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  plainness ;  for  the  most  their  persecutors  could 
do  was  to  kill  the  body,  which  fate  was  as  nothing  compared 
to  that  of  suffering  destruction  of  the  soul  in  hell. 

Assurance  of  the  Father's  watchful  eye  was  impressed 
upon  them  by  the  simple  reminder  that  though  sparrows 
were  sold  two  for  a  farthing,  and  yet  not  a  sparrow  could 
be  sacrificed  without  the  Father's  concern,  they,  who  were 
of  more  value  than  many  sparrows,  would  not  be  forgotten. 
They  were  solemnly  warned  that  whosoever  would  freely 
confess  the  Christ  before  men  would  be  acknowledged  by 
Him  in  the  Father's  presence,  while  they  who  denied  Him 
before  men  would  be  denied  in  heaven.  And  again  they 
were  told  that  the  gospel  would  bring  strife,  whereby  house- 
holds would  be  disrupted ;  for  the  doctrine  the  Lord  had 
taught  would  be  as  a  sword  to  cut  and  divide.  The  duties 
of  their  special  ministry  were  to  supersede  the  love  for  kin- 
dred ;  they  must  be  willing  to  leave  father,  mother,  son,  or 
daughter,  whatever  the  sacrifice;  for,  said  Jesus  "He  that 
taketh  not  his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy 
of  me." 

The  significance  of  this  figure  must  have  been  solemnly 
impressive,  and  actually  terrifying;  for  the  cross  was  a 
symbol  of  ignominy,  extreme  suffering,  and  death.  How- 
ever, should  they  lose  their  lives  for  His  sake,  they  would 


RETURN    OF    THE    TWELVE,  331 

find  life  eternal ;  while  he  who  was  not  willing  to  die  in  the 
Lord's  service  should  lose  his  life  in  a  sense  at  once  literal 
and  awful.  They  were  never  to  forget  in  whose  name  they 
were  sent;  and  were  comforted  with  the  assurance  that 
whoever  received  them  would  be  rewarded  as  one  who  had 
received  the  Christ  and  His  Father;  and  that  though  the 
gift  were  only  that  of  a  cup  of  cold  water,  the  giver  should 
in  no  wise  lose  his  reward. 

Thus  charged  and  instructed,  the  twelve  special  wit- 
nesses of  the  Christ  set  out  upon  their  mission,  traveling  in 
pairs/  while  Jesus  continued  His  personal  ministry. 

THE  TWELVE  RETURN. 

We  are  without  definite  information  as  to  the  dura- 
tion of  the  apostles'  first  mission,  and  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  field  they  traversed.  The  period  of  their  absence 
was  marked  by  many  important  developments  in  the  indi- 
vidual labors  of  Jesus.  It  is  probable  that  during  this  time 
our  Lord  visited  Jerusalem,  on  the  occasion  mentioned  by 
John  as  coincident  with  the  unnamed  feast  of  the  Jews."1 
While  the  apostles  were  absent,  Jesus  was  visited  by  the 
Baptist's  disciples,  as  we  have  already  seen,"  and  the  re- 
turn of  the  Twelve  occurred  near  the  time  of  the  infamous 
execution  of  John  the  Baptist  in  prison.0 

The  missionary  labors  of  the  apostles  greatly  augmented 
the  spread  of  the  new  doctrine  of  the  kingdom,  and  the 
name  and  works  of  Jesus  were  proclaimed  throughout  the 
land.  The  people  of  Galilee  were  at  that  time  in  a  state  of 
discontent  threatening  open  insurrection  against  the  gov- 
ernment ;  their  unrest  had  been  aggravated  by  the  murder  of 
the  Baptist.  Herod  Antipas,  who  had  given  the  fatal  order, 
trembled  in  his  palace.  He  heard,  with  fear  due  to  inward 


/Mark  6:7. 

m  John  5;   pages   206,   216. 

nMatt.  11:2-19;  Luke  7:18-34;  see  page  252. 

oPage  259. 


332  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

conviction  of  guilt,  of  the  marvelous  works  wrought  by 
Jesus,  and  in  terror  averred  that  Christ  could  be  none  other 
than  John  Baptist  returned  from  the  tomb.  His  fawning 
courtiers  essayed  to  allay  his  fears  by  saying  that  Jesus  was 
Elijah,  or  some  other  of  the  prophets  whose  advent  had  been 
predicted ;  but  the  conscience-stricken  Herod  said :  "It  is 
John  whom  I  beheaded :  he  is  risen  from  the  dead."  Herod 
desired  to  see  Jesus ;  perhaps  through  the  fascination  of 
fear,  or  with  the  faint  hope  that  sight  of  the  renowned 
Prophet  of  Nazareth  might  dispel  his  superstitious  dread 
that  the  murdered  John  had  returned  to  life. 

Upon  the  completion  of  their  missionary  tour,  the  apos- 
tles rejoined  the  Master  and  reported  to  Him  both  what  they 
had  taught  and  what  they  had  done  by  way  of  authoritative 
ministration.  They  had  preached  the  gospel  of  repentance 
in  all  the  cities,  towns,  and  villages  to  which  they  had  gone ; 
they  had  anointed  with  oil  many  afflicted  ones,  and  the 
power  of  their  priesthood  had  been  attested  by  consequent 
healings;  even  unclean  spirits  and  devils  had  been  subject 
unto  them.p  They  found  Jesus  attended  by  great  multi- 
tudes; and  they  had  little  opportunity  of  private  confer- 
ence with  Him;  "for  there  were  many  coming  and  going, 
and  they  had  no  leisure  so  much  as  to  eat."  The  apostles 
must  have  heard  in  gladness  the  Lord's  invitation :  "Come 
ye  yourselves  apart  into  a  desert  place,  and  rest  awhile."  In 
quest  of  seclusion,  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  withdrew  from  the 
throng,  and  privately  entered  a  boat  in  which  they  crossed 
to  a  rural  spot  adjacent  to  the  city  of  Bethsaida.^  Their 
departure  had  not  been  unobserved,  however,  and  eager 
crowds  hastened  along  the  shore,  and  partly  around  the 
northerly  end  of  the  lake,  to  join  the  party  at  the  landing 
place.  From  John's  account  we  are  led  to  infer  that,  before 


p  Mark  6:12,  13;  Luke  9:10.  Note  similar  testimony  of  the  Seventy, 
who  were  sent  out  at  a  later  time,  and  who  returned  rejoicing  in  the 
power  that  had  been  manifest  in  their  ministry;  Luke  10:17. 

q  Note  4,   end  of  chapter.  • 


FIVE    THOUSAND    MIRACULOUSLY    FED.  333 

the  arrival  of  great  numbers,  Jesus  and  His  companions  had 
ascended  the  hillside  near  the  shore,  where,  for  a  short  time 
they  had  rested.  As  the  multitude  gathered  on  the  lower 
slopes,  our  Lord  looked  upon  them  as  upon  sheep  without  a 
shepherd ;  and,  yielding  to  their  desire  and  to  His  own  emo- 
tions of  divine  pity,  He  taught  them  many  things,  healed 
their  afflicted  ones,  and  comforted  their  hearts  with  com- 
passionate tenderness. 

FIVE)   THOUSAND    FED   IN    THE   DESERT/ 

So  intent  were  the  people  on  hearing  the  Lord's  words, 
and  so  concerned  in  the  miraculous  relief  resulting  from  His 
healing  ministrations,  that  they  remained  in  the  wilderness, 
oblivious  to  the  passing  of  the  hours,  until  the  evening  ap- 
proached. It  was  the  springtime,  near  the  recurrence  of 
the  annual  Passover  festival,  the  season  of  grass  and  flowers/ 
Jesus,  realizing  that  the  people  were  hungry,  asked  Philip, 
one  of  the  Twelve,  "Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that  these 
may  eat?"  The  purpose  of  the  question  was  to  test  the 
apostle's  faith;  for  the  Lord  had  already  determined  as  to 
what  was  to  be  done.  Philip's  reply  showed  surprize  at  the 
question,  and  conveyed  his  thought  that  the  suggested  un- 
dertaking was  impossible.  "Two  hundred  pennyworth  of 
bread  is  not  sufficient  for  them,  that  every  one  of  them  may 
take  a  little,"  said  he.  Andrew  added  that  theYe  was  a  lad 
present  who  had  five  barley  loaves,  and  two  small  fishes, 
"But,"  said  he,  "what  are  they  among  so  many  ?" 

Such  is  John's  account ;  the  other  writers  state  that  the 
apostles  reminded  Jesus  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and 
urged  that  He  send  the  people  away  to  seek  for  themselves 
food  and  lodging  in  the  nearest  towns.  It  appears  most 
probable  that  the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  Philip  oc- 
curred earlier  in  the  afternoon  ;*  and  that  as  the  hours  sped, 


rjohn   6:5-14;    compare   Matt.    14:15-21:    Mark   6:35-44;    Luke   9:12-17. 
jTohn  6:4;    Matt.    14:19;   Mark   6:39. 
t  Note   5,    end   of   chapter. 


334  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

the  Twelve  became  concerned  and  advized  that  the  multitude 
be  dismissed.  The  Master's  reply  to  the  apostles  was: 
"They  need  not  depart;  give  ye  them  to  eat."  In  amazed 
wonder  they  replied :  "We  have  here  but  five  loaves  and 
two  fishes ;"  and  Andrew's  despairing  comment  is  implied 
again — What  are  they  among  so  many? 

Jesus  gave  command,  and  the  people  seated  themselves 
on  the  grass  in  orderly  array;  they  were  grouped  in  fifties 
and  hundreds;  and  it  was  found  that  the  multitude  num- 
bered about  five  thousand  men,  beside  women  and  children. 
Taking  the  loaves  and  the  fishes,  Jesus  looked  toward  heaven 
and  pronounced  a  blessing  upon  the  food ;  then,  dividing 
the  provisions,  He  gave  to  the  apostles  severally,  and  they 
in  turn  distributed  to  the  multitude.  The  substance  of  both 
fish  and  bread  increased  under  the  Master's  touch ;  and  the 
multitude  feasted  there  in  the  desert,  until  all  were  satisfied. 
To  the  disciples  Jesus  said :  "Gather  up  the  fragments  that 
remain,  that  nothing  be  lost ;"  and  twelve  baskets  were  filled 
with  the  surplus. 

As  to  the  miracle  itself,  human  knowledge  is  powerless 
to  explain.  Though  wrought  on  so  great  a  scale,  it  is  no 
more  nor  less  inexplicable  than  any  other  of  the  Lord's  mirac- 
ulous works.  It  was  a  manifestation  of  creative  power,  by 
which  material  elements  were  organized  and  compounded 
to  serve  a  present  and  pressing  need.  The  broken  but  un- 
used portion  exceeded  in  bulk  and  weight  the  whole  of  the 
original  little  store.  Our  Lord^s  direction  to  gather  up  the 
fragments  was  an  impressive  object-lesson  against  waste ; 
and  it  may  have  been  to  aflord  such  lesson  that  an  excess 
was  supplied.  The  fare  was  simple,  yet  nourishing,  whole- 
some and  satisfying.  Barley  bread  and  fish  constituted  the 
usual  food  of  the  poorer  classes  of  the  region.  The  con- 
version of  water  into  wine  at  Cana  was  a  qualitative  trans- 
mutation ;  the  feeding  of  the  multitude  involved  a  quantita- 


THE  PEOPLE  TRY  TO  MAKE  JESUS  A  KING.       335 

tive  increase ;  who  can  say  that  one,  or  which,  of  these 
miracles  of  provision  was  the  more  wonderful? 

The  multitude,  now  fed  and  filled,  gave  some  considera- 
tion to  the  miracle.  In  Jesus,  by  whom  so  great  a  work  had 
been  wrought,  they  recognized  One  having  superhuman 
powers.  "This  is  of  a  truth  the  prophet  that  should  come 
into  the  world,"  said  they — the  Prophet  whose  coming  had 
been  foretold  by  Moses  and  who  should  be  like  unto  himself. 
Even  as  Israel  had  been  miraculously  fed  during  the  time  of 
Moses,  so  now  was  bread  provided  in  the  desert  by  this  new 
Prophet.  In  their  enthusiasm  the  people  proposed  to  pro- 
claim Him  king,  and  forcibly  compel  Him  to  become  their 
leader.  Such  was  their  gross  conception  of  Messianic  su- 
premacy. Jesus  directed  His  disciples  to  depart  by  boat, 
while  He  remained  to  dismiss  the  now  excited  multitude. 
The  disciples  hesitated  to  leave  their  Master;  but  He  con- 
strained them  and  they  obeyed.  His  insistence,  that  the 
Twelve  depart  from  both  Himself  and  the  multitude,  may 
have  been  due  to  a  desire  to  protect  the  chosen  disciples 
against  possible  infection  by  the  materialistic  and  unright- 
eous designs  of  the  throng  to  make  Him  king.  By  means 
that  are  not  detailed,  He  caused  the  people  to  disperse; 
and,  as  night  came  on,  He  found  that  for  which  He  had 
come  in  quest,  solitude  and  quiet.  Ascending  the  hill,  He 
chose  a  secluded  place,  and  there  remained  in  prayer  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  night. 

"IT  is  i ;  BE;  NOT  AFRAID."** 

The  return  by  boat  proved  to  be  a  memorable  'journey  for 
the  disciples.  They  encountered  a  boisterous  head-wind, 
which  of  course  rendered  impossible  the  use  of  sails;  and 
though  they  toiled  heavily  at  the  oars  the  vessel  became 
practically  unmanageable  and  wallowed  in  the  midst  of  the 

«Matt.   14:22-33;    compare   Mark   6:45-52;   John  6:15-21. 


336  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

sea."  Though  they  had  labored  through  the  night  they  had 
progressed  less  than  four  miles  on  their  course ;  to  turn  and 
run  before  the  wind  would  have  been  to  invite  disastrous 
wreck ;  their  sole  hope  lay  in  their  holding  the  vessel  to  the 
wind  by  sheer  power  of  muscle.  Jesus,  in  His  place  of 
solitary  retirement,  was  aware  of  their  sad  plight,  and  along 
in  the  fourth  watch,™  that  is,  between  three  and  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  He  came  to  their  assistance,  walking  upon 
the  storm-tossed  water  as  though  treading  solid  ground. 
When  the  voyagers  caught  sight  of  Him  as  He  approached 
the  ship  in  the  faint.light  of  the  near-spent  night,  they  were 
overcome  by  superstitious  fears,  and  cried  out  in  terror, 
thinking  that  they  saw  a  ghostly  apparition.  "But  straight- 
way Jesus  spake  unto  them,  saying,  Be  of  good  cheer ;  it  is 
I ;  be  not  afraid." 

Relieved  by  these  assuring  words,  Peter,  impetuous  and 
impulsive  as  usual,  cried  out :  "Lord,  if-r  it  be  thou,  bid  me 
come  unto  thee  on  the  water."  Jesus  assenting,  Peter 
descended  from  the  ship  and  walked  toward  his  Master ;  but 
as  the  wind  smote  him  and  the  waves  rose  about  him,  his 
confidence  wavered  and  he  began  to  sink.  Strong  swimmer 
though  he  was/  he  gave  way  to  fright,  and  cried,  "Lord, 
save  me."  Jesus  caught  him  by  the  hand,  saying:  "O, 
thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?" 

From  Peter's  remarkable  experience,  we  learn  that  the 
power  by  which  Christ  was  able  to  walk  the  waves  could  be 
made  operative  in  others,  provided  only  their  faith  was  en- 
during. It  was  on  Peter's  own  request  that  he  was  per- 
mitted to  attempt  the  feat.  Had  Jesus  forbidden  him,  the 
man's  faith  might  have  suffered  a  check ;  his  attempt,  though 
attended  by  partial  failure,  was  a  demonstration  of  the  effi- 
cacy of  faith  in  the  Lord,  such  as  no  verbal  teaching  could 

v  Page  321. 

w  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

x  That   is    to   say,    "since"   or   "inasmuch". 

/Compare  Peter's  impetuous  leap  into  the  sea  to  reach  the  resurrected 
on  the  shore,  John  21 :7. 


THE    MIRACLE    OF    WALKING    UPON    THE    WATER.  337 

?ver  have  conveyed.  Jesus  and  Peter  entered  the  vessel; 
immediately  the  wind  ceased,  and  the  boat  soon  reached  the 
shore.  The  amazement  of  the  apostles,  at  this  latest  mani- 
festation of  the  IvOrd's  control  over  the.  forces  of  nature, 
would  have  been  more  akin  to  worship  and  less  like  terri- 
fied consternation  had  they  remembered  the  earlier  wonders 
they  had  witnessed ;  but  they  had  forgotten  even  the  miracle 
of  the  loaves,  and  their  hearts  had  hardened.2  Marveling  at 
the  power  of  One  to  whom  the  wind-lashed  sea  was  a  sus- 
taining floor,  the  apostles  bowed  before  the  Lord  in  reverent 
worship,  saying:  "Of  a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of  God."a 

Aside  from  the  marvelous  circumstances  of  its  literal  oc- 
currence, the  miracle  is  rich  in  symbolism  and  suggestion. 
By  what  law  or  principle  the  effect  of  gravitation  was  super- 
seded, so  that  a  human  body  could  be  supported  upon  the 
watery  surface,  man  is  unable  to  affirm.  The  phenomenon 
is  a  concrete  demonstration  of  the  great  truth  that  faith  is  a 
principle  of  power,  whereby  natural  forces  may  be  condi- 
tioned and  controled.&  Into  every  adult  human  life  come 
experiences  like  unto  the  battling  oi  storm-tossed  voy- 
agers with  contrary  winds  and  threatening  seas ;  ofttimes  the 
night  of  struggle  and  danger  is  far  advanced  before  succor 
appears ;  and  then,  too  frequently  the  saving  aid  is  mistaken 
for  a  greater  terror.  As  came  unto  Peter  and  his  terrified 
companions  in  the  midst  of  the  turbulent  waters,  so  comes  to 
all  who  toil  in  faith,  the  voice  of  the  Deliverer — "It  is  I ; 
be  not  afraid." 

IN    THE)   LAND   OF  GENNESARF/T. 

The  night  voyage,  in  the  course  of  which  Jesus  had 
reached  the  boat  with  its  frightened  occupants  while  "in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,"  ended  at  some  point  within  the  district 


s  Mark  6:52. 

a  Note  that  this  is  the  first  occurrence  of  this  title  in  the  Synoptic  Gos- 
pels, as  applied  to  Jesus  by  mortals;  compare  an  earlier  instance  of  its 
application  by  Nathanael,  John  1 :49. 

&  "Articles  of  Faith,"  v:ll-13— "Faith  a  Principle  of  Power." 


338  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21 

known  as  the  land  of  Gennesaret,  which,  as  generally  be- 
lieved, embraced  the  rich  and  fertile  region  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tiberias  and  Magdala.  Of  the  natural  beauties  for  which 
the  region  was  famed  much  has  been  written/  Word  of 
our  Lord's  presence  there  spread  rapidly,  and,  from  "all 
that  country  round  about,"  the  people  flocked  to  Him,  bring- 
ing their  afflicted  to  receive  of  His  beneficence  by  word  or 
touch.  In  the  towns  through  which  He  walked,  the  sick 
were  laid  in  the  streets  that  the  blessing  of  His  passing 
might  fall  upon  them;  and  many  "besought  him  that  they 
might  touch  if  it  were  but  the  border  of  his  garment;  and 
as  many  as  touched  him  were  made  whole. "d  Bounteously 
did  He  impart  of  His  healing  virtue  to  all  who  came  asking 
with  faith  and  confidence.  Thus,  accompanied  by  the 
Twelve,  He  wended  His  way  northward  to  Capernaum, 
making  the  pathway  bright  by  the  plentitude  of  His -mercies. 

IN    SEARCH    OF   LOAVES   AND   FISHES/ 

The  multitude  who,  on  the  yesterday,  had  partaken  of 
His  bounty  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  who  dispersed 
for  the  night  after  their  ineffectual  attempt  to  force  upon 
Him  the  dignity  of  earthly  kingship,  were  greatly  surprized 
in  the  morning  to  discover  that  He  had  departed.  They 
had  seen  the  disciples  leave  in  the  only  boat  there  present, 
while  Jesus  had  remained  on  shore ;  and  they  knew  that  the 
night  tempest  had  precluded  the  possibility  of  other  boats 
reaching  the  place.  Nevertheless  their  morning  search  for 
Him  was  futile ;  and  they  concluded  that  He  must  have  re- 
turned by  land  round  the  end  of  the  lake.  As  the  day  ad- 
vanced some  bor.ts  were  sighted,  bound  for  the  western 
coast;  these  they  hailed,  and,  securing  passage,  crossed  to 
Capernaum. 

cjosephus,    Wars,    iii,   10:7,   8. 

d  Mark  6:53-56;    compare   Matt.    14:34-36.     Note   7,   end   of  chapter. 

<?John  6:22-27. 


THE    MULTITUDE    SEEK    MORE    LOAVES    AND    FISHES.         339 

Their  difficulty  in  locating  Jesus  was  at  an  end,  for  His 
presence  was  known  throughout  the  town.  Coming  to  Him, 
probably  as  He  sat  in  the  synagog,  for  on  this  day  He  taught 
there,  some  of  the  most  intrusive  of  the  crowd  asked, 
brusquely  and  almost  rudely,  "Rabbi,  when  earnest  thou 
hither?"  To  this  impertinent  inquiry  Jesus  deigned  no 
direct  reply ;  in  the  miracle  of  the  preceding  night  the  people 
had  no  part,  and  no  account  of  our  Lord's  movements  was 
given  them.  In  tone  of  impressive  rebuke  Jesus  said  unto 
them :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  seek  me  not  be- 
cause ye  saw  the  miracles,  but  because  ye  did  eat  of  the 
loaves,  and  were  filled."  Their  concern  was  for  the  bread 
and  fishes :  One  who  could  supply  them  with  victuals  as  He 
had  done  must  not  be  lost  sight  of. 

The  Master's  rebuke  was  followed  by  admonition  and  in- 
struction :  "Labour  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but  for 
that  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life,  which  the 
Son  of  man  shall  give  unto  you  :  for  him  hath  God  the  Father 
sealed."  This  contrast  between  material  and  spiritual  food 
they  could  not  entirely  faiHo  understand,  and  some  of  them 
asked  what  they  should  do  to  serve  God  as  Jesus  required. 
The  answer  was :  "This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe 
on  him  whom  he  hath  sent."  That  Jesus  was  referring  to 
Himself  none  could  doubt ;  and  straightway  they  demanded 
of  Him  further  evidence  of  His  divine  commission ;  they 
would  see  greater  signs.  The  miracle  of  the  loaves  and 
fishes  was  nearly  a  day  old ;  and  its  impressiveness  as  evi- 
dence of  Messianic  attributes  was  waning.  Moses  had  fed 
their  fathers  with  manna  in  the  desert,  they  said  ;  and  plainly 
they  regarded  a  continued  daily  supply  as  a  greater  gift  than 
a  single  meal  of  bread  and  fish,  however  much  the  latter  may 
have  been  appreciated  in  the  exigency  of  hunger.  More- 
over, the  manna  was  heavenly  food  /  whereas  the  bread  He 
had  given  them  was  of  earth,  and  only  common  barley  bread 

/  Note  8,  end  of  chapter. 


340  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

at  that.  He  must  show  them  greater  signs,  and  give  them 
richer  provender,  before  they  would  accept  Him  as  the  One 
whom  they  at  first  had  taken  Him  to  be  and  whom  He  now 
declared  Himself  to  be. 

CHRIST,    THE    BREAD   OF   UFE^ 

"Then  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  Moses  gave  you  not  that  bread  from  heaven ;  but  my 
Father  giveth  you  the  true  bread  from  heaven.  For  the 
bread  of  God  is  he  which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  and 
giveth  life  unto  the  world."  They  were  mistaken  in  assum- 
ing that  Moses  had  given  them  manna;  and  after  all,  the 
manna  had  been  but  ordinary  food  in  that  those  who  ate  of 
it  hungered  again ;  but  now  the  Father  offered  them  bread 
from  heaven  such  as  would  insure  them  life. 

As  the  Samaritan  woman  at  the  well,  on  hearing  the  Lord 
speak  of  water  that  would  satisfy  once  for  all,  had  begged 
impulsively  and  with  thought  only  of  physical  convenience, 
"Sir,  give  me  this  water,  that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  hither 
to  draw,"*1  so  these  people,  eager  to  secure  so  satisfying  a 
food  as  that  of  which  Jesus  spake,  implored :  "Lord,  ever- 
more give  us  this  bread."  Perhaps  this  request  was  not 
wholly  gross ;  there  may  have  been  in  the  hearts  of  some  of 
them  at  least  a  genuine  desire  for  spiritual  nourishment. 
Jesus  met  their  appeal  with  an  explanation :  "I  am  the 
bread  of  life:  he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  never  hunger;  and 
he  that  believeth  on  me  shall-  never  thirst."  He  reminded 
them  that  though  they  had 'seen  Him  they  believed  not  His 
words;  and  assured  them  that  those  who  really  accepted 
Him  would  do  so  as  the  Father  directed.  Then,  without 
metaphor  or  symbolism,  He  affirmed :  "I  came  down  from 
heaven,  not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that 
sent  me."  And  the  Father's  will  was  that  all  who  would 
accept  the  Son  should  have  everlasting  life. 


gjohn  6:32-59. 

A  John   4:13-15;   page   174  herein. 


THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.  341 

There  were  present  in  the  synagog  some  of  the  rulers — 
Pharisees,  scribes,  rabbis — and  these,  designated  collectively 
as  the  Jews,  criticized  Jesus,  and  murmured  against  Him 
because  He  had  said,  "I  am  the  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven."  They  averred  that  He  could  do  nothing 
more  than  any  man  could  do ;  He  was  known  to  them  as 
the  son  of  Joseph,  and  as  far  as  they  knew  was  of  ordinary 
earthly  parentage,  and  yet  He  had  the  temerity  to  declare 
that  He  had  come  down  from  heaven.  Chiefly  to  this  class 
rather  than  to  the  promiscuous  crowd  who  had  hastened  after 
Him,  Jesus  appears  to  have  addressed  the  remainder  of  His 
discourse.  He  advized  them  to  cease  their  murmurings; 
for  it  was  a  certainty  that  they  could  not  apprehend  His 
meaning,  and  therefore  would  not  believe  Him,  unless  they 
had  been  "taught  of  God"  as  the  prophets  had  written  ;•'  and 
none  could  come  to  Him  in  the  sense  of  accepting  His  saving 
gospel  unless  the  Father  drew  them  to  the  Son;  and  none 
save  those  who  were  receptive,  willing,  and  prepared,  could 
be  so  drawn.''  Yet  belief  in  the  Son  of  God  is  an  indispen- 
sable condition  to  salvation,  as  Jesus  indicated  in  His  affirm- 
ation: "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  believeth  on 
me  hath  everlasting  life." 

Then,  reverting  to  the  symbolism  of  the  bread,  He  re- 
iterated: "I  am  the  bread  of  life."  In  further  elucidation 
He  explained  that  while  their  fathers  did  truly  eat  manna 
in  the  wilderness,  yet  they  were  dead ;  whereas  the  bread  of 
life  of  which  He  spake  would  insure  eternal  life  unto  all  who 
partook  thereof.  That  bread,  He  averred,  was  His  flesh. 
Against  this  solemn  avowal  the  Jews  complained  anew,  and 
disputed  among  themselves,  some  asking  derisively :  "How 
can  this  man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat."  Emphasizing  the  doc- 
trine, Jesus  continued :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ex- 
cept ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood, 


tlsa.   54:13;  Jer.   31:34;   Micah   4:2;   compare  Heb.   8:10;   10:16. 
/Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 


342  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

ye  have  no  life  in  you.  Whoso  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  hath  eternal  life ;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the 
last  day.  For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is 
drink  indeed.  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my 
blood,  dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  him.  As  the  living  Father 
hath  sent  me,  and  I  live  by  the  Father ;  so  he  that  eateth  me, 
even  he  shall  live  by  me.  This  is  that  bread  which  came 
down  from  heaven :  not  as  your  fathers  did  eat  manna,  and 
are  dead  :  he  that  eateth  of  this  bread  shall  live  forever." 

There  was  little  excuse  for  the  Jews  pretending  to  un- 
derstand that  our  Lord  meant  an  actual  eating  and  drinking 
of  His  material  flesh  and  blood.  The  utterances  to  which 
they  objected  were  far  more  readily  understood  by  them  than 
they  are  by  us  on  first  reading ;  for  the  representation  of  the 
law  and  of  truth  in  general  as  bread,  and  the  acceptance 
thereof  as  a  process  of  eating  and  drinking,  were  figures  in 
every-day  use  by  the  rabbis  of  that  time.fe  Their  failure  to 
comprehend  the  symbolism  of  Christ's  doctrine  was  an  act 
of  will,  not  the  natural  consequence  of  innocent  ignorance. 
To  eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  Christ  was  and  is  to 
believe  in  and  accept  Him  as  the  literal  Son  of  God  and 
Savior  of  the  world,  and  to  obey  His  commandments.  By 
these  means  only  may  the  Spirit  of  God  become  an  abiding 
part  of  man's  individual  being,  even  as  the  substance  of  the 
food  he  eats  is  assimilated  with  the  tissues  of  his  body. 

It  is  not  sufficing  to  accept  the  precepts  of  Christ  as  we 
may  adopt  the  doctrines  of  scientists,  philosophers,  and 
savants,  however  great  the  wisdom  of  these  sages  may  be ; 
for  such  acceptance  is  by  mental  assent  or  deliberate  exer- 
cize of  will,  and  has  relation  to  the  doctrine  only  as  inde- 
pendent of  the  author.  The  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  en- 
dure because  of  their  intrinsic  worth ;  and  many  men  respect 
His  aphorisms,  proverbs,  parables,  and  His  profoundly 
philosophical  precepts,  who  yet  reject  Him  as  the  Son  of 

k  Note  1Q,  en4  of  chapter,  * 


THE  SYMBOLISM  OF  EATINC  AND  DRINKING.        343 

God,  the  Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh,  the  God-Man  in  whom 
were  united  the  attributes  of  Deity  with  those  of  humanity, 
the  chosen  and  foreordained  Redeemer  of  mankind,  through 
whom  alone  may  salvation  be  attained.  The  figure  used  by 
Jesus — that  of  eating  His  flesh  and  drinking  His  blood  as 
typical  of  unqualified  and  absolute  acceptance  of  Himself  as 
the  Savior  of  men,  is  of  superlative  import ;  for  thereby  are 
affirmed  the  divinity  of  His  Person,  and  the  fact  of  His  pre- 
existent  and  eternal  Godship.  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  established  by  the  Savior  on  the  night  of  His  be- 
trayal, perpetuates  the  symbolism  of  eating  His  flesh  and 
drinking  His  blood,  by  the  partaking  of  bread  and  wine  in 
resemblance  of  Him.;  Acceptance  of  Jesus  as  the  Christ 
implies  obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  His  gospel ; 
for  to  profess  the  One  and  refuse  the  other  is  but  to  convict 
ourselves  of  inconsistency,  insincerity,  and  hypocrisy. 

A   CRUCIAL   TEST — MANY   TURN    AWAY."* 

The  truth  respecting  Himself,  as  taught  by  the  Lord  in 
this,  His  last,  discourse  in  the  synagog  at  Capernaum,  proved 
to  be  a  test  of  faith  through  which  many  fell  away.  Not 
alone  critical  Jews  of  the  official  class,  whose  hostility  was 
openly  avowed,  but  those  who  had  professed  some  measure 
of  belief  in  Him  were  affected.  "Many  therefore  of  his 
disciples,  when  they  had  heard  this,  said,  This  is  an  hard 
saying;  who  can  hear  it?"  Jesus,  cognizant  of  their  dis- 
affection, asked :  "Doth  this  offend  you  ?"  and  added  :  "What 
and  if  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  ascend  up  where  He  was 
before  ?"  His  ascension,  which  was  to  follow  His  death  and 
resurrection,  is  here  definitely  implied.  The  spiritual  sig- 
nificance of  His  teachings  was  put  beyond  question  by  the 
explanation  that  only  through  the  Spirit  could  they  compre- 

JMatt.   26:26-28;  Mark  14:22-25;  Luke  22:19,  20.    Page  596. 
m  John  6:59-71. 


344  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    21. 

hend;  "Therefore,"  He  added,  "said  I  unto  you,  that  no 
man  can  come  unto  me,  except  it  were  given  unto  him  of 
my  Father." 

Many  deserted  Him,  and  from  that  time  sought  Him  no 
more.  The  occasion  was  crucial ;  the  effect  was  that  of  sift- 
ing and  separation.  The  portentous  prediction  of  the  Bap- 
tist-prophet had  entered  upon  the  stage  of  fulfilment :  "One 
mightier  than  I  cometh,  .  .  .  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand, 
and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat 
into  the  garner  ;  but  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  unquench- 
able fire.""  The  fan  was  in  operation,  and  much  chaff  was 
blown  aside. 

It  appears  that  even  the  Twelve  were  unable  to  compre- 
hend the  deeper  meaning  of  these  latest  teachings ;  they  were 
puzzled,  though  none  actually  deserted.  Nevertheless,  the 
state  of  mind  of  some  was  such  as  to  evoke  from  Jesus  the 
question:  "Will  ye  also  go  away?"  Peter,  speaking  for 
himself  and  his  brethren,  answered  with  pathos  and  convic- 
tion :  "L,ord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?  thou  hast  the  words  of 
eternal  life."0  The  spirit  of  the  Holy  Apostleship  was  mani- 
fest in  this  confession.  Though  they  were  unable  to  com- 
prehend in  fulness  the  doctrine,  they  knew  Jesus  to  be  the 
Christ,  and  were  faithful  to  Him  while  others  turned  away 
into  the  dark  depths  of  apostasy. 

While  Peter  spoke  for  the  apostolic  body  as  a  whole, 
there  was  among  them  one  who  silently  revolted ;  the  treach- 
erous Iscariot,  who  was  in  worse  plight  than  an  openly 
avowed  apostate,  was  there.  The  Lord  knew  this  man's 
heart,  and  said :  "Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of 
you  is  a  devil?"  The  historian  adds:  "He  spake  of  Judas 
Iscariot  the  son  of  Simon :  for  he  it  was  that  should  betray 
him,  being  one  of  the  twelve." 

* 

nLuke  3:16,   17;   Matt.   3:11,   12. 

o  Compare  this  confession  (John  6:68,  69)  with  Peter's  later  testimony 
(Matt.  16:16). 


NOTES.  345 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  21. 

1.  Jesus  at   Nazareth. — As   no   one   of  the   Gospel-writers 
records   two   occasions   of   our   Lord's   ministry   in   Nazareth,   and- 
as     the    separate     accounts     appearing    in    the     synoptic    .Gospels 
closely    resemble    one    another    in    a    few    particulars,    some    com- 
mentators   hold    that    our    Lord    preached    to    His    townsmen    in 
Nazareth   and   was    rejected   by   them   but   once.      Luke's    account 
(4:14-30)    refers   to   an   occasion   immediately   following   the   first 
return    of   Jesus    to    Galilee    after    His    baptism    and    temptations, 
and   directly    preceding    the    preliminary    call    of    the    fishermen- 
disciples,    who    afterward    were    numbered    among    the    apostles. 
Matthew   (13:53-58)   and  Mark   (6:1-6)   chronicle  a  visit  of  Jesus 
to  Nazareth  later  than  the  occasion  of  the  first  teaching  in  para- 
bles,  and  the  events   immediately   following  the   same.     We  have 
good  reason  for  accepting  Luke's  record  as  that  of  an  early  inci- 
dent, and  the  accounts  given  by  Matthew  and  Mark  as  those  of 
a  later  visit. 

2.  Gentiles. — In  a  general  way  the  Jews  designated  all  other 
peoples   as   Gentiles;   though  the   same  Hebrew  word  is   rendered 
in  the  Old  Testament  variously,  as   "Gentiles"    (Gen.   10:5;  Judg. 
4:2,    13,    16;    Isa.    11:10;    etc.),   "nations"    (Gen.    10:5,   20,   31,   32; 
14:1,  9;  etc.),  and  "heathen"   (Neh.  5:8;  Psa.  2:1,  8,  etc.),  the  es- 
sential   element    of    designation    being    that    of     foreigners.      In 
Smith's  Diet,  of  the  Bible,  we  read  "It   [the  name  'Gentiles']   ac- 
quired an  ethnographic  and  also   an   invidious  meaning,  as  other 
nations  were  idolatrous,  rude,  hostile,  etc.,  yet  the  Jews  were  able 
to  use  it  in  a  purely  technical,  geographical  sense,  when  it  was 
usually  translated  'nations.' "     Dr.  Edward  E.  Nourse,  writing  for 
the  Standard  Bible  Dictionary,  says :     "In  New  Testament  times, 
the  Jew  divided  mankind  into  three  classes,  (i)  Jews,  (2)   Greeks 
(Hellenes,   made   to   include   Romans,   thus   meaning   the   civilized 
peoples   of   the   Roman   Empire,   often   rendered   'Gentiles'   in   Au- 
thorized Version),  and  (3)  barbarians   (the  uncivilized,  Acts  28:4; 
Rom.   1:14;    i    Cor.   14:11)."     The  injunction  laid  by  Jesus   upon 
the  Twelve — "Go  not  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles" — was   to  re- 
strain  them    for   the   time   being    from    attempting   to    make   con- 
verts  among  the  Romans   and   Greeks,  and  to  confine  their  min- 
istry to  the  people  of  Israel. 

3.  Shaking  the  Dust  from  the  Feet. — To  ceremonially  shake 
the  dust  from  one's   feet  as  a  testimony  against  another  was  un- 
derstood by  the  Jews  to  symbolize  a  cessation  of  fellowship  and 
a   renunciation   of   all   responsibility   for   consequences   that  might 
follow.     It  became  an  ordinance  of  accusation  and  testimony  by 
the   Lord's   instructions  to  His   apostles   as  cited  in  the  text.     In 
the  current  dispensation,  the  Lord  has  similarly  directed  His  au- 
thorized   servants    to    so   testify   against   those    who    wilfully    and 
maliciously     oppose     the     truth     when     authoritatively    presented, 
(see  Doc.  and  Coy.  24:15;  60:15;  75:20;  84:92;  99:4).     The  re- 
sponsibility of  testifying  before  the  Lord  by  this  accusing  symbol 


JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  21. 

is  so  great  that  the  means  may  be  employed  only  under  unusual 
and  extreme  conditions,  as  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  may  direct. 

4.  The  Two  Bethsaidas. — It  is  held  by  many  Bible  students 
that   Bethsaida,   in   the    desert   region   adjoining   which   Jesus    and 
the  Twelve  sought  rest  and  seclusion,  was  the  town  of  that  name 
in    Perea,   on   the   eastern   side   of   the   Jordan,   and   known   more 
specifically   as    Bethsaida   Julias    to    distinguish    it    from    Bethsaida 
in    Galilee,    which    latter    was    close    to    Capernaum.      The    Perean 
village  of  Bethsaida  had  been  enlarged  and  raised  to  the  rank  of 
a  town  by  the  tetrarch,  Philip,  and  by  him  had  been  named  Julias 
in  honor  of  Julia,  daughter  of  the  reigning  emperor.     The  Gospel 
narratives    of    the    voyage    by    which    Jesus    and    His    companions 
reached  the  place,  and  of   the  return   therefrom,   are  conformable 
to  the  assumption  that  Bethsaida  Julias   in   Perea  and  not  Beth- 
saida in   Galilee,   was   the   town   to   which  the   "desert   place"   re- 
ferred to  was  an  outlying  district. 

5.  The  Earlier  and  the  Later  Evening. — Matthew  specifies 
two  evenings   of   the   day  on   which   the   five   thousand   were    fed; 
thus    "when    it    was    evening"    the    disciples    asked    Jesus    to    send 
away  the  multitude;   and   later,   after  the  miraculous   feeding  and 
after   the   disciples   had   left   by  boat,   and   after   the   crowds   had 
departed,   "when  the  evening  was  come"  Jesus  was  alone  on  the 
mountain    (Matt.    14:15,    23;    compare    Mark    6:35,    47).      Trench 
Notes  on  the  Miracles,  (p.  217)  says:     "St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark 
with  him,  makes  two  evenings  to  this  day — one  which  had  already 
commenced  before  the  preparations   for  the  feeding  of  the  multi- 
tude had  begun  (verse  15),  the  other  now,  when  the  disciples  had 
entered  into  the  ship  and  set  forth  on  their  voyage    (verse  23). 
And  this  was  an  ordinary  way  of  speaking  among  the  Jews,  the 
first  evening  being  very  much  our  afternoon.     .      .      .     the  second 
evening   being   the    twilight,    or    from    six    o'clock    to    twilight,    on 
which    absolute    darkness    followed."      See    Smith's    Diet.,    article 
"Chronology,"   from  which  the  following  excerpt  is  taken :     "  'Be- 
tween the  two  evenings'   (margin  of  Exo.  12:6;  Numb.  9:3;  28:4) 
is  a  natural  division  between  the  .late  afternoon  when  the  sun  is 
low,  and  the  evening  when  his  light  has  not  wholly  disappeared, 
the    two   evenings    into    which    the   natural   evening   would    be    cut 
by  the  commencement  of  the  civil  day  if  it  began  at  sunset." 

6.  Watches  of  the  Night. — During  the  greater  part  of  Old 
Testament  time,  the  people  of  Israel  divided  the  night  into  three 
watches,   each   of    four   hours,   such   a   period   being   that   of    indi- 
vidual sentinel   duty.     Before  the  beginning  of  the   Christian   era, 
however,  the  Jews  had  adopted  the  Roman  order  of   four  night- 
watches,   each  lasting  three  hours.     These   were  designated   num- 
erically, e.  g.   the   fourth   watch  mentioned  in  the  text    (see   Matt. 
14:25),    or    as    even,    midnight,    cock-crowing,    and    morning    (see 
Mark   13:35).     The   fourth  watch   was   the   last  of  the   three-hour 
periods  between  sunset  and  sunrise,  or  between  6  p.m.  and  6  a.m. 
and  therefore  extended  from  3  to  6  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

7.  The  Hem  of  the  Garment. — The  faith  of  those  who  be- 
lieved that  if  they  could  but  touch  the  border  of  the  Lord's  gar- 
ment they  would  be  healed,   is   in   line   with   that   of   the   woman 


NOTES.  347 

who  was  healed  of  her  long-standing  malady  by  so  touching  His 
robe  (see  Matt.  9:21;  Mark  5:27,  28;  Luke  8:44).  The  Jews  re- 
garded the  border  or  hem  of  their  outer  robes  as  of  particular 
importance,  because  of  the  requirement  made  of  Israel  in  earlier 
days  (Numb.  15:38,  39)  that  the  border  be  fringed  and  supplied 
with  a  band  of  blue,  as  a  reminder  to  them  of  their  obligations 
as  the  covenant  people.  The  desire  to  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's 
robe  may  have  been  associated  with  this  thought  of  sanctity 
attaching  to  the  hem  or  border. 

8.  Traditions  Concerning  Manna. — The  supplying  of  manna 
to   the   Israelites    incident   to   the  exodus    and   the   long   travel    in 
the    wilderness,    was    rightly   regarded    as    a    work    of    surpassing 
wonder  (Exo.  16:14-36;  Numb.  11:7-9;  Deut.  8:3,  16;  Josh.  5:12; 
Psa.    78:24,    25).      Many    traditions,    some    of    them    perniciously 
erroneous,    gathered    about    the    incident,    and    were    transmitted 
with   invented   additions    from   generation   to   generation.      In   the 
time   of    Christ   the   rabbinical   teaching   was    that    the   manna   on 
which  the  fathers  had   fed  was   literally  the   food  of   the  angels, 
sent   down    from   heaven;    and   that   it   was   of   diverse   taste   and 
flavor  to  suit  all  ages,  conditions,  or  desires ;  to  one  it  tasted  like 
honey,  to  another  as  bread,  etc. ;  but  in  all  Gentile  mouths  it  was 
bitter.      Moreover   it   was    said   that   the    Messiah    would   give    an 
unfailing    supply    of    manna    to    Israel    when    He    came    amongst 
them.     These   erroneous   conceptions    in   part   explain   the   demand 
of   those   who   had  been   fed  on  barley  loaves   and   fishes,    for   a 
sign  that  would  surpass  the  giving  of  manna  in  the  olden  days, 
as  evidence  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus. 

9.  Faith  a  Gift  of  God. — "Though  within  the  reach  of  all 
who  diligently  strive  to  gain  it,  faith  is  nevertheless  a  divine  gift, 
and  can  be  obtained  only  from  God   (Matt.   16:17;  John  6:44,  65; 
Eph.  2:8;   I   Cor.   12:9;  Rom.   12:3;  Moroni   10:11).     As  is  fitting 
for  so  priceless  a  pearl,  it  is  given  to  those  only  who  show  by 
their  sincerity  that  they  are  worthy  of  it,  and  who  give  promise 
of  abiding  by  its  dictates.     Although  faith  is  called  the  first  prin- 
ciple of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  though  it  be  in  fact  the  foundation 
of  all  religion,  yet  even  faith  is  preceded  by  sincerity  of  disposi- 
tion and  humility  of   soul,   whereby  the   word  of   God  may  make 
an  impression  upon  the  heart    (Rom.   10:17).     No  compulsion  is 
used   in   bringing  men   to   a  knowledge   of   God ;   yet,   as    fast   as 
we  open  our  hearts  to  the  influences  of  righteousness,  the   faith 
that  leads  to  life  eternal  will  be  given  us  of  our  Father." — Articles 
of  Faith,  v  :i6. 

10.  Spiritual  Symbolism  of  Eating. — "The  idea  of  eating,  as 
a  metaphor  for  receiving  spiritual  benefit,  was  familiar  to  Christ's 
hearers,   and   was   as   readily  understood   as   our   expressions — 'de- 
vouring a  book/  or  'drinking  in'  instruction.     In   Isaiah  3:1,  the 
words  'the  whole  stay  of  bread/  were  explained  by  the  rabbis  as 
referring  to  their  own  teaching,  and  they  laid  it  down  as  a  rule, 
that    wherever,    in    Ecclesiastes,    allusion    was    made    to    food    or 
drink,  it  meant  study  of  the  law,  and  the  practise  of  good  works. 
It  was   a   saying  among  them — 'In   the   time  of   the   Messiah   the 
Israelites  will  be   fed  by  Him/     Nothing  was  more  common  in 


348  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   21. 

the  schools  and  synagogs  than  the  phrases  of  eating  and  drink- 
ing, in  a  metaphorical  sense.  'Messiah  is  not  likely  to  come  to 
Israel,'  said  Hillel,  'for  they  have  already  eaten  Him' — that  is, 
greedily  received  His  words — 'in  the  days  of  Hezekiah.'  A  cur- 
rent conventionalism  in  the  synagogs  was  that  the  just  would 
'eat  the  Shekinah.'  It  was  peculiar  to  the  Jews  to  be  taught  in 
such  metaphorical  language.  Their  rabbis  never  spoke  in  plain 
words,  and  it  is  expressly  said  that  Jesus  submitted  to  vthe  pop- 
ular taste,  for  'without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto  them'  (Mark 
4-34)-" — Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  vol.  i,  p.  184. 


BEGINNING    OF    THE    LAST    YEARNS    WORK.  349 

CHAPTER     22. 

A  PERIOD  OF  DARKENING  OPPOSITION. 

Our  Lord's  last  recorded  discourse  in  the  synagog  at 
Capernaum,  which  followed  close  upon  the  miracle  of  feed- 
ing the  five  thousand  and  that  of  walking  upon  the  water, 
marked  the  beginning  of  another  epoch  in  the  development 
of  His  life's  work.  It  was  the  season  of  an  approaching 
Passover  festival  ;a  and  at  the  next  succeeding  Passover,  one 
year  later,  as  shall  be  shown,  Jesus  would  be  betrayed  to  His 
death.  At  the  time  of  which  we  now  speak,  therefore,  He 
was  entering  upon  the  last  year  of  His  ministry  in  the  flesh. 
But  the  significance  of  the  event  is  other  and  greater  than 
that  of  a  chronological  datum-plane.  The  circumstance 
marked  the  first  stage  of  a  turn  in  the  tide  of  popular  regard 
toward  Jesus,  which  theretofore  had  been  increasing,  and 
which  now  began  to  ebb.  True,  He  had  been  repeatedly 
criticized  and  openly  assailed  by  complaining  Jews  on  many 
earlier  occasions  ;  but  these  crafty  and  even  venomous  critics 
were  mostly  of  the  ruling  classes;  the  common  people  had 
heard  Him  gladly,  and  indeed  many  of  them  continued  so 
to  do;&  nevertheless  His  popularity,  in  Galilee  at  least,  had 
begun  to  wane.  The  last  year  of  His  earthly  ministration 
was  inaugurated  by  a  sifting  of  the  people  who  professed  to 
believe  His  word,  and  this  process  of  test,  trial,  and  separa- 
tion, was  to  continue  to  the  end. 

We  are  without  information  as  to  Jesus  having  attended 
this  Passover  feast ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  infer  that  in  view 
of  the  increasing  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  rulers,  He  re- 
frained from  going  to  Jerusalem  on  the  occasion.  Conjecture 


a  John  6:4.    Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 
frMark   12:37. 


350  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

as  to  whether  any  of  the  Twelve  went  up  to  the  festival  is 
profitless ;  we  are  not  told.  Certain  it  is  that  immediately 
after  this  time,  the  detectives  and  spies  who  had  been  sent 
from  Jerusalem  into  Galilee  to  watch  Jesus,  became  more 
active  than  ever  in  their  critical  espionage.  They  dogged 
His  footsteps,  noted  every  act,  and  every  instance  of  omis- 
sion of  traditional  or  customary  observance,  and  were  con- 
stantly on  the  alert  to  make  Him  out  an  offender. 


CEREMONIAL   WASHINGS,   '"AND   MANY   SUCH   LIKE  THINGS."C 

Shortly  after  the  Passover  to  which  allusion  has  been 
made,  and  probably  in  accordance  with  a  plan  decided  upon 
by  the  Jewish  rulers,  Jesus  was  visited  by  a  delegation  of 
Pharisees  and  scribes  who  had  come  from  Jerusalem,  and 
who  made  protest  against  the  disregard  of  traditional  re- 
quirements by  His  followers.  It  appears  that  the  disciples, 
and  almost  certainly  the  Master  Himself,  had  so  far  trans- 
gressed "the  tradition  of  the  elders"  as  to  omit  the  cere- 
monial washing  of  hands  before  eating ;  the  Pharisaic  critics 
found  fault,  and  came  demanding  explanation,  and  justifica- 
tion if  such  were  possible.  Mark  tells  us  that  the  disciples 
were  charged  with  having  eaten  with  "defiled",  or,  as  the 
marginal  reading  gives  it,  with  "common"  hands;  and  he 
interpolates  the  following  concise  and  lucid  note  concerning 
the  custom  which  the  disciples  were  said  to  have  ignored : 
"For  the  Pharisees,  and  all  the  Jews,  except  they  wash  their 
hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of  the  elders.  And 
when  they  come  from  the  market,  except  they  wash,  they 
eat  not.  And  many  other  things  there  be,  which  they  have 
received  to  hold,  as  the  washing  of  cups,  and  pots,  brasen 
vessels,  and  of  tables."**  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 

cMatt.    15:1-9;    Mark   7:1-13. 

d  As  the  Oxford  marginal  note  shows  "beds"  is  a  more  literal  render- 
ing than  "tables",  the  couches  upon  which  the  eaters  reclined  at  table 
being  meant.  See  page  261. 


EATING    WITH    UNWASHEN    HANDS.  351 

the  offense  charged  against  the  disciples  was  that  of  cere- 
monial uncleanness,  not  physical  uncleanliness  or  disregard 
of  sanitary  propriety ;  they  were  said  to  have  eaten  with 
common  or  defiled  hands,  not  specifically  with  dirty  fingers. 
In  all  the  externals  of  their  man-made  religionism,  the  Jews 
were  insistent  on  scrupulous  exactitude ;  every  possibility  of 
ceremonial  defilement  was  to  be  carefully  guarded  against, 
and  the  effects  thereof  had  to  be  counteracted  by  prescribed 
washings/ 

To  the  question:  "Why  do  thy  disciples  transgress  the 
tradition  of  the  elders  ?  for  they  wash  not  their  hands  when 
they  eat  bread",  Jesus  gave  no  direct  reply ;  but  asked  as  a 
rejoinder:  "Why  do  ye  also  transgress  the  commandment 
of  God  by  your  tradition?"  To  the  Pharisaic  mind  this 
must  have  been  a  very  sharp  rebuke ;  for  rabbinism  held  that 
rigorous  compliance  with  the  traditions  of  the  elders  was 
more  important  than  observance  of  the  law  itself ;  and  Jesus 
in  His  counter  question  puts  their  cherished  traditions  as  in 
direct  conflict  with  the  commandment  of  God.  Adding  to 
their  discomfiture,  He  cited  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  and  ap- 
plied to  them  whom  He  designated  hypocrites,  the  prophet's 
words:  "Well  hath  Esaias  prophesied  of  you  hypocrites,  as 
it  is  written,  This  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips,  but 
their  heart  is  far  from  me.  Howbeit  in  vain  do  they  worship 
me,  teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men."^ 
With  deserved  severity  Jesus  carried  the  lesson  home  to  their 
consciences,  declaring  that  they  had  laid  aside  the  command- 
ments of  God  in  order  that  they  might  follow  the  traditions 
of  men. 

This  accusing  affirmation  was  followed  by  the  citing  of 
an  undeniable  instance :  Moses  had  voiced  the  direct  com- 
mandment of  God  in  saying:  "Honour  thy  father  and  thy 

e  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

/Mark  7:6,  7;  see  also  Matt.  15:7-9;  Isa.  29:13;  compare  the  words  of 
the  resurrected  Christ  to  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  in  the  present  dis- 
pensation, P.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith,  2:19. 


352  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

mother,"  and  had  proclaimed  the  ordained  penalty  in  ex- 
treme cases  of  unfilial  conduct  thus :  "Whoso  curseth  father 
or  mother  let  him  die"  ?  but  this  law,  though  given  of  God 
direct  to  Israel,  had  been  so  completely  superseded  that  any 
ungrateful  and  wicked  son  could  find  ready  means,  which 
their  traditions  had  made  lawful,  of  escaping  all  filial  obliga- 
tions, even  though  his  parents  were  destitute.  If  a  needy 
father  or  mother  craved  help  of  a  son,  he  had  but  to  say — 
What  you  ask  of  me  is  Corban — or  in  other  words,  an  in- 
tended gift  to  God ;  and  he  was  held  to  be  legally  exempt 
from  all  requirements  to  contribute  of  that  substance  to  the 
support  of  his  parents.*1  Other  obligations  could  be  sim- 
ilarly evaded.  To  declare  that  any  article  of  property  real  or 
personal,  or  any  part  or  proportion  of  one's  possessions  was 
"corban,"  was  generally  understood  as  an  averment  that  the 
property  so  characterized  was  dedicated  to  the  temple,  or  at 
least  was  intended  to  be  devoted  to  ecclesiastical  purposes, 
and  would  eventually  be  turned  over  to  the  officials,  though 
the  donor  might  continue  to  hold  possession  during  a  spec- 
ified period,  extending  even  to  the  end  of  his  life.  Property 
was  often  declared  to  be  "corban"  for  other  purposes  than 
dedication  to  ecclesiastical  use.  The  result  of  such  established 
though  utterly  unlawful  and  pernicious  traditions  was,  as 
Jesus  emphatically  stated  to  the  Pharisees  and  scribes,  to 
make  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect,  and,  He  added, 
"Many  such  like  things  do  ye." 

Turning  from  His  titled  visitors,  He  called  the  people 
together  and  proclaimed  unto  them  the  truth,  as  follows: 
"Hearken  unto  me  every  one  of  you,  and  understand :  There 
is  nothing  from  without  a  man,  that  entering  into  him  can 
defile  him :  but  the  things  which  come  out  of  him,  those  are 
they  that  defile  the  man.  If  any  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let 
him  hear."  This  was  directly  in  conflict  with  rabbinical  pre- 


g  Compare  Exo.  20:12;  Deut.  5:16;  Exo.  21:17;  Lev.  20:9. 
h  Note   3,   end   of   chapter.. 


THINGS   THAT   DEFILE.  353 

cept  and  practise ;  the  Pharisees  were  offended,  for  they  had 
said  that  to  eat  with  hands  that  had  not  been  ritualistically 
cleansed  was  to  defile  the  food  touched,  and  in  turn  to  be- 
come yet  more  defiled  from  the  food  thus  rendered  unclean. 

The  apostles  were  not  sure  that  they  understood  the 
Master's  lesson ;  though  couched  in  plain,  non-figurative  lan- 
guage, it  was  to  some  of  them  very  like  a  parable,  and  Peter 
asked  an  exposition.  The  Lord  explained  that  the  food  one 
eats  is  but  temporarily  part  of  his  body ;  having  served  its 
purpose  of  nourishing  the  tissues  and  supplying  energy  to 
the  organism,  it  is  eliminated ;  therefore  the  food  that  enters 
the  body  through  the  mouth  is  of  small  and  transient  im- 
portance compared  with  the  utterances  that  issue  from  the 
mouth,  for  these,  if  evil,  are  truly  defiling.  As  Jesus  set 
forth :  "Those  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  come 
forth  from  the  heart ;  and  they  defile  the  man.  For  out  of 
the  heart  proceed  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  forni- 
cations, thefts,  false  witness,  blasphemies :  these  are  the 
things  which  defile  a  man ;  but  to  eat  with  unwashen  hands 
defileth  not  a  man."* 

Some  of  the  disciples  asked  Jesus  whether  He  knew  that 
the  Pharisees  had  taken  offense  at  His  saying;  His  answer 
was  a  further  denunciation  of  Pharisaism :  "Every  plant, 
which  my  heavenly  Father  hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted 
up.  Let  them  alone :  they  be  blind  leaders  of  the  blind.  And 
if  the  blind  lead  the  blind,  both  shall  fall  into  the  ditch." 
There  could  be  no  compromize  between  His  doctrine  of  the 
kingdom  and  the  corrupt  Judaism  of  the  time.  The  rulers 
were  plotting  against  His  life;  if  their  emissaries  chose  to 
take  offense  at  His  words,  let  them  be  offended  and  stand 
the  consequences ;  but  blessed  would  they  be  if  they  were 
not  offended  because  of  Him.''  He  had  no  conciliatory 
measures  to  offer  those  whose  inability  to  understand  His 


tMatt.    15:10-20;    compare    Mark    7:14-23. 

/Matt.   11:6;  Luke  7:23;  pages  255  and  274  herein* 

12. 


354:  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

meaning  was  the  result  of  wilful  obstinacy,  or  darkness  of 
mind  produced  by  persistence  in  sin. 

WITHIN  THE;  BORDERS  OF  TYRE  AND  SIDON.* 

Unable  to  find  in  Galilee  rest,  seclusion,  or  adequate  op- 
portunity of  instructing  the  Twelve  as  He  desired  to  do, 
Jesus  departed  with  them  northward,  and  journeyed  into  the 
coasts  or  borders  of  Phenicia,  a  district  commonly  known 
by  the  name's  of  its  prominent  cities,  Tyre  and  Sidon.  In  one 
of  the  little  towns  near  the  border,  the  party  took  lodgings ; 
but  the  attempt  to  secure  privacy  was  futile,  for  the  Master's 
presence  "could  not  be  hid."  His  fame  had  preceded  Him 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  land  of  Israel.  On  earlier  oc- 
casions, people  from  the  region  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  had  been 
among  His  listeners,  and  some  of  them  had  been  blessed 
by  His  healing  mercies.' 

A  woman,  hearing  of  His  presence  within  her  own  land, 
came  asking  a  boon.  Mark  tells  us  she  was  a  Greek,  or 
more  literally  a  Gentilem  who  spoke  Greek,  and  by  national- 
ality  a  Syro-Phenician ;  Matthew  says  she  was  "a  woman  of 
Canaan" ;  these  statements  are  in  harmony,  since  the  Phenic- 
ians  were  of  Canaanite  descent.  The  Gospel-historians  make 
clear  the  fact  that  this  woman  was  of  pagan  or  heathen  birth ; 
and  we  know  that  among  the  peoples  so  classed  the  Canaan- 
ites  were  held  in  particular  disrepute  by  the  Jews.  The 
woman  cried  aloud  to  Jesus,  saying:  "Have  mercy  on  me, 
O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David;  my  daughter  is  grievously 
vexed  with  a  devil."  Her  words  expressed  at  once  faith  in 
the  Lord's  power,  and  a  fulness  of  mother-love,  for  she  im- 
plored as  though  she  were  the  afflicted  sufferer.  The  fact 
that  she  addressed  Jesus  as  Son  of  David  demonstrates  her 
belief  that  He  was  the  Messiah  of  Israel.  At  first  Jesus  re- 

fcMatt.   15:21-28;  Mark  7:24-30. 
/Mark  3:8;  Luke  6:17. 

m  See  marginal  reading  in  Oxford  and  Bagster  Bibles;  see  also  Note  2. 
page  345. 


THE   CRUMBS   TtlAt   FALL   FROM    THE   fAfeLE. 

frained  from  answering  her.  Undeterred,  she  pleaded  the 
more,  until  the  disciples  besought  the  Lord  saying:  "Send 
her  away ;  for  she  crieth  after  us."  Their  intervention  was 
probably  an  intercession  in  her  behalf ;  she  could  be  quieted 
by  the  granting  of  her  request ;  as  it  was,  she  was  making  an 
undesirable  scene,  probably  on  the  street,  and  the  Twelve 
knew  well  that  their  Master  sought  quietude.  To  them 
Jesus  said :  "I  am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel,"  and  the  remark  must  have  reminded  them 
of  the  restriction  under  which  they  had  been  sent  out." 

The  woman,  with  importunate  desire  came  near,  possibly 
entering  the  house ;  she  fell  at  the  Lord's  feet  and  worshiped 
Him,  pleading  pitifully,  "Lord,  help  me."  To  her  Jesus  said, 
"It  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread,  and  to  cast  it  to 
dogs."  The  words,  harsh  as  they  may  sound  to  us,  were 
understood  by  her  in  the  spirit  of  the  Lord's  intent.  The 
original  term  here  translated  "dogs"  connoted,  as  the  narra- 
tive shows,  not  the  vagrant  and  despized  curs  elsewhere 
spoken  of  in  the  Bible  as  typical  of  a  degraded  state,  or  of 
positive  badness/  but  literally  the  "little  dogs"  or  domestic 
pets,  such  as  were  allowed  in  the  house  and  under  the  table. 
Certainly  the  woman  took  no  offense  at  the  comparison,  and 
found  therein  no  objectionable  epithet.  Instantly  she  adopted 
the  analogy,  and  applied  it  in  combined  argument  and  sup- 
plication/ "Truth,  Lord :  yet  the  dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs 
which  fall  from  their  masters'  table;"  or,  in  the  words  of 
Mark's  version :  "Yes,  Lord :  yet  the  dogs  under  the  table 
eat  of  the  children's  crumbs."  Her  prayer  was  immediately 
granted ;  for  "Jesus  said  unto  her,  O  woman,  great  is  thy 
faith :  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt.  And  her  daughter 
was  made  whole  from  that  very  hour."  Mark  emphasizes 
the  special  recognition  of  her  final  plea,  and  adds :  "And 


n  Matt.  10:5,  6;  see  also  page  328  herein. 

oDeut.  23:18;  1  Sam.  17:43;  24:14;  2  Sam.  3:8;  16:9;  Job  30:1;  Matt.  7:6; 
Philip  3:2;  Rev.  22:15. 

p  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


356  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

when  she  was  come  to  her  house,  she  found  the  devil  gone 
out,  and  her  daughter  laid  upon  the  bed."  The  woman's 
commendable  persistency  was  based  on  the  faith  that  over- 
comes apparent  obstacles  and  endures  even  under  discour- 
agement. Her  case  reminds  one  of  the  lesson  taught  by  the 
Lord  on  another  occasion  through  the  story  of  the  impor- 
tunate widow.9 

Many  have  queried  as  to  why  Jesus  delayed  the  blessing. 
We  may  not  be  able  to  fathom  His  purposes ;  but  we  see  that, 
by  the  course  He  adopted,  the  woman's  faith  was  demon- 
strated and  the  disciples  were  instructed.  Jesus  impressed 
upon  her  that  she  was  not  of  the  chosen  people,  to  whom  He 
had  been  sent ;  but  His  words  prefigured  the  giving  of  the 
gospel  to  all,  both  Jew  and  Gentile :  "Let  the  children  first 
be  filled"  He  had  said.  The  resurrected  Christ  was  to  be 
made  known  to  every  nation  \r  but  His  personal  ministry  as 
a  mortal,  as  also  that  of  the  apostles  while  He  was  with 
them  in  the  flesh,  was  directed  to  the  house  of  Israel/ 

IN  THE  COASTS  OF  DECAPOUS.* 

We  are  not  told  how  long  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  tarried 
in  the  land  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  nor  which  portions  of  the  dis- 
trict they  traversed.  They  went  thence  into  the  region  ad- 
joining the  sea  of  Galilee  on  the  east,  "through  the  midst  of 
the  coasts  of  Decapolis.""  Though  still  among  semi-pagan 
peoples,  our  Lord  was  greeted  by  great  crowds,  amongst 
whom  were  many  lame,  blind,  dumb,  maimed,  and  otherwise 
afflicted ;  and  them  He  healed.  Great  was  the  astonish- 
ment of  these  aliens,  "when  they  saw  the  dumb  to  speak,  the 
maimed  to  be  whole,  the  lame  to  walk,  and  the  blind  to  see : 
and  they  glorified  the  God  of  Israel." 

gLuke  18:1-8.    Page  436. 

rMatt.  28:19;   Mark  16:15. 

jActs  3:25,  26;   13:46-48;   Rom.   15:8. 

fMark   7:31-37;    compare   Matt.    15:29-31. 

« Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


MIRACLES    OF    HEALING    AND   FEEDING.  357 

Among  the  many  who  were  healed  was  one  of  whom 
special  mention  is  made.  He  was  deaf  and  defective  in 
speech.  The  people  asked  the  Lord  to  lay  His  hands  upon  the 
man;  but  Jesus  led  him  away  from  the  multitude,  put  His 
ringers  in  the  man's  ears,  spat,  and  touched  the  man's 
tongue ;  then  looking  upward  in  prayer,  and  sighing  the 
while,  He  uttered  a  word  of  command  in  Aramaic,  "Ephpha- 
tha,  that  is,  Be  opened.  And  straightway  his  ears  were 
opened,  and  the  string  of  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and  he  spake 
plain."  The  manner  of  effecting  this  cure  was  different 
again  from  the  usual  mode  of  our  Lord's  healing  ministra- 
tions. It  may  be  that  by  the  finger-touch  to  the  closed  ears 
and  to  the  bound  tongue,  the  man's  faith  was  strengthened 
and  his  confidence  in  the  Master's  power  increased.  The 
people  were  forbidden  to  tell  abroad  what  they  had  wit- 
nessed ;  but  the  more  they  were  charged  the  more  they  pub- 
lished the  news.  Their  conclusion  as  to  Jesus  and  His  works 
was:  "He  hath  done  all  things  well:  he  maketh  both  the 
deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak." 

ANOTHER  MEAL  IN  THE  DESERT  ;  OVER  FOUR  THOUSAND  FED.* 
/ 

For  three  days  the  glad  crowds  remained  with  Jesus  and 
the  apostles.  Camping  out  at  that  season  and  in  that  region 
entailed  no  great  hardship  incident  to  exposure.  Their  sup- 
ply of  food,  however,  had  become  exhausted ;  and  many  of 
them  were  far  from  home.  Jesus  had  compassion  upon  the 
people,  and  was  loath  to  send  them  away  fasting,  lest  they 
would  faint  by  the  way.  When  He  spoke  to  the  disciples 
on  the  matter  they  intimated  the  impossibility  of  feeding  so 
great  a  number,  for  the  entire  stock  of  food  at  hand  com- 
prized but  seven  loaves  and  a  few  little  fishes.  Had  they 
forgotten  the  former  occasion  on  which  a  greater  multitude 
had  been  fed  and  filled  with  but  five  loaves  and  two  small 


vMatt.  15:32-39;  Mark  8:1-9. 


358  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

fishes?  Rather  let  us  believe  that  the  disciples  remembered 
well,  yet  deemed  it  beyond  their  duty  or  privilege  to  suggest 
a  repetition  of  the  miracle.  But  the  Master  commanded ; 
and  the  people  seated  themselves  on  the  ground.  Blessing 
and  dividing  the  small  provision  as  before,  He  gave  to  the 
disciples  and  they  distributed  to  the  multitude.  Four 
thousand  men,  beside  women  and  children,  were  abundantly 
fed ;  and  of  the  broken  but  uneaten  food  there  remained 
enough  to  fill  seven  baskets.  With  no  semblance  of  the 
turbulent  enthusiasm  that  had  followed  the  feeding  of  the 
five  thousand,  this  multitude  dispersed  quietly  and  returned 
to  their  homes,  grateful  and  doubly  blessed. 

AGAIN  BESET  BY  SIGN-SEEKERS.™ 

Jesus  and  the  apostles  returned  by  boat  to  the  western 
shore  of  the  lake,  and  landed  near  Magdala  and  Dalmanu- 
tha.  These  towns  are  understood  to  have  been  so  close  to- 
gether as  to  virtually  make  the  latter  a  suburb  of  the  other. 
Here  the  party  was  met  by  the  ever-vigilant  Pharisees,  who 
on  this  occasion  were  accompanied  by  their  usually  un- 
friendly rivals,  the  Sadducees.  That  the  two  parties  had 
temporarily  laid  aside  their  mutual  differences,  and  had  com- 
bined their  forces  in  the  common  cause  of  opposition  to 
Christ,  is  a  demonstration  of  the  determined  purpose  of  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities  to  find  occasion  against  Him,  and,  if 
possible,  destroy  Him.  Their  immediate  object  was  to  fur- 
ther alienate  the  common  people,  and  to  counteract  the  influ- 
ence of  His  former  teachings  with  the  masses.  They  set 
anew  the  old-time  snare  of  demanding  from  Him  a  super- 
natural sign  of  His  Messiahship,  though  thrice  already  had 
they  or  others  of  their  kind  so  attempted  to  entrap  Him,  and 
thrice  had  they  been  foiled.*  Before  them,  Satan  in  person 
had  similarly  tried  and  failed.^  To  their  present  impertinent 


wMatt.    15:29;    16:1-5;    Mark  8:10-13. 
x  John  2:18;   6:30;   Matt.    12:38. 
y  Matt.   4:6,   7;   Luke  4:9-12. 


THE   LEAVEN    OF   EVIL.  359 

and  impious  demand  He  gave  a  brief  and  definite  refusal 
coupled  with  an  exposure  of  their  hypocrisy.  This  was  His 
reply :  "When  it  is  evening,  ye  say,  It  will  be  fair  weather : 
for  the  sky  is  red.  And  in  the  morning,  It  will  be  foul 
weather  today :  for  the  sky  is  red  and  lowring.  O  ye  hypo- 
crites, ye  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky ;  but  can  ye  not  dis- 
cern the  signs  of  the  times  ?  A  wicked  and  adulterous  gener- 
ation seeketh  after  a  sign ;  and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given 
unto  it,  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas.  And  he  left  them, 
and  departed."2 

THE    LEAVEN    OF    THE    PHARISEES    AND    OF    THE  SADDUCEES.0 

Again  with  the  Twelve  upon  the  water,  since  on  the 
Galilean  coast  neither  peace  nor  opportunity  for  effective 
teaching  was  found,  Jesus  directed  the  vessel's  course  toward 
the  north-easterly  shore.  When  well  out  from  land,  He  said 
to  His  companions:  "Take  heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven 
of  the  Pharisees  and  of  the  Sadducees,"  and,  as  Mark  adds, 
"and  of  the  leaven  of  Herod."  In  their  hasty  departure  the 
disciples  had  forgotten  to  take  a  supply  of  food;  they  had 
with  them  but  a  single  loaf.  They  construed  His  words 
respecting  leaven  as  a  reference  to  bread,  and  possibly  as  a 
reproof  for  their  neglect.  Jesus  chided  them  as  of  little 
faith  for  thinking  then  of  material  bread,  and  refreshed  their 
recollection  of  the  miracles  by  which  the  multitudes  had  been 
fed,  so  that  their  lack  of  loaves  would  not  further  trouble 
them.  Finally  they  were  made  to  understand  that  the  Mas- 
ter's warning  was  directed  against  the  false  doctrines  of  the 
Pharisees  and  those  of  the  Sadducees,  and  against  the  polit- 
ical aspirations  of  the  scheming  Herodians.& 

The  party  left  the  boat  near  the  site  of  the  first  mirac- 
ulous feeding  of  the  multitude,  and  made  their  way  to  Beth- 


sMatt.   16:2-4;  compare   12:38-41;   pages   155-157  herein. 
oMatt.   16:6-12;  Mark  8:14-21;  compare  Luke  12:1. 
b  Page  68. 


360  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

saida  Julias.  A  blind  man  was  brought,  and  Jesus  was 
asked  to  touch  him.  He  took  the  sightless  one  by  the  hand, 
led  him  outside  the  town,  applied  saliva  to  his  eyes,  laid 
hands  upon  him  in  a  ministration,  and  asked  him  if  he  could 
see.  The  man  answered  that  he  saw  dimly,  but  was  unable 
to  distinguish  men  from  trees.  Applying  His  hands  to  the 
man's  eyes,  Jesus  told  him  to  look  up;  the  man  did  so  and 
saw  clearly.  Bidding  him  not  to  enter  the  town,  nor  to  tell 
of  his  deliverance  from  blindness  to  any  in  the  place,  the 
Lord  sent  him  away  rejoicing.  This  miracle  presents  the 
unique  feature  of  Jesus  healing  a  person  by  stages ;  the  re- 
sult of  the  first  ministration  was  but  a  partial  recovery.  No 
explanation  of  the  exceptional  circumstance  is  given. 

"THOU  ART  THE  CHRIST."C 

Accompanied  by  the  Twelve,  Jesus  continued  His  way 
northward  to  the  neighborhood  or  "coasts"  of  Csesarea 
Philippi,  an  inland  city  situated  near  the  eastern  and  prin- 
cipal source  of  the  Jordan,  and  near  the  foot  of  Mount 
Hermon.d  The  journey  afforded  opportunity  for  special 
and  confidential  instruction  to  the  apostles.  Of  them  Jesus 
asked:  "Whom  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  man  am?" 
In  reply  they  reported  the  rumors  and  popular  fancies  that 
had  come  to  their  notice.  Some  people,  sharing  the  super- 
stitious fears  of  the  conscience-stricken  Herod  Antipas,  said 
that  Jesus  was  John  the  Baptist  returned  to  life,  though  such 
a  belief  could  not  have  been  entertained  seriously  by  many, 
as  John  and  Jesus  were  known  to  have  been  contemporaries ; 
others  said  He  was  Elias,  or  more  exactly,  Elijah ;  still  others 
suggested  He  was  Jeremiah  or  some  other  one  of  the  ancient 
prophets  of  Israel.  It  is  significant  that  among  all  the  con- 
ceptions of  the  people  as  to  the  identity  of  Jesus  there  was 
no  intimation  of  belief  that  He  was  the  Messiah.  Neither 

cMatt.    16:13-20;   Mark  8:27-30;   Luke  9:18-21. 
d  Note  6,   end  of   chapter. 


THE    GREAT    CONFESSION.  361 

by  word  nor  deed  had  He  measured  up  to  the  popular  and 
traditional  standard  of  the  expected  Deliverer  and  King  of 
Israel.  Fleeting  manifestations  of  evanescent  hope  that  He 
might  prove  to  be  the  looked-for  Prophet,  like  unto  Moses, 
had  not  been  lacking ;  but  all  such  incipient  conceptions  had 
been  neutralized  by  the  hostile  activity  of  the  Pharisees  and 
their  kind.  To  them  it  was  a  matter  of  supreme  though  evil 
determination  to  maintain  in  the  minds  of  the  people  the 
thought  of  a  yet  future,  not  a  present,  Messiah. 

With  deep  solemnity,  and  as  a  soul-searching  test  for 
which  the  Twelve  had  been  in  unconscious  preparation 
through  many  months  of  close  and  privileged  companion- 
ship with  their  I^ord,  Jesus  asked  of  them :  "But  whom  say 
ye  that  I  am?"  Answering  for  all,  but  more  particularly 
testifying  as  to  his  own  conviction,  Peter,  with  all  the  fervor 
of  his  soul,  voiced  the  great  confession:  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  This  was  no  avowal  of 
mere  belief,  no  expression  of  a  result  at  which  he  had  arrived 
by  mental  process,  no  solution  of  a  problem  laboriously 
worked  out,  no  verdict  based  on  the  weighing  of  evidence ; 
he  spoke  in  the  sure  knowledge  that  knows  no  question  and 
from  which  doubt  and  reservation  are  as  far  removed  as  is 
the  sky  from  the  ground. 

"And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Blessed  art 
thou,  Simon  Barjona :  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Peter's 
knowledge,  which  was  also  that  of  his  brethren,  was  of  a 
kind  apart  from  all  that  man  may  find  out  for  himself  ;  it  was 
a  divine  bestowal,  in  comparison  with  which  human  wisdom 
is  foolishness  and  the  treasure  of  earth  but  dross.  Address- 
ing Himself  further  to  the  first  of  the  apostles,  Jesus  con- 
tinued :  "And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  That  thou  art  Peter,  and 
upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  hell 
shall  not  prevail  against  it.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven :  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 


362  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven :  and  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven." 

Through  direct  revelation  from  God  Peter  knew  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ ;  and  upon  revelation,  as  a  rock  of  se- 
cure foundation,  the  Church  of  'Christ  was  to  be  built/ 
Though  torrents  should  fall,  floods  roll,  winds  rage,  and 
all  beat  together  upon  that  structure,  it  would  not,  could  not, 
fall,  for  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock  /  and  even  the  powers 
of  hell  would  be  impotent  to  prevail  against  it.  By  revela- 
tion alone  could  or  can  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  be  builded 
and  maintained ;  and  revelation  of  necessity  implies  revela- 
tors,  through  whom  the  will  of  God  may  be  made  known 
respecting  His  Church.  As  a  gift  from  God  comes  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus  into  the  heart  of  man.  This  principle  was 
comprized  in  the  Master's  teachings  at  Capernaum,  that  none 
could  come  to  Him  save  such  as  the  Father  would  bring.*7 
The  Lord's  promise,  that  unto  Peter  He  would  give  "the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  embodies  the  principle  of 
divine  authority  in  the  Holy  Priesthood,  and  of  the  commis- 
sion of  presidency.  Allusion  to  keys  as  symbolical  of  power 
and  authority  is  not  uncommon  in  Jewish  literature,  as  was 
well  understood  in  that  period  and  is  generally  current  to- 
day./l  So  also  the  analogies  of  binding  and  loosing  as  indica- 
tive of  official  acts  were  then  usual,  as  they  are  now,  particu- 
larly in  connection  with  judicial  functions.  Peter's  presidency 
among  the  apostles  was  abundantly  manifest  and  generally 
recognized  after  the  close  of  our  Lord's  mortal  life.  Thus, 
it  was  he  who  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  Eleven,  in  the  council 
meeting  at  which  a  successor  to  the  traitor  Iscariot  was 
chosen ;  he  was  the  spokesman  of  his  brethren  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  Pentecostal  conversion ;  it  was  he  who  opened 


e  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 
/Compare    Matt.    7:24,    25. 
g  John    6:46;    compare    verses    37,    39,    40. 

JtSee    Isa.    22:22;    Luke    11:52;    Rev.    1:18;    3:7;    compare    Doc.    and    Cov. 
6:28;  7:7;  27:5,  6,  9;  28:7;  42:69;  84:26;  etc. 


THE   TWELVE   TEMPORARILY   RESTRAINED.  363 

the  doors  of  the  Church  to  the  Gentiles;1'  and  his  office  of 
leadership  is  apparent  throughout  the  apostolic  period. 

The  confession  by  which  the  apostles  avowed  their  ac- 
ceptance of  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
was  evidence  of  their  actual  possession  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Holy  Apostleship,  by  which  they  were  made  particular  wit- 
nesses of  their  L,ord.  The  time  for  a  general  proclamation 
of  their  testimony  had  not  arrived,  however ;  nor  did  it  come 
until  after  Christ  had  emerged  from  the  tomb  a  resurrected, 
immortalized  Personage.  For  the  time  being  they  were 
charged  "that  they  should  tell  no  man  that  he  was  Jesus  the 
Christ."  Proclamation  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  particularly 
if  made  by  the  apostles  who  were  publicly  known  as  His 
most  intimate  disciples  and  associates,  or  open  assumption  of 
the  Messianic  title  by  Himself,  would  have  aggravated  the 
hostility  of  the  rulers,  which  had  already  become  a  grave 
interference  if  not  an  actual  menace  to  the  Savior's  minis- 
try ;  and  seditious  uprisings  against  the  political  government 
of  Rome  might  easily  have  resulted.  A  yet  deeper  reason 
for  the  secrecy  enjoined  upon  the  Twelve  appears  in  the  fact 
that  the  Jewish  nation  was  not  prepared  to  accept  their 
Lord;  and  to  ignore  Him  through  lack  of  certain  knowledge 
involved  a  lesser  degree  of  culpability  than  would  have  at- 
tached to  an  unpalliated  rejection.  The  particular  mission 
of  the  apostles  at  a  time  then  future  was  to  proclaim  to  all 
nations  Jesus,  the  crucified  and  resurrected  Christ. 

From  the  time  of  Peter's  confession,  however,  Jesus  in- 
structed the  Twelve  more  plainly  and  with  greater  intimacy 
concerning  the  future  developments  of  His  mission,  and 
particularly  as  touching  His  appointed  death.  On  earlier 
occasions  He  had  referred  in  their  hearing  to  the  cross,  and 
to  His  approaching  death,  burial,  and  ascension;  but  the 
mention  in  t  each  case  was  in  a  measure  figurative,  and  they 
had  apprehended  but  imperfectly  if  at  all.  Now,  however, 

»  Acts  1:15-26;  2:14-40;  chap.  10,  compare  with  15:7. 


364  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

He  began  to  show,  and  often  afterward  made  plain  unto 
them,  "how  that  he  must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many 
things  of  the  elders  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be 
killed  and  be  raised  again  the  third  day." 

Peter  was  shocked  at  this  unqualified  declaration,  and, 
yielding  to  impulse,  remonstrated  with  Jesus,  or,  as  two  of 
the  evangelists  state,  "began  to  rebuke  him,"  even  going  so 
far  as  to  say:  "This  shall  not  be  unto  thee."'  The  Lord 
turned  upon  him  with  this  sharp  reproof :  "Get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan :  thou  art  an  offence  unto  me :  for  thou  savourest 
not  the  things  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men." 
Peter's  words  constituted  an  appeal  to  the  human  element  in 
Christ's  nature;  and  the  sensitive  feelings  of  Jesus  were 
wounded  by  this  suggestion  of  unfaithfulness  to  His  trust, 
coming  from  the  man  whom  He  had  so  signally  honored  but 
a  few  moments  before.  Peter  saw  mainly  as  men  see,  under- 
standing but  imperfectly  the  deeper  purposes  of  God. 
Though  deserved,  the  rebuke  he  received  was  severe.  The 
adjuration,  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan,"  was  identical  with 
that  used  against  the  arch-tempter  himself,  who  had  sought 
to  beguile  Jesus  from  the  path  upon  which  He  had  en- 
tered,*  and  the  provocation  in  the  two  instances  was  in  some 
respects  similar — the  temptation  to  evade  sacrifice  and  suf- 
fering, though  such  was  the  world's  ransom,  and  to  follow 
a  more  comfortable  way.*  The  forceful  words  of  Jesus 
show  the  deep  emotion  that  Peter's  ill-considered  attempt  to 
counsel  if  not  to  tempt  his  Lord  had  evoked. 

Beside  the  Twelve,  who  were  immediately  about  the 
Lord's  person,  others  were  nearby;  it  appears  that  even  in 
those  remote  parts,  far  removed  from  the  borders  of  Galilee 
— the  habitat  of  a  heathen  population,  with  whom,  however, 
many  Jews  were  intermixed — the  people  gathered  around  the 
Master.  These  He  now  called  together,  and  to  them  and  the 


/Matt.   16:22,   23;   Mark  8:32,   33. 

fcLuke  4:8. 

/  Note  8,   end  of  chapter. 


THE   FIGURE   OF   THE   CROSS.  365 

disciples  said :  "If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny 
himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me."  Here  the 
frightful  figure  of  the  cross  was  again  made  prominent. 
There  was  left  no  shadow  of  excuse  for  the  thought  that 
devotion  to  Christ  meant  other  than  denial  and  privation. 
He  who  would  save  his  life  at  the  cost  of  duty,  as  Peter  had 
just  suggested  that  Christ  should  do,  would  surely  lose  it  in 
a  sense  worse  t(ian  that  of  physical  death ;  whereas  he  who 
stood  willing  to  lose  all,  even  life  itself,  should  find  the  life 
that  is  eternal. 

x 

As  evincing  the  soundness  of  His  teachings,  Jesus  uttered 
what  has  since  become  an  inspiring  aphorism  of  life :  "For 
what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and 
lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
his  soul?  Whosoever  is  ashamed  of  Christ  because  of  His 
lowly  estate,  or  through  offense  at  His  teachings,  shall  yet 
find  that  the  Son  of  Man,  when  He  comes  in  the  glory  of  the 
Father,  with  attending  cohorts  of  angels,  will  be  ashamed  of 
that  man.  The  record  of  this  memorable  day  in  the  Savior's 
life  closes  with  His  blessed  promise :  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
There  be  some  standing  here,  which  shall  not  taste  of  death, 
till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom.""1 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  22. 

i.  Passover  Celebrations  Comprized  within  the  Period  of 
Our  Lord's  Public  Ministry. — The  dates  on  which  specific  acts 
occurred  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  are  difficult  if  not  impossible 
to  fix,  except  in  few  instances;  and  as  heretofore  stated  and 
reiterated,  even  the  order  of  events  is  often  found  to  be  uncer- 
tain. It  will  be  remembered  that  Jesus  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the 
time  of  the  Passover  soon  after  His  baptism,  and  that  on  the 
visit  referred  to  He  forcibly  cleared  the  temple  courts  of  traf- 
fickers and  their  property.  This  is  known  as  the  first  Passover 
during  the  public  life  of  Jesus.  If  the  unnamed  "feast  of  the 
Jews"  referred  to  by  John  (5:1)  was  a  Passover,  as  many  Bible 
students  hold,  it  marked  the  close  of  the  year  following  the 
cleansing  the  temple;  it  is  commonly  spoken  of  and  written 
about  as  the  second  Passover  in  the  course  of  our  Lord's  min- 
istry. Then  the  Passover  near  which  Jesus  fed  the  five  thousand 

m  Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 


366  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    22. 

(John  6:4)  would  be  the  third,  and  would  mark  the  expiration  of 
two  years  and  a  fraction  since  the  baptism  of  Jesus;  it  certainly 
marks  the  beginning  of  the  last  year  of  the  Savior's  'life  on  earth. 

2.  Ceremonial  Ablutions. — The  numerous  washings  required 
by  Jewish  custom  in  the  time  of  Christ  were  admittedly  incident 
to   rabbinism   and   "the   tradition   of   the   elders"   and   not   in  com- 
pliance  with   the   Mosaic   law.     Under   certain   conditions,   succes- 
sive washings  were  prescribed,  in  connection  with  which  we  find 
mention    of    "first,"    "second"    and    "other"    waters,    the    "second 
water"    being   necessary   to    wash    away   the    "first    water,"    which 
had  become  defiled  by  contact  with  the  "common"  hands;  and  so 
further   with   the  later   waters.     Sometimes  the   hands   had   to  be 
dipped  or  immersed ;  at  other  times  they  were  to  be  cleansed  by 
pouring,   it  being  necessary  that  the   water   be   allowed   to   run   to 
the  wrist  or  the  elbow  according  to  the  degree  of  supposed  defile- 
ment; then  again,  as  the  disciples  of   Rabbi   Shammai  held,  only 
the  finger  tips,  or  the   fingers  up  to  the  knuckles,  needed  to  be 
wetted  under  particular  circumstances.     Rules    for    the    cleansing 
of    vessels    and    furniture    were    detailed    and    exacting;    distinct 
methods  applied  respectively  to  vessels  of  clay,  wood,  and  metal. 
Fear  of  unwittingly  defiling  the  hands  led  to.  many  extreme  pre- 
cautions.    It  being  known  that  the  Roll  of  the  Law,  the  Roll  of 
the   Prophets,   and   other   scriptures,   when   laid   away  were   some- 
times   touched,    scratched,    or    even    gnawed    by   mice,    there    was 
issued  a  rabbinical  decree,  that  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  any  part 
thereof    comprizing    as    many    as  .  eighty-five    letters    (the    shortest 
section  in  the  law  having  just  that  number),  defiled  the  hands  by 
mere  contact.     Thus   the  hands   had  to  be  ceremonially  cleansed 
after  touching  a  copy  of  the  scriptures,  or  even  a  written  passage 
therefrom. 

Emancipation  from  these  and  "many  such  like  things"  must 
have  been  relief  indeed.  Escape  from  this  thraldom  Jesus  freely 
offered,  saying:  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you, 
and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart;  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden 
is  light."  (Matt.  11:28-30.) 

3.  "Corban,"  a  Gift. — The  law  of  Moses  prescribed  rules  re- 
lating to  vows    (Lev.   27;   Numb.   30).     "Upon   these  rules,"  says 
the  writer  in  Smith's  Bible  Diet.,  "the  traditionalists  enlarged,  and 
laid   down  that  a  man  might  interdict  himself  by  vow,  not  only 
from  using  for  himself,  but  from  giving  to  another  or  receiving 
from  him,   some  particular   object   whether  of   food   or   any  other 
kind    whatsoever.      The    thing    thus    interdicted    was    considered 
as   corban.     A  person   might  thus   exempt   himself    from   any  in- 
convenient obligation  under  plea  of  corban.     Our  Lord  denounced 
practises  of  this  sort.   (Matt.   15:5;  Mark  7:"),  as  annulling  the 
spirit  of  the  law." 

The  revised  version,  Matt.  15:15  is  made  to  read  "But  ye 
say,  Whosoever  shall  say  to  his  father  or  his  mother,  That 
wherewith  thou  mightest  have  been  profited  by  me  is  given  to 
God;  he  shall  not  honor  his  father  (or,  his  mother)."  The  fol- 


MOTES.  367 

lowing  account  of  this  pernicious  custom  appears  in  the  Com>- 
mentary  on  The  Holy  Bible  edited  by  Dummelow,  "  'Corban/ 
meaning  originally  a  sacrifice  or  a  gift  to  God,  was  used  in  New 
Testament  times  as  a  mere  word  of  vowing,  without  implying 
that  the  thing  vowed  would  actually  be  offered  or  given  to  God. 
Thus  a  man  would  say  'Corban  to  me  is  wine  for  such  a  time/ 
meaning  that  he  took  a  vow  to  abstain  from  wine.  Or  a  man 
would  say  to  a  friend  'Corban  to  me  for  such  a  time  is  whatso- 
ever I  might  be  profited  by  thee,'  meaning  that  for  such  a  time 
he  vowed  that  he  would  receive  neither  hospitality  nor  any  other 
benefit  from  his  friend.  Similarly,  if  a  son  said  to  his  father  or 
mother,  'Corban  is  whatsoever  thou  mightest  have  profited  by 
me'  he  took  a  vow  not  to  assist  his  father  or  mother  in  any  way, 
however  much  they  might  require  it.  A  vow  of  this  kind  was 
held  by  the  scribes  to  excuse  a  man  from  the  duty  ot  supporting 
his  parents,  and  thus  by  their  tradition  they  made  void  the  word 
of  God." 

4.  The  "Dogs"  that  Eat  of  the  Crumbs.— The  woman's  fer- 
vid rejoinder,  "Truth,  Lord:  yet  the  dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs  which 
fall  from  their  masters'  table,"   (Matt.  15:27),  is  thus  commented 
upon  and  paraphrased  by  Trench  (Notes  on  the  Miracles,  p.  271)  : 
"The  rendering  of  her  answer  in  our  translation  is  not,  however, 
altogether    satisfactory.       For,     indeed,     she    accepts     the     Lord's 
declaration,  not  immediately  to  make  exception   against  the  con- 
clusion which  He  draws   from  it,  but  to  show  how  in  that  very 
declaration    is    involved    the    granting    of    her    petition.     'Saidest 
thou  dogs  ?     It  is  well ;  I  accept  the  title  and  the  place ;  for  the 
dogs  have  a  portion  of  the  meal, — not  the  first,  not  the  children's 
portion,  but  a  portion  still, — the  crumbs  which  fall  from  the  mas- 
ter's  table.     In  this   very  putting  of   the   case,   Thou  bringest  us 
heathen,    Thou    bringest    me,    within    the    circle    of    the    blessings 
which    God,    the    Great    Householder,    is    ever    dispensing    to    His 
family.      We    also   belong   to    His    household,    though    we    occupy 
but  the  lowest  place  therein.' " 

The  Dummelow  Commentary,  on  Matt.  15  :26,  reads  in  part  as 
follows :  "The  rabbis  often  spoke  of  the  Gentiles  as  dogs,  e.  g. 
'He  who  eats  with  an  idolater  is  like  one  who  eats  with  a  dog.' 
.  .  .  .  'The  nations  of  the  world  -are  compared  to  dogs.' 
'The  holy  convocation  belongs  to  you,  not  to  the  dogs.'  Yet 
Jesus  in  adopting  the  contemptuous  expression  slightly  softens 
it.  He  says  not  'dogs,'  but  'little  dogs/  i.  e.  household,  favorite, 
dogs ;  and  the  woman  cleverly  catches  at  the  expression,  arguing 
that  if  the  Gentiles  are  household  dogs,  then  it  is  only  right  that 
they  should  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  their  masters' 
table."  Edersheim,  referring  to  the  original  text,  says :  "The 
term  means  'little  dogs/  or  'house  dogs.' " 

5.  Decapolis. — The  name  means  "the  ten  cities,"  and  was 
applied  to  a  region  of  indefinite  boundaries  lying  mostly  on  the 
east  of  Jordan  and  southerly  from  the  sea  of  Galilee.     Scythop- 
olis,  which  Josephus  (Wars  of  the  Jews,  iii,  9:7)   refers  to  as  the 
largest  of  the  ten  cities,  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.     There 
is  lack  of  agreement  among  historians  as  to  the  cities  comprized 


368  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   22. 

under  the  name.     Biblical  mention  (Matt.  4:25;  Mark  5:20;  7:31) 
implies  a  general  region  rather  than  a  definite  area. 

6.  The  Coasts  of  Caesarea  Philippi. — The  term  "coast"  as  it 
appears  in  the  Bible   (authorized,  or  King  James  version),  is  used 
to  connote  boundary,  limit,  or  border,  and  not  distinctively  a  sea- 
shore.    (For  examples  see  Exo.  10:4,  14,  19;  Josh.  15:1,  4;  Judg. 
u:2o;  Matt.  2:16,  etc.)      It  is  applied  therefore  to  inland  areas, 
and  frequently  occurs  as  indicating  a  vicinity  or  neighborhood. 

Caesarea  Philippi,  a  town  located,  as  stated  in  the  text,  near 
Mount  Hermon  at  the  ^ource  of  the  Jordan,  had  been  enlarged 
and  beautified  by  Philip  the  tetrarch,  and  by  him  was  named 
Caesarea  in  honor  of  the  Roman  emperor.  It  was  called  Caesarea 
Philippi  to  distinguish  it  from  the  already  existing  Caesarea, 
which  was  situated  on  the  Mediterranean  shore  of  Samaria,  and 
which  in  later  literature  came  to  be  known  as  Caesarea  Palestina. 
Caesarea  Philippi  is  believed  to  be  identical  with  the  ancient  Baal 
Gad  (Josh.  11:17)  and  Baal  Hermon  (Judg.  3:3).  It  was  known 
as  a  place  of  idolatrous  worship,  and  while  under  Greek  sover- 
eignty was  called  Paneas  in  recognition  of  the  mythological  deity 
Pan.  (See  Josephus,  Ant.  xviii,  2:1)  ;  this  designation  persists  in 
in  the  present  Arabic  name  of  the  place,  Banias. 

7.  Simon  Peter  and  the  "Rock"  of  Revelation.— Simon  the 
son  of  Jonas,  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  recorded  interview  with 
Jesus  had  received  from  the  Lord's  lips  the  distinguishing  name- 
title    "Peter,"    or    in    the    Aramaic    tongue    "Cephas,"    the    English 
equivalent  of  which  is  "a  rock"  or  "a  stone"  (John  1:42;  see  also 
page  140  herein).      The  name  was  confirmed  upon  the  apostle  on 
the  occasion  now  under  consideration    (Matt.   16:18).      Jesus  said 
to  him  "thou  art  Peter,"  adding,  "and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  church."      In   the   course   of   the  general   apostasy  subsequent 
to  the  ancient  apostolic  ministry,  the  Bishop  of  Rome  laid  claim 
to   supreme    authority   as    the    alleged    lineal    successor    to    Peter; 
and    an    erroneous    doctrine    gained    currency    to    the    effect    that 
Peter    was    the    "rock"    upon    which    the    Church    of    Christ    was 
founded.      Detailed    consideration    of    this    inconsistent    and    in- 
famous claim   cannot  be   undertaken   here ;   it   is   sufficient  to  say 
that  a  church  founded  or  dependent  upon  Peter  or  any  other  man 
would  be  Peter's  or  the  other  man's  church,  and  not  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ.      (See  The  Great  Apostasy,  chap  9;  also  B/of  M., 
3  Nephi  27:1-8;  also  chapter  40  herein).     That  upon  Peter  rested 
the   responsibility  of  presidency  -in  the  ministry,  after  the  ascen- 
sion of  the  resurrected  Christ,  is  not  questioned ;  but  that  he  was, 
even  typically,  the   foundation  upon  which  the  Church  was  built, 
is  at  once  unscriptural  and  untrue.     The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
must  authoritatively  bear  His  name,  and  be  guided  by  revelation, 
direct   and    continuous,   as   the   conditions    of   its   building   require. 
Revelation    from    God    to    His    servants    invested    with    the    Holy 
Priesthood    through    authorized    ordination    as    was    Peter,    is    the 
impregnable  "rock"  upon  which  the  Church  is  built.     (See  Articles 
of  Faith,  xvi, — "Revelation.") 

8.  Christ's  Rebuke  to  Peter. — In  addressing  Peter  as  "Sa- 
tan," Jesus  was  obviously  using  a  forceful  figure  of  speech,  and 


NOTES.  369 

not  a  literal  designation ;  for  Satan  is  a  distinct  personage,  Luci- 
fer, that  fallen,  unembodied  son  of  the  morning  (see  page  7)  ; 
and  certainly  Peter  was  not  he.  In  his  remonstrance  or  "re- 
buke" addressed  to  Jesus,  Peter  was  really  counseling  what  Satan 
had  before  attempted  to  induce  Christ  to  do,  or  tempting,  as 
Satan  himself  had  tempted.  The  command,  "Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan,"  as  directed  to  Peter,  is  rendered  in  English  by  some  au- 
thorities "Get  thee  behind  me,  tempter."  The  essential  meaning 
attached  to  both  Hebrew  and  Greek  originals  for  our  word 
"Satan"  is  that  of  an  adversary,  or  "one  who  places  liimself  in 
another's  way  and  thus  opposes  him."  (Zenos.)  The  expression 
"Thou  art  an  offense  unto  me"  is  admittedly  a  less  literal  transla- 
tion than  "Thou  art  a  stumbling-block  unto  me."  The  man 
whom  Jesus  had  addressed  as  Peter — "the  rock,"  was  now 
likened  to  a  stone  in  the  path,  over  which  the  unwary  might 
stumble. 

9.  Some  to  Live  Until  Christ  Returns. — The  Savior's  declar- 
ation to  the  apostles  and  others  in  the  neighborhood  of  Caesarea 
Philippi,  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  be  some  standing  here 
which  shall  not  taste  of  death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  com- 
ing in  his  kingdom,"  (Matt.  16:28;  compare  Mark  9:1;  Luke 
9:27),  has  occasioned  great  and  diverse  comment.  The  event 
referred  to,  that  of  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  glory  of  His 
Father  attended  by  the  angels,  is  yet  future.  At  least  a  partial 
fulfilment  of  the  prediction  is  presented  in  the  prolongation  of 
the  life  of  John  the  apostle,  who  was  there  present,  and  who  yet 
lives  in  the  flesh  according  to  his  desire  (John  21:20-24;  see  fur- 
ther B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  28:1-6;  Doc.  and  Cov.  Sec.  7). 


370  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  23. 

CHAPTER  23. 
THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

Of  the  week  following  the  events  last  considered,  no 
record  is  found  in  the  Gospels.  We  may  safely  assume  that 
the  time  was  devoted,  in  part  at  least,  to  the  further  instruc- 
tion of  the  Twelve  respecting  the  rapidly  approaching  con- 
summation of  the  Savior's  mission  on  earth,  the  awful  cir- 
cumstances of  which  the  apostles  were  loath  to  believe  pos- 
sible. When  the  week  had  passed0  Jesus  took  Peter,  James, 
and  John&  and  with  them  ascended  a  high  mountain,  where 
they  would  be  reasonably  safe  from  human  intrusion/  There 
the  three  apostles  witnessed  a  heavenly  manifestation,  which 
stands  without  parallel  in  history;  in  our  Bible  captions  it 
is  known  as  the  Transfiguration  of  Christ.4 

One  purpose  of  the  Lord's  retirement  was  that  of  prayer, 
and  a  transcendent  investiture  of  glory  came  upon  Him  as 
He  prayed.  The  apostles  had  fallen  asleep,  but  were  awak- 
ened by  the  surpassing  splendor  of  the  scene,  and  gazed  with 
reverent  awe  upon  their  glorified  Lord.  "The  fashion  of  his 
countenance  was  altered,  and  his  raiment  was  white  and 
glistering."  His  garments,  though  made  of  earth-woven 
fabric,  "became  shining,  exceeding  white  as  snow ;  so  as  no 
fuller  on  earth  can  white  them ;"  "and  his  face  did  shine  as 
the  sun."  Thus  was  Jesus  transfigured  before  the  three 
privileged  witnesses. 

With  Him  were  two  other  personages,  who  also  were  in 
a  state  of  glorified  radiance,  and  who  conversed  with  the 
Lord.  These,  as  the  apostles  learned,  by  means  not  stated 

a  Note  I,  end  of  chapter. 
&  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
c  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 
dMatt.  17:1-8;  Mark  9:2-8;  Luke  9:28-36. 


MOSES   AND   ELIJAH    MINISTER   TO   CHRIST.  371 

though  probably  as  gathered  from  the  conversation  in  prog- 
ress, were  Moses  and  Elias,  or  more  literally  to  us,  Elijah; 
and  the  subject  of  their  conference  with  Christ  was  "his 
decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem."  As  the 
prophet  visitants  were  about  to  depart,  "Peter  said  unto 
Jesus,  Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here :  and  let  us  make 
three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one 
for  Elias :  not  knowing  what  he  said."  Undoubtedly  Peter 
and  his  fellow  apostles  were  bewildered,  "sore  afraid"  in- 
deed ;  and  this  condition  may  explain  the  suggestion  respect- 
ing the  three  tabernacles.  "He  wist  not  what  to  say ;"  yet, 
though  his  remark  appears  confused  and  obscure,  it  becomes 
somewhat  plainer  when  we  remember  that,  at  the  annual 
feast  of  Tabernacles,  it  was  customary  to  erect  a  little  bower, 
or  booth  of  wattled  boughs,  for  each  individual  worshiper, 
into  which  he  might  retire  for  devotion.  So  far  as  there  was 
a  purpose  in  Peter's  proposition,  it  seems  to  have  been  that 
of  delaying  the  departure  of  the  visitants. 

The  sublime  and  awful  solemnity  of  the  occasion  had  not 
yet  reached  its  climax.  Even  as  Peter  spake,  "behold,  a 
bright  cloud  overshadowed  them :  and  behold  a  voice  out  of 
the  cloud,  which  said,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased  ;  hear  ye  him."  It  was  Elohim/  the  Eternal 
Father,  who  spake ;  and  at  the  sound  of  that  voice  of  supreme 
Majesty,  the  apostles  fell  prostrate.  Jesus  came  and  touched 
them,  saying,  "Arise,  and  be  not  afraid."  When  they  looked 
they  saw  that  again  they  were  alone  with  Him. 

The  impression  made  upon  the  three  apostles  by  this 
manifestation  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten ;  but  they  were 
expressly  charged  to  speak  of  it  to  no  man  until  after  the 
Savior  had  risen  from  the  dead.  They  were  puzzled  as  to 
the  significance  of  the  Lord's  reference  to  His  prospective 
rising  from  the  dead.  They  had  heard  with  great  sorrow, 
and  reluctantly  they  were  being  brought  to  understand  it  to 

<  Page  38, 


372  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    23. 

be  an  awful  certainty,  that  their  beloved  Master  was  to 
"suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  of  the  elders,  and  of 
the  chief  priests,  and  scribes,  and  be  killed. "f  Such  had  been 
declared  to  them  before,  in  language  devoid  of  ambiguity 
and  admitting  of  no  figurative  construction ;  and  with  equal 
plainness  they  had  been  told  that  Jesus  would  rise  again ;  but 
of  this  latter  eventuality  they  had  but  dim  comprehension 
The  present  reiteration  of  these  teachings  seems  to  have  left 
the  three  with  no  clearer  understanding  of  their  Lord's 
resurrection  from  the  dead  than  they  had  before.  They 
seem  to  have  had  no  definite  conception  as  to  what  was 
meant  by  a  resurrection;  "And  they  kept  that  saying  with 
themselves,  questioning  one  with  another  what  the  rising 
from  the  dead  should  mean."^ 

The  comprehensiveness  of  the  Lord's  injunction,  that 
until  after  His  rising  from  the  dead  they  tell  no  man  of  their 
experiences  on  the  mount,  prohibited  them  from  informing 
even  their  fellows  of  the  Twelve.  Later,  after  the  Lord  had 
ascended  to  His  glory,  Peter  testified  to  the  Church  of  the 
wondrous  experience,  in  this  forceful  way:  "For  we  have 
not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  when  we  made  known 
unto  you  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
but  were  eyewitnesses  of  his  majesty.  For  he  received  from 
God  the  Father  honour  and  glory,  when  there  came  such  a 
voice  to  him  from  the  excellent  glory,  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.  And  this  voice  which 
came  from  heaven  we  heard,  when  we  were  with  him  in  the 
holy  mount."*1  And  John,  reverently  confessing  before  the 
world  the  divinity  of  the  Word,  the  Son  of  God  who  had 
been  made  flesh  to  dwell  among  men,  solemnly  affirmed : 
"And  we  beheld  his  glory,  and  glory  of  the  only  begotten 
of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth."*' 


/Mark  8:31. 
0Mark    9:10. 
h  2  Peter  1:16-18. 
•  John   1:14. 


THE    FATHER   AGAIN    PROCLAIMS   THE   SON.  373 

The  divine  purpose  as  shown  forth  in  the  Transfiguration 
may  be  incomprehensible  to  the  human  mind  as  is  a  full 
conception  of  the  attendant  splendor  from  verbal  descrip- 
tion ;  some  features  of  the  results  achieved  are  apparent, 
however.  Unto  Christ  the  manifestation  was  strengthening 
and  encouraging.  The  prospect  of  the  experiences  imme- 
diately ahead  must  naturally  have  been  depressing  and  dis- 
heartening in  the  extreme.  In  faithfully  treading  the  path 
of  His  life's  work,  He  had  reached  the  verge  of  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death ;  and  the  human  part  of  His  nature 
called  for  refreshing.  As  .angels  had  been  sent  to  minister 
unto  Him  after  the  trying  scenes  of  the  forty  days'  fast  and 
the  direct  temptation  of  Satan/  and  as,  in  the  agonizing 
hour  of  His  bloody  sweat,  He  was  to  be  sustained  anew  by 
angelic  ministry ,k  so  at  this  critical  and  crucial  period,  the 
beginning  of  the  end,  visitants  from  the  unseen  world  came 
to  comfort  and  support  Him.  What  of  actual  communica- 
tion passed  in  the  conference  of  Jesus  with  Moses  and  Elijah 
is  not  of  full  record  in  the  New  Testament  Gospels. 

The  voice  of  His  Father,  to  whom  He  was  the  Firstborn 
in  the  spirit-world,  and  the  Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh,  was 
of  supreme  assurance ;  yet  that  voice  had  been  addressed  to 
the  three  apostles  rather  than  to  Jesus,  who  had  already  re- 
ceived the  Father's  acknowledgment  and  attestation  on  the 
occasion  of  His  baptism.  The  fullest  version  of  the  Father's 
words  to  Peter,  James,  and  John  is  that  recorded  by 
Matthew:  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased ;  hear  ye  him."  Aside  from  the  proclamation  of  the 
Son's  divine  nature,  the  Father's  words  were  otherwise  de- 
cisive and  portentous.  Moses,  the  promulgator  of  the  law, 
and  Elijah  the  representative  of  the  prophets  and  especially 
distinguished  among  them  as  the  one  who  had  not  died/  had 
been  seen  ministering  unto  Jesus  and  subservient  to  Him. 

/Matt.  4:11;  Mark  1:13. 

k  Luke  22:43;  compare  John  12:27-28, 

12  Kings  2:11. 


374  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    23. 

The  fulfilment  of  the  law  and  the  superseding  of  the  prophets 
by  the  Messiah  was  attested  in  the  command — Hear  ye  Him. 
A  new  dispensation  had  been  established,  that  of  the  gospel, 
for  which  the  law  and  the  prophets  had  been  but  prepara- 
tory. The  apostles  were  to  be  guided  neither  by  Moses  nor 
Elijah,  but  by  Him,  their  Lord,  Jesus  the  Christ. 

The  three  selected  apostles,  "the  Man  of  Rock  and  the 
Sons  of  Thunder"  had  seen  the  Lord  in  glory ;  and  they  mar- 
veled that  such  a  thing  could  be  at  that  time,  since  as  they 
had  interpreted  the  scriptures,  it  had  been  predicted  that 
Elijah  should  precede  the  Messiah's  triumphal  advent.  As 
they  wended  their  way  down  the  mountain-side,  they  asked 
the  Master  :m  "Why  then  say  the  scribes  that  Elias  must 
first  come  ?"  Jesus  confirmed  the  prophecy  that  Elias  should 
first  come,  that  is,  before  the  Lord's  advent  in  glory,  which 
event  they  had  in  mind ;  "But,"  He  addec^  "I  say  unto  you ; 
That  Elias  is  come  already,  and  they  knew  him  not,  but  have 
done  unto  him  whatsoever  they  listed.  Likewise  shall  also 
the  Son  of  man  suffer  of  them.  Then  the  disciples  under- 
stood that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John  the  Baptist."  That 
John  the  Baptist  would  officiate  "in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Elias,"  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Christ,  had  been  announced 
by  the  angel  Gabriel  to  Zacharias,"  before  the  Baptist's  birth ; 
and  that  John  was  that  particular  Elias  had  been  shown  by 
Jesus  in  His  memorable  tribute  to  the  Baptist's  fidelity  and 
greatness.  That  His  words  would  not  be  generally  accepted 
with  understanding  is  evinced  by  the  context ;  Jesus,  on 
that  occasion,  had  said:  "And  if  ye  will  receive  it,  this  is 
Elias,  which  was  for  to  come."0 

It  is  not  possible  that  Jesus  could  have  meant  that  John 
was  the  same  individual  as  Elijah ;  nor  could  the  people  have 
so  understood  Hrs  words,  since  the  false  doctrine  of  trans- 


wMatt.   17:10-13;   Mark  9:11-13. 

n  Luke    1:17;    pages    77   and   257   herein. 

oMatt.  11:14. 


ELIAS   AND   ELIJAH.  375 

migration  or  reincarnation  of  spirits  -was  repudiated  by  the 
Jews.^  The  seeming  difficulty  is  removed  when  we  consider 
that,  as  the  name  appears  in  the  New  Testament,  "Elias"  is 
used  for  "Elijah,"^  with  no  attempt  at  distinction  between 
Elijah  the  Tishbite,  and  any  other  person  known  as  Elias. 
Gabriel's  declaration  that  the  then  unborn  John  should  mani- 
fest "the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias"  indicates  that  "Elias"  is 
a  title  of  office;  every  restorer,  forerunner,  or  one  sent  of 
God  to  prepare  the  way  for  greater  developments  in  the 
gospel  plan,  is  an  Elias.  The  appellative  "Elias"  is  in  fact 
both  a  personal  name  and  a  title. 

In  the  present  dispensation  both  the  ancient  Elias,  who 
belonged  to  the  Abrahamic  dispensation  and  in  the  spirit  of 
whose  office  many  have  officiated  in  different  periods,  and 
also  the  prophet  Elijah,  have  appeared  in  person  and  have 
conferred  their  particular  and  separate  authority  upon  latter- 
day  bearers  of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  and  the  keys  of  the 
powers  exercized  by  them  while  on  earth  are  today  inherent 
in  the  restored  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  authority  of 
Elias  is  inferior  to  that  of  Elijah,  the  first  being  a  function 
of  the  Lesser  or  Aaronic  order  of  the  Priesthood,  while  the 
latter  belongs  to  the  Higher  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood. 
Malachi's  prediction,  that  before  "the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord"  Elijah  the  prophet  would  be  sent  to  earth 
to  "turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
of  the  children  to  their  fathers,"'  did  not  reach  fulfilment  in 
the  mission  of  John  the  Baptist,  nor  in  that  of  any  other 
"Elias"  ;s  its  complete  realization  was  inaugurated  on  the 
third  day  of  April,  1836,  when  Elijah  appeared  in  the  temple 
at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  committed  to  Joseph  Smith  and 
Oliver  Cowdery  the  keys  of  the  authority  theretofore  vested 
in  himself.  "The  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord"  was 

p  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  ii,  p.  79. 

q  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 

rMal.  4:5,  6;  see  page  149  herein. 

s  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


376  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    23. 

not  the  meridian  of  time;  that  awful  though  blessed  period 
of  consummation  is  yet  future,  but  "near,  even  at  the  doors. "* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  23. 

1.  Interval  Between  Time  of  Peter's  Confession  and  that  of 
the  Transfiguration. — Both  Matthew  (17:1)  and  Mark  (9:2)  state 
that  the  Transfiguration  occurred   ''after  six  days"   following  the 
time  of  Peter's  great  confession  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ;  while 
Luke    (9 :28)    notes   an  interval  of   "about  an  eight  days."      It  is 
probable  that  the  six-day  period  was  meant  to  be  exclusive  of  the 
day   on    which   the   earlier   events    had   occurred    and   of    that   on 
which  Jesus  and  the  three  apostles  retired  to  the  mountain;   and 
that  Luke's  "about  an  eight  days"  was  made  to  include  these  two 
days.      There  is  here  no  ground  for  a  claim  of  discrepancy. 

2.  Peter,  James,  and  John  who  were  selected  from  among 
the   Twelve   as   the   only  earthly   witnesses   of   the   transfiguration 
of    Christ,    had    been    similarly   chosen    as    witnesses    of    a    special 
manifestation,  that  of  the  raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus  (Mark 
5:37;   Luke  8:51);  and,  later,  the  same  three  were  the  sole  wit- 
nesses  of   our   Lord's   night  agony  in   Gethsemane    (Matt.   26:37; 
Mark  14:33). 

3.  Place  of  the  Transfiguration. — The  mountain  on  which 
the  Transfiguration  occurred  is  neither  named  nor  otherwise   in- 
dicated by  the  Gospel-writers  in  such  a  way  as  to  admit  of  its  pos- 
itive identification.     Mount  Tabor,  in  Galilee,  has  long  been  held 
by  tradition  as  the  site,  and  in  the  sixth  century  three  churches 
were  erected  on  its  plateau-like  summit,  possibly  in  commemora- 
tion of   Peter's   desire  to  make   three   tabernacles   or  booths,   one 
each  for  Jesus,  Moses,  and  Elijah.      Later  a  monastery  was  built 
there.     Nevertheless,  Mt.  Tabor  is  now  rejected  by  investigators, 
and    Mt.    Hermon   is   generally   regarded   as    the   place.      Hermon 
stands   near  the  northerly  limits   of   Palestine,   just  beyond   Cses- 
area  Philippi,  where  Jesus  is  known  to  have  been  a  week  before 
the    Transfiguration.     Mark    (9:30)    distinctly    tells    us    that    after 
His  descent  from  the  mount,  Jesus  and  the  apostles  departed  and 
went  through   Galilee.     Weight  of  evidence   is   in    favor  of   Her- 
mon as  the   Mount  of  Transfiguration,  though  nothing  that  may 
be  called  decisive  is  known  in  the  matter. 

4.  The  Names  "Elias"  and  "Elijah."— The  following  state- 
ment which  appears  in   Smith's  Bible  Dictionary  is  supported  by 
authorities   in  general :    "  'Elias' "   is   "the   Greek  and   Latin    form 
of  'Elijah*  given  in  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Apocrypha  and 
New  Testament." 

5.  "The  Spirit  and  Power  of  Elias." — That  John  the  Baptist, 
in  his  capacity  as  a  restorer,  a  forerunner,  or  as  one  sent  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  a  work  greater  than  his  own,  did  officiate  as  an 
"Elias"    is    attested    by    both    ancient    and    latter-day    scripture. 
Through    him    water    baptism    for    the    remission    of    sins    was 


*  Doc.   and  Cov.   110:13-16.     See  chapter  41,  herein. 


NOTES.  377 

preached  and  administered,  and  the  higher  baptism,  that  of  the 
Spirit,  was  made  possible.  True  to  his  mission,  he  has  come  in 
the  last  dispensation,  and  has  restored  by  ordination  the  Priest- 
hood of  Aaron,  which  has  authority  to  baptize.  He  thus  prepared 
the  way  for  the  vicarious  labor  of  baptism  for  the  dead,  the  au- 
thority for  which  was  restored  by  Elijah,  (see  page  149  herein), 
and  which  is  preeminently  the  work  by  which  the  children  and 
the  fathers  shall  be  united  in  an  eternal  bond. 

On  the  loth  of  March,  1844,  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gave 
the  following  exposition  of  the  power  of  Elias  as  compared  with 
higher  authority:  "The  spirit  of  Elias  is  first,  Elijah  second, 
and  Messiah  last.  Elias  is  a  forerunner  to  prepare  the  way,  and 
the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah  is  to  come  after,  holding  the  keys 
of  power,  building  the  temple  to  the  cap-stone,  placing  the  seals 
of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  upon  the  house  of  Israel,  and  mak- 
ing all  things  ready;  then  Messiah  comes  to  His  temple,  which  is 
last  of  all. 

"Messiah  is  above  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah,  for  He 
made  the  world,  and  was  that  spiritual  rock  unto  Moses  in  the 
wilderness.  Elijah  was  to  come  and  prepare  the  way  and  build 
up  the  kingdom  IDC  fore  the  coming  of  the  great  day  of  the  Lord, 
although  the  spirit  of  Elias  might  begin  it." — Hist,  of  the  Church, 
under  date  named. 


378  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   24. 

CHAPTER  24. 
FROM  SUNSHINE  TO  SHADOW. 

Our  Lord's  descent  from  the  holy  heights0  of  the  Mount 
of  Transfiguration  was  more  than  a  physical  return  from 
greater  to  lesser  altitudes;  it  was  a  passing  from  sunshine 
into  shadow,  from  the  effulgent  glory  of  heaven  to  the  mists 
of  worldly  passions  and  human  unbelief;  it  was  the  begin- 
ning of  His  rapid  descent  into  the  valley  of  humiliation. 
From  lofty  converse  with  divinely-appointed  ministers,  from 
supreme  communion  with  His  Father  and  God,  Jesus  came 
down  to  a  scene  of  disheartening  confusion  and  a  spectacle 
of  demonized  dominion  before  which  even  His  apostles  stood 
in  impotent  despair.  To  His  sensitive  and  sinless  soul  the 
contrast  must  have  brought  superhuman  anguish ;  even  to 
us  who  read  the  brief  account  thereof  it  is  appalling. 

HEALING  OF   YOUTHFUL  DEMONIAC. 

Jesus  and  the  three  apostles  returned  from  the  mount  on 
the  morrow  following  the  Transfiguration  ;b  this  fact  sug- 
gests the  assumption  that  the  glorious  manifestation  had  oc- 
curred during  the  night.  At  or  near  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain the  party  found  the  other  apostles,  and  with  them  a 
multitude  of  people,  including  some  scribes  or  rabbis.c  There 
was  evidence  of  disputation  and  disturbance  amongst  the 
crowd ;  and  plainly  the  apostles  were  on  the  defensive.  At 
the  unexpected  approach  of  Jesus  many  of  the  people  ran 
to  meet  Him  with  respectful  salutations.  Of  the  contentious 
scribes  He  asked :  "What  question  ye  with  them  ?"  thus 

a  Compare    2    Peter    1:18. 

frLuke   9:37. 

cMatt.  17:14-21;  Mark  9:14-29;  Luke  9:37-42. 


FUTILE   ATTEMPT   OF   APOSTLES   TO    HEAL.  379 

assuming  the  burden  of  the  dispute,  whatever  it  might  be, 
and  so  relieving  the  distressed  disciples  from  further  active 
participation.  The  scribes  remained  silent;  their  courage 
had  vanished  when  the  Master  appeared.  A  man,  "one  of 
the  multitude,"  gave,  though  indirectly,  the  answer.  "Mas- 
ter," said  he,  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  "I  have  brought 
unto  thee  my  son,  which  hath  a  dumb  spirit ;  and  wheresoever 
he  taketh  him,  he  teareth  him :  and  he  f  oameth,  and  gnasheth 
with  his  teeth,  and  pineth  away :  and  I  spake  to  thy  disciples 
that  they  should  cast  him  out ;  and  they  could  not." 

The  disciples'  failure  to  heal  the  stricken  youth  had  evi- 
dently brought  upon  them  hostile  criticism,  taunts  and  ridi- 
cule from  the  unbelieving  scribes ;  and  their  discomfiture 
must  have  been  intensified  by  the  thought  that  through  them 
doubt  had  been  cast  upon  the  authority  and  power  of  their 
Lord.  Pained  in  spirit  at  this — another  instance  of  dearth  of 
faith  and  consequent  lack  of  power  among  His  chosen  and 
ordained  servants — Jesus  uttered  an  exclamation  of  intense 
sorrow:  "O  faithless  generation,  how  long  shall  I  be  with 
you  ?  how  long  shall  I  suffer  you  ?"  These  words,  in  which 
there  is  evident  reproof,  however  mild  and  pitying  it  may  be, 
were  addressed  primarily  to  the  apostles ;  whether  exclu- 
sively so  or  to  them  and  others  is  of  minor  importance.  As 
Jesus  directed,  the  afflicted  lad  was  brought  nearer ;  and 
the  tormenting  demon,  finding  himself  in  the  Master's  pres- 
ence, threw  his  youthful  victim  into  a  terrible  paroxysm,  so 
that  the  boy  fell  to  the  ground  and  wallowed  in  convulsions, 
the  while  frothing  and  foaming  at  the  mouth.  With  calm 
deliberation,  which  contrasted  strongly  with  the  eager  im- 
patience of  the  distracted  parent,  Jesus  inquired  as  to  when 
the  malady  had  first  befallen  the  lad.  "Of  a  child,"  an- 
swered the  father,  adding,  "And  ofttimes  it  hath  cast  him 
into  the  fire,  and  into  the  waters,  to  destroy  him."  With 
pathetic  eagerness  he  implored,  "If  thou  canst  do  anything, 
have  compassion  on  us  and  help  us,"  The  man  spoke  of 


JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

his  son's  affliction  as  though  shared  by  himself.    "Help  us," 
was  his  prayer. 

To  this  qualifying  expression  "If  thou  canst  do  any- 
thing/' which  implied  a  measure  of  uncertainty  as  to  the 
ability  of  the  Master  to  grant  what  he  asked,  and  this  per- 
haps as  in  part  a  result  of  the  failure  of  the  apostles,  Jesus 
replied:  "If  thou  canst  believe";  and  added,  "all  things  are 
possible  to  him  that  believeth."  The  man's  understanding 
was  enlightened ;  up  to  that  moment  he  had  thought  that  all 
depended  upon  Jesus;  he  now  saw  that  the  issue  rested 
largely  with  himself.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  Lord  speci- 
fied belief  rather  than  faith  as  the  condition  essential  to  the 
case.  The  man  was  evidently  trustful,  and  assuredly  fervent 
in  his  hope  that  Jesus  could  help ;  but  it  is  doubtful  that  he 
knew  what  faith  really  meant.  He  was  receptive  and  eagerly 
teachable,  however,  and  the  Lord  strengthened  his  feeble 
and  uncertain  belief.  The  encouraging  explanation  of  the 
re.al  need  stimulated  him  to  a  more  abounding  trust.  Weep- 
ing in  an  agony  of  hope  he  cried  out:  "Lord,  I  believe;" 
and  then,  realizing  the  darkness  of  error  from  which  he  was 
just  beginning  to  emerge,  he  added  penitently  "help  thou 
mine  unbelief  ."d 

Looking  compassionately  upon  the  writhing  sufferer  at 
His  feet,  Jesus  rebuked  the  demon,  thus :  "Thou  dumb  and 
deaf  spirit,  I  charge  thee,  come  out  of  him,  and  enter  no 
more  into  him.  And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent  him  sore,  ancj 
came  out  of  him:  and  he  was  as  one  dead;  insomuch  that 
many  said,  He  is  dead.  But  Jesus  took  him  by  the  hand, 
and  lifted  him  up ;  and  he  arose ;"  and  as  Luke  adds,  "  an4 
delivered  him  again  to  his  father."  The  permanency  of  the 
cure  was  assured  by  the  express  command  that  the  evil  spirit 
enter  no  more  into  the  lad  ;*  it  was  no  relief  from  that 
present  attack  alone;  the  healing  was  permanent. 

d  Note   1,    end   of   chapter. 
e  Compare    Matt.    12:40-45. 


THE   QUALITY  OF  FAITH.  381 

''The  people  were  amazed  at  the  power  of  God  manifested 
in  the  miracle  ;  and  the  apostles  who  had  tried  and  failed  to 
subdue  the  evil  spirit  were  disturbed.  While  on  their  mis- 
sion, though  away  from  their  Master's  helpful  presence,  they 
had  successfully  rebuked  and  cast  out  evil  spirits  as  they  had 
received  special  power  and  commission  to  do/  but  now, 
during  His  absence  of  a  day  they  had  found  themselves 
unable.  When  they  had  retired  to  the  house,  they  asked  of 
Jesus,  "Why  could  not  we  cast  him  out?"  The  reply  was: 
"Because  of  your  unbelief  ;"  and  in  further  explanation  the 
Lord  said,  "Howbeit  this  kind  goeth  not  out  but  by  prayer 
and  fasting."? 

Hereby  we  learn  that  the  achievements  possible  to  faith 
are  limited  or  conditioned  by  the  genuineness,  the  purity,  the 
unmixed  quality  of  that  faith.  "O  ye  of  little  faith  ;"  "Where 
is  your  faith?"  and  "Wherefore  didst  thou  doubt  ?";t  are 
forms  of  admonitory  reproof  that  had  been  repeatedly  ad- 
dressed to  the  apostles  by  the  Lord.  The  possibilities  of 
faith  were  now  thus  further  affirmed:  "Verily  I  say  unto 
yoUj  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye  shall  say 
unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence  to  yonder  place;  and  it 
shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you."* 
The  comparison  between  effective  faith  and  a  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed  is  one  of  quality  rather  than  of  quantity;  it  com 
notes  living,  virile  faith,  like  unto  the  seed,  however  small, 
from  which  a  great  plant  may  spring/  in  contrast  with  a 
lifeless,  artificial  imitation,  however  prominent  or  demon- 
strative. 


LORD'S  DEATH  AND  RESURRECTION  AGAIN  PREDICTED.** 

From  the  locality  whereat  the  last  miracle  was  wrought, 
Jesus  departed  with  the  Twelve,  and  passed  through  Galilee 

/Mark  6:12,   13;   compare  verse  7;   also  3:15;  Matt.   10:L 
g  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
/tMatt.   14:31;   16:8;  Luke  8:25. 

iMatt.    17:20;    compare  21:21;   Mark  11:23;   Luke   17:6;   see   also  Note  3, 
end  of  chapter. 

;  Compare  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed,  page  290. 
ft  Matt.  17:22-23;  Mark  9:30-32;  Luke  9:44,  45. 


382  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

toward  Capernaum.  It  is  probable  that  they  traveled  by 
the  less  frequented  roads,  as  He  desired  that  His  return 
should  not  be  publicly  known.  He  had  gone  into  com- 
parative retirement  for  a  season,  primarily  it  seems  in  quest 
of  opportunity  to  more  thoroughly  instruct  the  apostles  in 
their  preparation  for  the  work,  which  within  a  few  months 
they  would  be  left  to  carry  on  without  His  bodily  companion- 
ship. They  had  solemnly  testified  that  they  knew  Him  to  be 
the  Christ;  to  them  therefore  He  could  impart  much  that 
the  people  in  general  were  wholly  unprepared  to  receive. 
The  particular  theme  of  His  special  and  advanced  instruc- 
tion to  the  Twelve  was  that  of  His  approaching  death  and 
resurrection;  and  this  was  dwelt  upon  again  and  again,  for 
they  were  slow  or  unwilling  to  comprehend. 

"Let  these  sayings  sink  down  into  your  ears"  was  His 
forceful  prelude  on  the  occasion,  in  Galilee.  Then  followed 
the  reiterated  prediction,  spoken  in  part  in  the  present  tense 
as  though  already  begun  in  fulfilment :  "The  Son  of  man  is 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  men,  and  they  shall  kill  him ;  and 
after  that  he  is  killed,  he  shall  rise  the  third  day."  We  read 
with  some  surprize  that  the  apostles  still  failed  to  under- 
stand. Luke's  comment  is :  "But  they  understood  not  this 
saying,  and  it  was  hid  from  them,  that  they  perceived  it  not : 
and  they  feared  to  ask  him  of  that  saying."  The  thought  of 
what  the  Lord's  words  might  mean,  even  in  its  faintest  out- 
line, was  terrifying  to  those  devoted  men ;  and  their  failure 
to  comprehend  was  in  part  due  to  the  fact  that  the  human 
mind  is  loath  to  search  deeply  into  anything  it  desires  not 
to  believe. 


THE  TRIBUTE  MONEY — SUPPLIED  BY  A  MIRACLE.' 

Jesus  and  His  followers  were  again  in  Capernaum.   There 
Peter  was  approached  by  a  collector  of  the  temple  tax,  who 

/Matt.  17:24-27. 


THE   TRIBUTE    MONEY.  383 

asked:  "Doth  not  your  Master  pay  tribute ?"m  Peter  an- 
swered "Yes."  It  is  interesting  to  find  that  the  inquiry  was 
made  of  Peter  and  not  directly  of  Jesus;  this  circumstance 
may  be  indicative  of  the  respect  in  which  the  Lord  was  held 
by  the  people  at  large,  and  may  suggest  the  possibility  of 
doubt  in  the  collector's  mind  as  to  whether  Jesus  was  amen- 
able to  the  tax,  since  priests  and  rabbis  generally  claimed 
exemption. 

The  annual  capitation  tax  here  referred  to  amounted  to 
half  a  shekel  or  a  didrachm,  corresponding  to  about  thirty- 
three  cents  in  our  money ;  and  this  had  been  required  of 
every  male  adult  in  Israel  since  the  days  of  the  exodus ; 
though,  during  the  period  of  captivity  the  requirement  had 
been  modified."  This  tribute,  as  prescribed  through  Moses, 
was  originally  known  as  "atonement  money,"  and  its  pay- 
ment was  in  the  nature  of  a  sacrifice  to  accompany  supplica- 
tion for  ransom  from  the  effects  of  individual  sin.  At  the 
time  of  Christ  the  annual  contribution  was  usually  collected 
between  early  March  and  the  Passover.  If  Jesus  was  sub- 
ject to  this  tax,  He  was  at  this  time  several  weeks  in  arrears. 

The  conversation  between  Peter  and  the  tax-collector  had 
occurred  outside  the  house.  When  Peter  entered,  and  was 
about  to  inform  the  Master  concerning  the  interview,  Jesus 
forestalled  him,  saying:  "What  thinkest  thou,  Simon?  of 
whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take  custom  or  tribute?  of 
their  own  children,  or  of  strangers?  Peter  saith  unto  him, 
Of  strangers.  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Then  are  the  children 
free." 

Peter  must  have  seen  the  inconsistency  of  expecting 
Jesus,  the  acknowledged  Messiah,  to  pay  atonement  money, 
or  a  tax  for  temple  maintenance,  inasmuch  as  the  temple  was 
the  House  of  God,  and  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  par- 
ticularly since  even  earthly  princes  were  exempted  from 

m  Note  4,   end  of  chapter. 
nExo.   30:13;   38:26. 


384  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

capitation  dues.  Peter's  embarrassment  over  his  inconsid- 
erate boldness,  in  pledging  payment  for  his  Master  without 
first  consulting  Him,  was  relieved  however  by  Jesus,  who 
said:  "Notwithstanding,  lest  we  should  offend  them,  go 
thou  to  the  sea,  and  cast  an  hook,  and  take  up  the  fish  that 
first  cometh  up ;  and  when  thou  hast  opened  his  mouth,  thou 
shalt  find  a  piece  of  money ;  that  take,  and  give  unto  them 
for  me  and  thee." 

The  money  was  to  be  paid,  not  because  it  could  be  right- 
fully demanded  of  Jesus,  but  lest  non-payment  give  offense 
and  furnish  to  His  opponents  further  excuse  for  complaint. 
The  "piece  of  money,"  which  Jesus  said  Peter  would  find  in 
the  mouth  of  the  first  fish  that  took  his  bait,  is  more  correctly 
designated  by  the  literal  translation  "stater,"0  indicating  a 
silver  coin  equivalent  to  a  shekel,  or  two  didrachms,  and 
therefore  the  exact  amount  of  the  tax  for  two  persons.  "That 
take,  and  give  unto  them  for  me  and  thee"  said  Jesus.  It  is 
notable  that  He  did  not  say  "for  us."  In  His  associations 
with  men,  even  with  the  Twelve,  who  of  all  were  nearest  and 
dearest  to  Him,  our  L,ord  always  maintained  His  separate 
and  unique  status,  in  every  instance  making  the  fact  apparent 
that  He  was  essentially  different  from  other  men.  This  is 
illustrated  by  His  expressions  "My  Father  and  your  Father," 
"My  God  and  your  God,"^  instead  of  our  Father  and  our 
God.  He  reverently  acknowledged  that  He  was  the  Son  of 
God  in  a  literal  sense  that  did  not  apply  to  any  other  being. 

While  the  circumstances  of  the  finding  of  the  stater  in 
the  fish  are  not  detailed,  and  the  actual  accomplishment  of 
the  miracle  is  not  positively  recorded,  we  cannot  doubt  that 
what  Jesus  had  promised  was  realized,  as  otherwise  there 
would  appear  no  reason  for  introducing  the  incident  into  the 
Gospel  narrative.  The  miracle  is  without  a  parallel  or  even 
a  remotely  analogous  instance.  We  need  not  assume  that 

o  See  reading  in  revised  version,  and  in  margin  of  Oxford  and  Bagster 
Bibles. 

p  John   20:17. 


THE   LORD'S    PURPOSE   IN    PAYING   TRIBUTE.  385 

the  stater  was  other  than  an  ordinary  coin  that  had  fallen 
into  the  water,  nor  that  it  had  been  taken  by  the  fish  in  any 
unusual  way.  Nevertheless,  the  knowledge  that  there  was 
in  the  lake  a  fish  having  a  coin  in  its  gullet,  that  the  coin  was 
of  the  denomination  specified,  and  that  that  particular  fish 
would  rise,  and  be  the  first  to  rise  to  Peter's  hook,  is  as  in- 
comprehensible to  man's  finite  understanding  as  are  the 
means  by  which  any  of  Christ's  miracles  were  wrought.  The 
Lord  Jesus  held  and  holds  dominion  over  the  earth,  the  sea, 
and  all  that  in  them  is,  for  by  His  word  and  power  were 
they  made. 

The  Lord's  purpose  in  so  miraculously  supplying  the 
money  should  be  studiously  considered.  The  assumption 
that  superhuman  power  had  to  be  invoked  because  of  a  sup- 
posed condition  of  extreme  poverty  on  the  part  of  Jesus  and 
Peter  is  unwarranted.  Even  if  Jesus  and  His  companions 
had  been  actually  penniless,  Peter  and  his  fellow  fishermen 
could  easily  have  cast  their  net,  and,  with  ordinary  success 
have  obtained  fish  enough  to  sell  for  the  needed  amount. 
Moreover,  we  find  no  instance  of  a  miracle  wrought  by  the 
Lord  for  personal  gain  or  relief  of  His  own  need,  however 
pressing.  It  appears  probable,  that  by  the  means  employed 
for  obtaining  the  money,  Jesus  intentionally  emphasized  His 
exceptional  reasons  for  redeeming  Peter's  pledge  that  the 
tax  would  be  paid.  The  Jews,  who  did  not  know  Jesus  as 
the  Messiah,  but  only  as  a  Teacher  of  superior  ability  and  a 
Man  of  unusual  power,  might  have  taken  offense  had  He 
refused  to  pay  the  tribute  required  of  every  Jew.  On  the 
other  hand,  to  the  apostles  and  particularly  to  Peter  who  had 
been  the  mouth-piece  of  all  in  the  great  confession,  the  pay- 
ment of  the  tax  in  ordinary  course  and  without  explanation 
by  Jesus  might  have  appeared  as  an  admission  that  He  was 
subject  to  the  temple,  and  therefore  less  than  He  had  claimed 
and  less  than  they  had  confessed  Him  to  be.  His  catechiza- 
tion  of  Peter  had  clearly  demonstrated  that  He  maintained 

13 


386  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

His  right  as  the  King's  Son,  and  yet  would  condescend  to 
voluntarily  give  what  could  not  be  righteously  demanded. 
Then,  in  conclusive  demonstration  of  His  exalted  status,  He 
provided  the  money  by  the  utilization  of  knowledge  such  as 
no  other  man  possessed. 


AS  A   UTTLE   CHIU>.« 

On  the  way  to  Capernaum  the  apostles  had  questioned 
among  themselves,  as  they  supposed  beyond  the  Master's 
hearing;  questioning  had  led  to  argument,  and  argument 
to  disputation.  The  matter  about  which  they  were  so  greatly 
concerned  was  as  to  who  among  them  should  be  the  greatest 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  testimony  they  had  received 
convinced  them  beyond  all  doubt,  that  Jesus  was  the  long- 
awaited  Christ,  and  this  had  been  supplemented  and  con- 
firmed by  His  unqualified  acknowledgment  of  His  Messianic 
dignity.  With  minds  still  tinctured  by  the  traditional  ex- 
pectation of  the  Messiah  as  both  spiritual  Lord  and  tem- 
poral King,  and  remembering  some  of  the  Master's  fre- 
quent references  to  His  kingdom  and  the  blessed  state  of 
those  who  belonged  thereto,  and  furthermore  realizing  that 
His  recent  utterances  indicated  a  near  crisis  or  climax  in 
His  ministry,  they  surrendered  themselves  to  the  selfish  con- 
templation of  their  prospective  stations  in  the  new  kingdom, 
and  the  particular  offices  of  trust,  honor,  and  emolument 
each  most  desired.  Who  of  them  was  to  be  prime  minister ; 
who  would  be  chancellor,  who  the  commander  of  the  troops  ? 
Personal  ambition  had  already,  engendered  jealousy  in  their 
hearts. 

When  they  were  together  with  Jesus  in  the  house  at 
Capernaum,  the  subject  was  brought  up  again.  Mark  tells 
us  that  Jesus  asked :  "What  was  it  that  ye  disputed  among 
yourselves  by  the  way?"  and  that  they  answered  not,  be- 

«Matt.   18:1-11;  Mark  9:33-37,   42;  Luke  9;4C-48. 


NOT    CHILDISH    BUT    CHILDLIKE.  38? 

cause,  as  may  be  inferred,  they  were  ashamed.  From 
Matthew's  record  it  may  be  understood  that  the  apostles 
submitted  the  question  for  the  Master's  decision.  The  ap- 
parent difference  of  circumstance  is  unimportant;  both  ac- 
counts are  correct;  Christ's  question  to  them  may  have 
eventually  brought  out  their  questions  to  Him.  Jesus,  com- 
prehending their  thoughts  and  knowing  their  unenlightened 
state  of  mind  on  the  matter  that  troubled  them,  gave  them 
an  illustrated  lesson.  Calling  a  little  child,  whom  He  lov- 
ingly took  into  His  arm,  He  said :  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as  little  children,  ye 
shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Whosoever 
therefore  shall  humble  himself  as  this  little  child,  the  same 
is  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  whoso  shall  re- 
ceive one  such  little  child  in  my  name  receiveth  me.  But 
whoso  shall  offend  one  of  these  little  ones  which  believe  in 
me,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck,  and  that  he  were  drowned  in  the  depth  of 
the  sea."  With  this  lesson  we  may  profitably  associate  a 
later  teaching,  that  little  children  are  typical  of  the  kingdom 
of  heaven/ 

Even  the  apostles  were  in  need  of  conversion  ;*  respect- 
ing the  matter  at  issue  their  hearts  were  turned,  partly  at 
least,  from  God  and  His  kingdom.  They  had  to  learn  that 
genuine  humility  is  an  attribute  essential  to  citizenship  in  the 
community  of  the  blessed;  and  that  the  degree  of  humility 
conditions  whatsoever  there  is  akin  to  rank  in  the  kingdom ; 
for  therein  the  humblest  shall  be  greatest. 

Christ  would  not  have  had  His  chosen  representatives 
become  childish;  far  from  it,  they  had  to  be  men  of  courage, 
fortitude,  and  force ;  but  He  would  have  them  become  child- 
like. The  distinction  is  important.  Those  who  belong  to 
Christ  must  become  like  little  children  in  obedience,  truthful- 


rMatt.  19:13-15;  Mark  10:13-16;  Luke  18:15-17. 
s  Compare  Luke  22 :32. 


388  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

ness,  trustfulness,  purity,  humility,  and  faith.  The  child  is 
an  artless,  natural,  trusting  believer;  the  childish  one  is 
careless,  foolish,  and  neglectful.  In  contrasting  these  char- 
acteristics, .note  the  counsel  of  Paul :  "Brethren,  be  not 
children  in  understanding :  howbeit  in  malice  be  ye  children, 
but  in  understanding  be  men."*  Children  as  such,  and  chil- 
dren as  types  of  adults  who  are  true  believers,  are  closely 
associated  in  this  lesson.  Whosoever  shall  offend,  that  is 
cause  to  stumble  or  go  astray,  one  such  child  of  Christ,  incurs 
guilt  so  great  that  it  would  have  been  better  for  him  had  he 
met  death  even  by  violence  before  he  had  so  sinned. 

Dwelling  upon  offenses,  or  causes  of  stumbling,  the  Lord 
continued :  "Woe  unto  the  world  because  of  offences !  for  it 
must  needs  be  that  offences  come ;  but  woe  to  that  man  by 
whom  the  offence  cometh!"  Then,  repeating  some  of  the 
precious  truths  embodied  in  His  memorable  Sermon  on  the 
Mount/  He  urged  the  overcoming  of  evil  propensities  what- 
ever the  sacrifice.  As  it  is  better  that  a  man  undergo  sur- 
gical treatment  though  he  lose  thereby  a  hand,  a  foot,  or  an 
eye,  than  that  his  whole  body  be  involved  and  his  life  for- 
feited, so  is  it  commended  that  he  cut  off,  tear  away,  or  root 
out  from  his  soul  the  passions  of  evil,  which,  if  suffered  to 
remain  shall  surely  bring  him  under  condemnation.  In  that 
state  his  conscience  shall  gnaw  as  an  undying  worm,  and 
his  remorse  shall  be  as  a  fire  that  cannot  be  quenched.  Every 
human  soul  shall  be  tested  as  by  fire;  and  as  the  flesh  of 
the  altar  sacrifices  had  to  be  seasoned  with  salt,  as  a  type 
of  preservation  from  corruption,^  so  also  the  soul  must  re- 
ceive the  saving  salt  of  the  gospel ;  and  that  salt  must  be 
pure  and  potent,  not  a  dirty  mixture  of  inherited  prejudice 
and-  unauthorized  tradition  that  has  lost  whatever  saltness  it 
may  once  have  had.  "Have  salt  in  yourselves,  and  have 


tl  Cor.  14:20;  compare  13:11;  Matt.  11:25;  Psa.  131:2. 

u  Page  234. 

vMark  9:49,50;   compare   Lev.   2:13;   Ezek.   43:24. 


THE   NINETY  AND  NINE  AND  THE  LOST  ONE.  389 

peace  one  with  another,"  was  the  Lord's  admonition  to  the 
disputing  Twelve.w 

As  applicable  to  children  of  tender  years,  and  to  child- 
like believers  young  and  old,  the  Savior  gave  to  the  apostles 
this  solemn  warning  and  profound  statement  of  fact :  "Take 
heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones ;  for  I  say 
unto  you,  That  in  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the 
face  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven/'  The  mission  of  the 
Christ  was  presented  as  that  of  saving  those  who  are  tem- 
porarily lost,  and  who,  but  for  His  aid  would  be  lost  forever. 
In  elucidation  of  His  meaning,  the  Teacher  presented  a 
parable  which  has  found  plaje  among  the  literary  treasures 
of  the  world. 

TH£   PARABLE   OF   THE   LOST   SHEEP .* 

"How  think  ye  ?  if  a  man  have  an  hundred  sheep,  and  one 
of  them  be  gone  astray,  doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine, 
and  goeth  into  the  mountains,  and  seeketh  that  which  is  gone 
astray?  And  if  so  be  that  he  find  it,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
he  rejoiceth  more  of  that  sheep,  than  of  the  ninety  and  nine 
which  went  not  astray.  Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven,  that  one  of  these  little  ones  should 
perish." 

In  this  effective  analogy  the  saving  purpose  of  Christ's 
mission  is  made  prominent.  He  is  verily  the  Savior.  The 
shepherd  is  portrayed  as  leaving  the  ninety  and  nine,  pastured 
in  safety  we  cannot  doubt,  while  he  goes  alone  into  the 
mountains  to  seek  the  one  that  has  strayed.  In  finding  and 
bringing  back  the  wayward  sheep,  he  has  more  joy  than  that 
of  knowing  the  others  are  yet  safe.  In  a  later  version  of 
this  splendid  parable,  as  addressed  to  the  murmuring  Phari- 
sees and  scribes  at  Jerusalem,  the  Master  said  of  the  shep- 
herd on  his  finding  the  lost  sheep : 

wMark  9:43-50;  compare  Matt.  18:8,  9.     Page  232  herein. 

x  Matt.  18:12-14;  compare  Luke  15:3-7  in  which  occurs  a  repetition  of 
this  impressive  parable,  as  given  on  a  later  occasion  to  Pharisees  and 
scribes  at  Jerusalem  with  a  somewhat  different  application. 


390  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

"And  when  he  hath  found  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoulders, 
rejoicing.  And  when  he  cometh  home,  he  calleth  together 
his  friends  and  neighbours,  saying  unto  them,  Rejoice  with 
me ;  for  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost.  I  say  unto 
you,  that  likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons, 
which  need  no  repentance."^ 

Many  have  marveled  that  there  should  be  greater  rejoic- 
ing over  the  recovery  of  one  stray  sheep,  or  the  saving  of  a 
soul  that  had  been  as  one  lost,  than  over  the  many  who  have 
not  been  in  such  jeopardy.  In  the  safe-folded  ninety  and  nine 
the  shepherd  had  continued  joy;  but  to  him  came  a  new 
accession  of  happiness,  brightef  and  stronger  because  of  his 
recent  grief,  when  the  lost  was  brought  back  to  the  fold. 
To  this  parable  in  connection  with  others  of  analogous  im- 
port we  shall  recur  in  a  later  chapter. 


In  continuation  of  the  lesson  illustrated  by  the  little  child, 
Jesus  said :  "Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child  in  my  name 
receiveth  me :  and  whosoever  shall  receive  me  receiveth  him 
that  sent  me:  for  he  that  is  least  among  you  all,  the  same 
shall  be  great."  It  may  have  been  Christ's  reference  to 
deeds  done  in  His  name  that  prompted  John  to  interject  a 
remark  at  this  point:  "Master,  we  saw  one  casting  out 
devils  in  thy  name,  and  he  followeth  not  us :  and  we  forbad 
him,  because  he  followeth  not  us.  But  Jesus  said,  Forbid 
him  not :  for  there  is  no  man  which  shall  do  a  miracle  in  my 
name,  that  can  lightly  speak  evil  of  me.  For  he  that  is  not 
against  us  is  on  our  part."  The  young  apostle  had  allowed 
his  zeal  for  the  Master's  name  to  lead  to  intolerance.  That 
the  man  who  had  attempted  to  do  good  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
was  evidently  sincere,  and  that  his  efforts  were  acceptable  to 

y  Luke  15:1-7.    See  further  page  454  herein. 
z  Luke  9:48-50;  Mark  9:37-41. 


BE   RECONCILED  WITH    THY   BROTHER.  391 

the  Lord  we  cannot  doubt;  his  act  was  essentially  different 
from  the  unrighteous  assumptions  for  which  some  others 
were  afterward  rebuked  \d  he  was  certainly  a  believer  in 
Christ,  and  may  have  been  one  of  the  class  from  which  the 
L,ord  was  soon  to  select  and  commission  special  ministers 
and  the  Seventy. b  In  the  state  of  divided  opinion  then  ex- 
isting among  the  people  concerning  Jesus,  it  was  fair  to  say 
that  all  who  were  not  opposed  to  Him  were  at  least  tenta- 
tively on  His  side.  On  other  occasions  He  asserted  that 
those  who  were  not  with  Him  were  against  Him.c 

MY  BROTHER  AND  I.d 

The  proper  method  of  adjusting  differences  between 
brethren  and  the  fundamental  principles  of  Church  discipline 
were  made  subjects  of  instruction  to  the  Twelve.  The  first 
step  is  thus  prescribed :  "Moreover  if  thy  brother  shall  tres- 
pass against  thee,  go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thee  and 
him  alone:  if  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy 
brother."  The  rule  of  the  rabbis  was  that  the  offender  must 
make  the  first  advance ;  but  Jesus  taught  that  the  injured 
one  should  not  wait  for  his  brother  to  come  to  him,  but  go 
himself,  and  seek  to  adjust  the  difficulty;  by  so  doing  he 
might  be  the  means  of  saving  his  brother's  soul.  If  the 
offender  proved  to  be  obdurate,  the  brother  who  had  suffered 
the  trespass  was  to  take  two  or  three  others  with  him,  and 
again  try  to  bring  the  transgressor  to  repentant  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  offense ;  such  a  course  provided  for  witnesses,  by 
whose  presence  later  misrepresentation  would  be  guarded 
against. 

Extreme  measures  were  to  be  adopted  only  after  all 
gentler  means  had  failed.  Should  the  man  persist  in  his 
obstinacy,  the  case  was  to  be  brought  before  the  Church,  and 

o  Contrast  the  instance  of  the   sons   of  Sceva,  Acts   19:13-17. 

b  Compare  Luke  9:52;  10:1. 

cMatt.   12:30;  Luke  11:23. 

dUatt.  18:15-20;  compare  Luke  17:3,  4. 


JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

in  the  event  of  his  neglect  or  refusal  to  heed  the  decision  of 
the  Church,  he  was  to  be  deprived  of  fellowship,  thereby  be- 
coming in  his  relationship  to  his  former  associates  "as  an 
heathen  man  and  a  publican."  In  such  state  of  non-member- 
ship he  would  be  a  fit  subject  for  missionary  effort ;  but,  until 
he  became  repentant  and  manifested  willingness  to  make 
amends,  he  could  claim  no  rights  or  privileges  of  communion 
in  the  Church.  Continued  association  with  the  unrepentant 
sinner  may  involve  the  spread  of  his  disaffection,  and  the 
contamination  of  others  through  his  sin.  Justice  is  not  to 
be  dethroned  by  Mercy.  The  revealed  order  of  discipline  in 
the  restored  Church  is  similar  to  that  given  to  the  apostles 
of  old/ 

The  authority  of  the  Twelve  to  administer  the  affairs  of 
Church  government  was  attested  by  the  Lord's  confirming 
to  them  as  a  body  the  promise  before  addressed  to  Peter: 
"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth 
shall  be  bound  in  heaven :  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."^  Through  unity  of  purpose 
and  unreserved  sincerity  they  would  have  power  with  God, 
as  witness  the  Master's  further  assurance :  "Again  I  say 
unto  you,  That  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as  touching 
any  thing  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.  For  where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of 
them."  Peter  here  broke  in  with  a  question :  "Lord,  how 
oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me,  and  I  forgive  him  ?  till 
seven  times?"  He  would  fain  have  some  definite  limit  set, 
and  he  probably  considered  the  tentative  suggestion  of  seven 
times  as  a  very  liberal  measure,  inasmuch  as  the  rabbis  pre- 
scribed a  triple  forgiveness  only.0  He  may  have  chosen 
seven  as  the  next  number  above  three  having  a  special  Phari- 

e  Compare  Doc.   and  Cov.   20:80;  42:88-93;  98:39-48. 

/Matt.  18:18;  compare  16:19,  and  John  20:23. 

pThey  based  this  limitation  on  Amos  1:3  and  Job  33:29.  In  the  latter 
passage,  as  it  appears  in  the  authorized  version,  the  word  "oftentimes"  is 
an  erroneous  rendering  of  the  original,  which  really  signified  "twice  and 
thrice." 


MERCY   IS   FOR  THE   MERCIFUL.  393 

saical  significance.  The  Savior's  answer  was  enlightening: 
"Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  say  not  unto  thee,  Until  seven  times ; 
but,  Until  seventy  times  seven."  This  reply  must  have  meant 
to  Peter  as  it  means  to  us,  that  to  forgiveness  man  may  set 
no  bounds;  the  forgiveness,  however,  must  be  merited  by 
the  recipient.*1  The  instruction  was  made  memorable  by  the 
following  story: 

PARABLE  OF   THE   UNMERCIFUL   SERVANT. 

"Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened  unto  a  cer- 
tain king,  which  would  take  account  of  his  servants.  And 
when  he  had  begun  to  reckon,  one  was  brought  unto  him, 
which  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents.  But  forasmuch  as 
he  had  not  to  pay,  his  lord  commanded  him  to  be  sold,  and 
his  wife,  and  children,  and  all  that  he  had,  and  payment  to  be 
made.  The  servant  therefore  fell  down,  and  worshipped 
him,  saying,  Lord,  have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay 
thee  all.  Then  the  lord  of  that  servant  was  moved  with 
compassion,  and  loosed  him,  and  forgave  him  the  debt.  But 
the  same  servant  went  out,  and  found  one  of  his  fellow- 
servants,  which  owed  him  an  hundred  pence:  and  he  laid 
hands  on  him,  and  took  him  by  the  throat,  saying,  Pay  me 
that  thou  owest.  And  his  fellowservant  fell  down  at  his 
feet,  and  besought  him,  saying,  Have  patience  with  me,  and 
I  will  pay  thee  all.  And  he  would  not :  but  went  and  cast 
him  into  prison,  till  he  should  pay  the  debt.  So  when  his 
f ellowservants  saw  what  was  done,  they  were  very  sorry,  and 
came  and  told  unto  their  lord  all  that  was  done.  Then  his 
lord,  after  that  he  had  called  him,  said  unto  him,  O  thou 
wicked  servant,  I  forgave  thee  all  that  debt,  because  thou 
desiredst  me :  Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  compassion 
on  thy  fellowservant,  even  as  I  had  pity  on  thee?  And  his 
lord  was  wroth,  and  delivered  him  to  the  tormentors,  till  he 
should  pay  all  that  was  due  unto  him.  So  likewise  shall  my 
heavenly  Father  do  also  unto  you,  if  ye  from  your  hearts 
forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  their  trespasses."* 

Ten  thousand  talents  are  specified  as  expressive  of  a  sum 

h  Compare  Luke  17 :3,  4. 
iMatt.   18:23-35. 


394  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    24. 

so  great  as  to  put  the  debtor  beyond  all  reasonable  possibility 
of  paying.  We  may  regard  the  man  as  a  trusted  official,  one 
of  the  king's  ministers,  who  had  been  charged  with  the  cus- 
tody of  the  royal  revenues,  or  one  of  the  chief  treasurers  of 
taxes  ;  that  he  is  called  a  servant  introduces  no  inconsistency, 
as  in  an  absolute  monarchy  all  but  the  sovereign  are  subjects 
and  servants.  The  selling  of  the  debtor's  wife  and  children 
and  all  that  he  had  would  not  have  been  in  violation  of  the 
law  in  the  supposed  case,  which  implies  the  legal  recognition 
of  slavery/  The  man  was  in  arrears  for  debt.  He  did  not 
come  before  his  lord  voluntarily  but  had  to  be  brought.  So 
in  the  affairs  of  our  individual  lives  periodical  reckonings  are 
inevitable;  and  while  some  debtors  report  of  their  own  ac- 
cord, others  have  to  be  cited  to  appear.  The  messengers 
who  serve  the  summons  may  be  adversity,  illness,  the  ap- 
proach of  death;  but,  whatever,  whoever  they  are,  they 
enforce  a  rendering  of  our  accounts. 

The  contrast  between  ten  thousand  talents  and  a  hundred 
pence  is  enormous.*  In  his  fellowservant's  plea  for  time  in 
which  to  pay  the  hundred  pence,  the  greater  debtor  should 
have  been  reminded  of  the  dire  straits  from  which  he  had 
just  been  relieved  ;  the  words,  "Have  patience  with  me,  and 
I  will  pay  thee  all,"  were  identical  with  those  of  his  own 
prayer  to  the  king.  The  base  ingratitude  of  the  unmerciful 
servant  justified  the  king  in  revoking  the  pardon  once 
granted.  The  man  came  under  condemnation,  not  primarily 
for  defalcation  and  debt,  but  for  lack  of  mercy  after  having 
received  of  mercy  so  abundantly.  He,  as  an  unjust  plaintiff, 
had  invoked  the  law  ;  as  a  convicted  transgressor  he  was  to 
be  dealt  with  according  to  the  law.  Mercy  is  for  the  mer- 
ciful. As  a  heavenly  jewel  it  is  to  be  received  with  thank- 
fulness and  used  with  sanctity,  not  to  be  cast  into  the  mire  of 
undeservedness.  Justice  may  demand  retribution  and  pun- 


/  Compare  2  Kings  4:1;  Lev.  25:39. 
k  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


NOTES.  395 

ishment :  "With  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured 
to  you  again. "l  The  conditions  under  which  we  may  confi- 
dently implore  pardon  are  set  forth  in  the  form  of  prayer 
prescribed  by  the  Lord :  "Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  for- 
give our  debtors."™ 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  24. 

1.  Faith  in  Behalf  of  Others. — The  supplication  of  the  ago- 
nized   father    for   the   benefit    of    his    sorely    afflicted    son — "Have 
compassion    on    us,    and    help    us"    (Mark   9:22) — shows    that    he 
made  the  boy's  case  his  own.      In  this   we  are  reminded  of  the 
Canaanite    woman    who    implored    Jesus    to    have    mercy    on    her, 
though  her  daughter  was  the  afflicted  one   (Matt.  15:22;  page  354 
herein).      In   these   cases,    faith    was    exercized   in   behalf   of   the 
sufferers  by  others ;   and  the  same  is  true  of  the  centurion   who 
pleaded  for  his  servant  and  whose  faith  was  specially  commended 
by  Jesus  (Matt.  8:5-10;  page  249  herein)  ;  of  Jairus  whose  daugh- 
ter lay  dead  (Luke  8:41,  42,  49,  50;  page  313  herein),  and  of  many 
who    brought    their    helpless    kindred    or    friends    to    Christ    and 
pleaded  for  them.      As  heretofore  shown,  faith  to  be  healed  is  as 
truly  a  gift  of  God  as  is  faith  to  heal    (page  318)  ;   and,  as  the 
instances  cited  prove,  faith  may  be  exercized  with  effect  in  behalf 
of  others.     In  connection  with  the  ordinance  of  administering  to 
the  afflicted,  by  anointing  with   oil   and  the   laying  on  of   hands, 
as    authoritatively    established    in    the    restored    Church    of    Jesus 
Christ,   the    elders    officiating    should    encourage    the    faith    of    all 
believers  present,  that  such  be  exerted  in  behalf  of  the  sufferer. 
In  the  case  of  infants  and  of  persons  who  are  unconscious,  it  is 
plainly  useless  to  look  for  active  manifestation  of   faith  on  their 
part,  and  the  supporting  faith  of  kindred  and   friends  is  all  the 
more  requisite. 

2.  Power  Developed  by  Prayer  and  Fasting. — The  Savior's 
statement  concerning  the  evil  spirit  that  the  apostles  were  unable 
to  subdue — "Howbeit  this  kind  goeth  not  out  but  by  prayer  and 
fasting" — indicates  gradation  in  the  malignity  and  evil  power  of 
demons,  and  gradation  also  in  the  results  of  ^  varying  degrees  of 
faith.     The  apostles  who   failed  on  the  occasion  referred  to  had 
been    able    to   cast    out   demons    at    other   times.      Fasting,    when 
practised   in   prudence,   and  genuine  prayer   are   conducive  to   the 
development  of  faith  with  its  accompanying  power  for  good.     In- 
dividual   application    of   this   principle   may   be   made    with   profit. 
Have  you   some  besetting  weakness,   some   sinful   indulgence   that 
you  have  vainly  tried  to  overcome?     Like  the  malignant  demon 
that  Christ  rebuked  in  the  boy,  your  sin  may  be  of  a  kind  that 
goeth  out  only  through  prayer  and  fasting. 

3.  Nothing  Impossible  to  Faith. — Many  people  have  ques- 

/  Matt.  7:1;  see  also  verse  6. 

mMatt.  6:12;  compare  Luke  11:4;  B.  of  M.f  3  Nephi  13:11;  page  240. 


396  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  24. 

tioned  the  literal  truth  of  the  Lord's  declaration  that  by  faith 
mountains  may  be  removed  from  their  place.  Plainly  there 
would  have  to  be  a  purpose  in  harmony  with  the  divine  mind  and 
plan,  in  order  that  faith  could  be  exerted  at  all  in  such  an  under- 
taking. Neither  such  a  miracle  nor  any  other  is  ppssible  as  a 
gratification  of  the  yearning  for  curiosity,  nor  for  display,  fiof 
for  personal  gain  or  selfish  satisfaction.  Christ  wrought  no 
miracle  with  any  such  motive ;  He  persistently  refused  to  show 
signs  to  mere  sign-seekers.  But  to  deny  the  possibility  of  a 
mountain  being  removed  through  faith,  under  conditions  that 
would  render  such  removal  acceptable  to  God,  is  to  deny  the 
word  of  God,  both  as  to  this  specific  possibility,  and  as  to  the 
general  assurance  that  "nothing  shall  be  impossible"  to  him  who 
hath  faith  adequate  to  the  end  desired.  It  is  worthy  of  note, 
however,  that  the  Jews  in  the  days  of  Christ  and  since  often 
spoke  of  removing  mountains  as  a  figurative  expression  for  the 
overcoming  of  difficulties.  According  to  Lightfoot  and  other 
authorities  a  man  able  to  solve  intricate  problems,  or  of  partic- 
ular power  in  argument  or  acumen  in  judgment,  was  referred  to 
as  a  "rooter  up  of  mountains." 

4.  The  Temple  Tribute. — That  the  tribute  money  referred 
to  in  the  text  was  a  Jewish  contribution  to  the  temple  and  not  a 
tax  levied  by  the  Roman  government,  is  apparent  from  the  speci- 
fication  of   the   "didrachma,"   which   in   the   authorized   version   is 
translated  "tribute."      This  coin  was  equivalent  to  the  half  shekel, 
reckoned  "after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary,"  which  was  the  fixed 
amount  to  be   paid   annually  by  every  male   "from   twenty  years 
old  and  above,"  with  the  provision  that  "the   rich  shall  not  give 
more  and  the  poor  shall  not  give  less"   (Exo.  30:13-15).      A  tax 
levied   by   the   political   powers    would    not   be    designated    as    the 
didrachma.      Moreover,   had   the   collector    who    approached    Peter 
been   one   of   the   official   publicans,   he   probably   would   have   de- 
manded  the   tax   instead   of   inquiring   as   to   whether   or   not  the 
Master  was  to  be  counted  among  the  contributors. 

Among  the  many  humiliations  to  which  the  Jews  were  sub- 
jected in  later  years,  after  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  was  the 
compulsory  payment  of  what  had  been  their  temple  tribute,  to 
the  Romans,  who  decreed  it  as  a  revenue  to  the  pagan  temple  of 
Jupiter  Capitolinus.  Of  the  emperor  Vespasian,  Josephus  (Wars 
of  the  Jews,  vii,  6:6)  says:  That  he  also  laid  a  tribute  whereso- 
ever they  were,  and  enjoined  every  one  of  them  to  bring  two 
drachmae  every  year  into  the  capitol,  as  they  used  to  pay  the 
same  to  the  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

5.  Talents  and  Pence. — It  is  evident  that  by  specifying  ten 
thousand  talents  as  the  debt  due  the  king,  and  a  hundred  pence 
as  that  owed  by  the  fellow-servant,  the  Lord  intended  to  present 
a    case    of    great    disparity    and^  striking    contrast.      The    actual 
amounts  involved  are  of  minor  significance  in  the  story.      We  are 
not   told    which    variety   of   talent    was   meant;    there    were    Attic 
talents,   and   both   silver   and   gold   talents   of   Hebrew   reckoning; 
and  each  differed  from  the  others   in  value.      The  Oxford  mar- 
ginal  explanation  is:     "A  talent  is   750  ounces   of   silver,  which 


NOTES.  397 

after  five  shillings  the  ounce  is  187  pounds,  ten  shillings."  This 
would  be  in  American  money  over  nine  and  a  quarter  millions  of 
dollars  as  the  sum  of  the  ten  thousand  talents.  The  same  au- 
thority gives  as  the  value  of  the  penny  (Roman)  sevenpence  half- 
penny, or  fifteen  cents,  making  the  second  debt  equivalent  to 
about  fifteen  dollars.  Comparison  with  talents  mentioned  else- 
where may  be  allowable.  Trench  says  :  "How  vast  a  sum  it  was 
we  can  most  vividly  realize  to  ourselves  by  comparing  it  with 
other  sums  mentioned  in  Scripture.  In  the  construction  of  the 
tabernacle,  twenty-nine  talents  of  gold  were  used  (Exo.  38:24); 
David  prepared  for  the  temple  three  thousand  talents  of  gold, 
and  the  princes  five  thousand  (i  Chron.  29:4-7);  the  queen  of 
Sheba  presented  to  Solomon  one  hundred  and  twenty  talents  (l 
Kings  10:10);  the  king  of  Assyria  laid  upon  Hezekiah  thirty 
talents  of  gold  (2  Kings  18:14);  and  in  the  extreme  impoverish- 
ment to  which  the  land  was  brought  at  the  last,  one  talent  of 
gold  was  laid  upon  it,  after  the  death  of  Josiah,  by  the  king  of 
Egypt  (2  Chron.  36:3)."  Farrar  estimates  the  debt  owed  to  the 
king  as  1,250,000  times  that  owed  by  the  lesser  to  the  greater 
debtor. 


398  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 


CHAPTER  25. 
JESUS  AGAIN  IN  JERUSALEM. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  GAUI,EE.a 

Of  our  Lord's  labors  during  His  brief  sojourn  in  Galilee 
following  His  return  from  the  region  of  Csesarea  Philippi 
we  have  no  record  aside  from  that  of  His  instructions  to  the 
apostles.  His  Galilean  ministry,  so  far  as  the  people  in  gen- 
eral were  concerned,  had  practically  ended  with  the  discourse 
at  Gapernaum  on  His  return  thither  after  the  miracles  of 
feeding  the  five  thousand  and  walking  upon  the  sea.  At 
Capernaum  many  of  the  disciples  had  turned  away  from  the 
Master,6  and  now,  after  another  short  visit,  He  prepared  to 
leave  the  land  in  which  so  great  a  part  of  His  public  work 
had  been  accomplished. 

It  was  autumn ;  about  six  months  had  passed  since  the 
return  of  the  apostles  from  their  missionary  tour ;  and  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  near  at  hand.  Some  of  the  kins- 
men of  Jesus  came  to  Him,  and  proposed  that  He  go  to 
Jerusalem  and  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  offered  by 
the  great  national  festival,  to  declare  Himself  more  openly 
than  He  had  theretofore  done.  His  brethren,  as  the  visiting 
relatives  are  called,  urged  that  He  seek  a  broader  and  more 
prominent  field  than  Galilee  for  the  display  of  His  powers, 
arguing  that  it  was  inconsistent  for  any  man  to  keep  himself 
in  comparative  obscurity  when  he  wanted  to  be  widely 
known.  "Shew  thyself  to  the  world,"  said  they.  Whatever 
their  motives  may  have  been,  these  brethren  of  His  did  not 
advize  more  extended  publicity  through  any  zeal  for  His 


a  John  7:1-10. 
&Page    343. 


JESUS   ATTENDS   THE   FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  399 

divine  mission ;  indeed,  we  are  expressly  told  that  they  did 
not  believe  in  Him.c  Jesus  replied  to  their  presumptuous 
advice :  "My  time  is  not  yet  come :  but  your  time  is  alway 
ready.  The  world  cannot  hate  you;  but  me  it  hateth,  be- 
cause I  testify  of  it,  that  the  works  thereof  are  evil.  Go  ye 
up  unto  this  feast :  I  go  not  up  yet  unto  this  feast ;  for  my 
time  is  not  yet  full  come."  It  was  not  their  prerogative  to 
direct  His  movements,  not  to  say  when  He  should  do  even 
what  He  intended  to  do  eventually/  He  made  it  plain  that 
between  their  status  and  His  there  was  essential  difference ; 
they  were  of  the  world,  which  they  loved  as  the  world  loved 
them;  but  the  world  hated  Him  because  of  His  testimony. 
This  colloquy  between  Jesus  and  His  brethren  took  place 
in  Galilee.  They  soon  started  for  Jerusalem  leaving  Him 
behind.  He  had  not  said  that  He  would  not  go  to  the  feast ; 
but  only  "I  go  not  up  yet  unto  this  feast ;  for  my  time  is  not 
yet  full  come."  Some  time  after  their  departure  He  fol- 
lowed, traveling  "not  openly,  but  as  it  were  in  secret." 
Whether  He  went  alone,  or  accompanied  by  any  or  all  of  the 
Twelve,  we  are  not  told. 

AT  THE:  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.* 

The  agitated  state  of  the  public  mind  respecting  Jesus  is 
shown  by  the  interest  manifest  in  Jerusalem  as  to  the  prob- 
ability of  His  presence  at  the  feast.  His  brethren,  who 
probably  were  questioned,  could  give  no  definite  information 
as  to  His  coming.  He  was  sought  for  in  the  crowds ;  there 
was  much  discussion  and  some  disputation  concerning  Him. 
Many  people  expressed  their  conviction  that  He  was  a  good 
man,  while  others  contradicted  on  the  claim  that  He  was  a 
deceiver.  There  was  little  open  discussion,  however,  for  the 
people  were  afraid  of  incurring  the  displeasure  of  the  rulers. 

cjohn  7:5;  compare  Mark  3:21  in  which  "friends"  is  an  inaccurate  ren- 
dition for  "kinsmen". 

d  Compare  Christ's  answer  to  His  mother,  John  2:4;  see  also  7:30;  8:20. 
*John  7:11-53. 


400  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

As  originally  established,  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  a 
seven  day  festival,  followed  by  a  holy  convocation  on  the 
eighth  day.  Each  day  was  marked  by  special  and  in  some 
respects  distinctive  services,  all  characterized  by  cere- 
monies of  thanksgiving  and  praise/  "Now  about  the  midst 
of  the  feast,"  probably  on  the  third  or  fourth  day,  "Jesus 
went  up  into  the  temple  and  taught."  The  first  part  of  His 
discourse  is  not  recorded,  but  its  scriptural  soundness  is  inti- 
mated in  the  surprize  of  the  Jewish  teachers,  who  asked 
among  themselves :  "How  knoweth  this  man  letters,  having 
never  learned?"  He  was  no  graduate  of  their  schools;  He 
had  never  sat  at  the  feet  of  their  rabbis ;  He  had  not  been 
officially  accredited  by  them  nor  licensed  to  teach.  Whence 
came  His  wisdom,  before  which  all  their  academic  attain- 
ments were  as  nothing?  Jesus  answered  their  troubled 
queries,  saying :  "My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent 
me.  If  any  man  will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine, whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself." 
His  Teacher,  greater  even  than  Himself,  was  the  Eternal 
Father,  whose  will  He  proclaimed.  The  test  proposed  to 
determine  the  truth  of  His  doctrine  was  in  every  way  fair, 
and  withal  simple;  anyone  who  would  earnestly  seek  to  do 
the  will  of  the  Father  should  know  of  himself  whether  Jesus 
spoke  truth  or  errors  The  Master  proceeded  to  show  that 
a  man  who  speaks  on  his  own  authority  alone  seeks  to  ag- 
grandize himself.  Jesus  did  not  so;  He  honored  His 
Teacher,  His  Father,  His  God,  not  Himself;  and  therefore 
was  He  free  from  the  taint  of  selfish  pride  or  unrighteous- 
ness. Moses  had  given  them  the  law,  and  yet,  as  Jesus 
affirmed,  none  of  them  kept  the  law. 

Then,  with  startling  abruptness,  He  challenged  them  with 
the  question,  "Why  go  ye  about  to  kill  me  ?"  On  many  occa- 
sions had  they  held  dark  counsel  with  one  another  as  to  how 


/Note   \,   end   of   chapter. 
g  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 


ANOTHER   CHARGE  OF   SABBATH   DESECRATION.          401 

they  could  get  Him  into  their  power  and  put  Him  to  death ; 
but  they  thought  that  the  murderous  secret  was  hidden 
within  their  own  circle.  The  people  had  hoard  the  seducing 
assertions  of  the  ruling  classes,  that  Jesus  was  possessed  by 
a  demon,  and  that  He  wrought  wonders  through  the  power 
of  Beelzebub ;  and  in  the  spirit  of  this  blasphemous  slander, 
they  cried  out :  "Thou  hast  a  devil :  who  goeth  about  to  kill 
thee?" 

Jesus  knew  that  the  two  specifications  of  alleged  guilt  on 
which  the  rulers  were  striving  most  assiduously  to  convict 
Him  in  the  popular  mind,  and  so  turn  the  people  against 
Him,  were  those  of  Sabbath-breaking  and  blasphemy.  On 
an  earlier  visit  to  Jerusalem  He  had  healed  an  afflicted  man 
orr  the  Sabbath,  and  had  utterly  disconcerted  the  hypercrit- 
ical accusers  who  even  then  had  sought  to  compass  His 
death.*  To  this  -act  of  mercy  and  power  Jesus  now  referred, 
saying :  "I  have  done  one  work,  and  ye  all  marvel."  Seem- 
ingly they  were  still  of  unsettled  mind,  in  doubt  as  to  accept- 
ing Him  because  of  the  miracle  or  denouncing  Him  because 
He  had  done  it  on  the  Sabbath.  Then  He  showed  the 
inconsistency  of  charging  Him  with  Sabbath-desecration  fof 
such  a  merciful  deed,  when  the  law  of  Moses  expressly 
allowed  acts  of  mercy,  and  even  required  that  the  mandatory 
rite  of  circumcision  should  not  be  deferred  because  of  the 
Sabbath.  "Judge  not  according  to  the  appearance,  but  judge 
righteous  judgment"  said  He. 

The  masses  were  still  divided  in  their  estimate  of  Jesus, 
and  were  moreover  puzzled  over  the  indecision  of  the  rulers. 
Some  of  the  Jerusalem  Jews  knew  of  the  plan  to  arrest  Him, 
and  if  possible  to  bring  Him  to  death,  and  the  people  queried 
why  nothing  was  done  when  He  was  there  teaching  publicly 
within  reach  of  the  officials.  They  wondered  whether  the 
rulers  had  not  at  last  come  to  believe  that  Jesus  was  indeed 
the  Messiah.  The  thought,  however,  was  brushed  aside  when 


A  John  5;  see  pages  206-208  herein. 


402  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

they  remembered  that  all  knew  whence  He  came ;  He  was  a 
Galilean,  and  from  Nazareth,  whereas  as  they  had  been 
taught,  however  wrongly,  the  advent  of  the  Christ  was  to  be 
mysterious  so  that  none  would  know  whence  He  came. 
Strange  it  was,  indeed,  that  men  should  reject  Him  because 
of  a  lack  of  mystery  and  miracle  in  His  advent ;  when,  had 
they  known  the  truth,  they  would  have  seen  in  His  birth  a 
miracle  without  precedent  or  parallel  in  the  annals  of  time. 
Jesus  directly  answered  their  weak  and  faulty  reasoning. 
Crying  aloud  within  the  temple  courts,  He  assured  them  that 
while  they  knew  whence  He  came  as  one  of  their  number, 
yet  they  did  not  know  that  He  had  come  from  God,  neither 
did  they  know  God  who  had  sent  Him :  "But,"  He  added, 
"I  know  him :  for  I  am  from  him,  and  he  hath  sent  me."  At 
this  reiterated  testimony  of  His  divine  origin,  the  Jews  were 
the  more  enraged,  and  they  determined  anew  to  take  Him 
by  force;  nevertheless  none  laid  hands  upon  him  "because 
his  hour  was  not  yet  come." 

Many  of  the  people  believed  in  their  hearts  that  He  was 
of  God,  and  ventured  to  ask  among  themselves  whether 
Christ  would  do  greater  works  than  Jesus  had  done.  The 
Pharisees  and  chief  priests  feared  a  possible  demonstration 
in  favor  of  Jesus,  and  forthwith  sent  officers  to  arrest  Him 
and  bring  him  before  the  Sanhedrin.*  The  presence  of  the 
temple  police  caused  no  interruption  to  the  Master's  dis- 
course, though  WTC  may  reasonably  infer  that  He  knew  the 
purpose  of  their  errand.  He  spoke  on,  saying  that  He 
would  be  with  the  people  but  a  little  while;  and  that  after 
He  had  returned  to  the  Father,  they  would  seek  Him  vainly, 
for  where  He  would  then  be  they  could  not  come.  This  re- 
mark evoked  more  bitter  discussion.  Some  of  the  Jews 
wondered  whether  He  intended  to  leave  the  borders  of  the 
land  and  go  among  the  Gentiles  to  teach  them  and  the  dis- 
persed Israelites. 

tPage  69. 


LIVING    WATER   FOR   THOSE    WHO   THIRST.  403 

As  part  of  the  temple  service  incident  to  the  feast,  the 
people  went  in  procession  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam'  where  a 
priest  filled  a  golden  ewer,  which  he  then  carried  to  the  altar 
and  there  poured  out  the  water  to  the  accompaniment  of 
trumpet  blasts  and  the  acclamations  of  the  assembled  hosts.* 
According  to  authorities  on  Jewish  customs,  this  feature  was 
omitted  on  the  closing  day  of  the  feast.  On  this  last  or 
"great  day,"  which  was  marked  by  ceremonies  of  unusual 
solemnity  and  rejoicing,  Jesus  was  again  in  the  temple.  It 
may  have  been  with  reference  to  the  bringing  of  water  from 
the  pool,  or  to  the  omission  of  the  ceremony  from  the  ritual- 
istic procedure  of  the  great  day,  that  Jesus  cried  aloud,  His 
voice  resounding  through  the  courts  and  arcades  of  the  tem- 
ple: "If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and  drink. 
He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  scripture  hath  said,  out  of 
his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water."' 

John,  the  recorder,  remarks  parenthetically  that  this 
promise  had  reference  to  the  bestowal  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which  at  that  time  had  not  been  granted,  nor  was  it  to  be 
until  after  the  ascension  of  the  risen  Lord."1 

Again  many  of  the  people  were  so  impressed  that  they 
declared  Jesus  could  be  none  other  than  the  Messiah;  but 
others  objected,  saying  that  the  Christ  must  come  from  Beth- 
lehem of  Judea  and  Jesus  was  known  to  have  come  from 
Galilee.n  So  there  was  further  dissension ;  and  though  some 
wanted  Him  apprehended,  not  a  man  was  found  who  would 
venture  to  lay  hold  on  Him. 

The  police  officers  returned  without  their  intended  pris- 
oner. To  the  angry  demand  of  the  chief  priests  and  Phari- 
sees as  to  why  they  had  not  brought  Him,  they  acknowleded 
that  they  had  been  so  affected  by  His  teachings  as  to  be 

/Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

k  This  was  regarded  as  a  literal  fulfilment  of  Isa.   12:3. 
/John   7:37,   38;    compare   with   the   assurance   respecting  "living  water" 
given  to  the  Samaritan  woman,  4:10-15. 

mjohn  7:39;  compare  14:16,  17,  26;  15:26;  16:7;  Luke  24:49;  Acts  3:4, 
n  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


404  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

unable  to  make  the  arrest.  "Never  man  spake  like  this 
man,"  they  said.  Their  haughty  masters  were  furious.  "Are 
ye  also  deceived  ?"  they  demanded ;  and  further,  "Have  any 
of  the  rulers  of  the  Pharisees  believed  on  him?"  What  was 
the  opinion  of  the  common  people  worth?  They  had  never 
learned  the  law,  and  were  therefore  accursed  and  of  no  con- 
cern. Yet  with  all  this  show  of  proud  disdain,  the  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees  were  afraid  of  the  common  people,  and 
were  again  halted  in  their  wicked  course. 

One  voice  of  mild  protest  was  heard  in  the  assembly. 
Nicodemus,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  the  same  who 
had  come  to  Jesus  by  night  to  inquire  into  the  new  teaching,0 
mustered  courage  enough  to  ask :  "Doth  our  law  judge  any 
man,  before  it  hear  him,  and  know  what  he  doeth?"  The 
answer  was  insulting.  Maddened  with  bigotry  and  blood- 
thirsty fanaticism,  some  of  his  colleagues  turned  upon  him 
with  the  savage  demand :  "Art  thou  also  of  Galilee?"  mean- 
ing, Art  thou  also  a  disciple  of  this  Galilean  whom  we  hate? 
Nicodemus  was  curtly  told  to  study  the  scriptures,  and  he 
would  fail  to  find  any  prediction  of  a  prophet  arising  in 
Galilee.  The  anger  of  these  learned  bigots  had  blinded 
them  even  to  their  own  vaunted  knowledge,  for  several  of 
the  ancient  prophets  were  regarded  as  Galileans;'1  if,  how- 
ever they  had  meant  to  refer  only  to  that  Prophet  of  whom 
Moses  had  spoken,  the  Messiah,  they  were  correct,  since  all 
predictions  pointed  to  Bethlehem  in  Judea  as  His  birthplace. 
It  is  evident  that  Jesus  was  thought  of  as  a  native  of  Naz- 
areth, and  that  the  circumstances  of  His  birth  were  not  of 
public  knowledge. 

"GO,   AND  SIN    NO   MORS."« 

After  the  festivities  were  over,  Jesus  went  to  the  tem- 
ple one  morning  early ;  and  as  He  sat,  probably  in  the 

o  John  3:  page  158  herein. 

p  According  to  many  excellent  authorities,  Jonah,  Nahum,  and  Hosea 
were  all  of  Galilee;  and  it  is  further  believed  that  Elijah  also  was  of 
Galilean  nativity. 

gjohn  8:1-11. 


THE    WOMAN    CHARGED    WITH    ADULTERY.  405 

Court  of  the  Women,  which  was  the  usual  place  of  public 
resort,  many  gathered  about  Him  and  He  proceeded  to  teach 
them  as  was  His  custom.  His  discourse  was  interrupted  by 
the  arrival  of  a  party  of  scribes  and  Pharisees  with  a  woman 
in  charge,  who,  they  said,  was  guilty  of  adultery.  To  Jesus 
they  presented  this  statement  and  question :  "Now  Moses  in 
the  law  commanded  us,  that  such  should  be  stoned ;  but  what 
sayest  thou?"  The  submitting  of  the  case  to  Jesus  was  a 
prearranged  snare,  a  deliberate  attempt  to  find  or  make  a 
cause  for  accusing  Him.  Though  it  was  not  unusual  for 
Jewish  officials  to  consult  rabbis  of  recognized  wisdom  and 
experience  when  difficult  cases  were  to  be  decided,  the  case 
in  point  involved  no  legal  complications.  The  woman's 
guilt  seems  to  have  been  unquestioned,  though  the  witnesses 
required  by  the  statutes  are  not  mentioned  as  appearing  un- 
less the  accusing  scribes  and  Pharisees  are  to  be  so  con- 
sidered; the  law  was  explicit,  and  the  custom  of  the  times 
in  dealing  with  such  offenders  was  well  known.  While  it 
is  true  that  the  law  of  Moses  had  decreed  death  by  stoning 
as  the  penalty  for  adultery,  the  infliction  of  the  extreme 
punishment  had  lapsed  long  before  the  time  of  Christ.  One 
may  reasonably  ask  why  the  woman's  partner  in  the  crime 
was  not  brought  for  sentence,  since  the  law  so  zealously 
cited  by  the  officious  accusers  provided  for  the  punishment 
of  both  parties  to  the  offense/ 

The  question  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  "But  what 
sayest  thou?"  may  have  intimated  their  expectation  that 
Jesus  would  declare  the  law  obsolete;  perhaps  they  had 
heard  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  in  which  many  require- 
ments in  advance  of  the  Mosaic  code  had  been  proclaimed/ 
Had  Jesus  decided  that  the  wretched  woman  ought  to  suffer 
death,  her  accusers  might  have  said  that  he  was  defying  the 
existing  authorities;  and  possibly  the  charge  of  opposition 


rDeut.    22:22-27. 
jMatt.   5:21-48. 


406  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

to  the  Roman  government  might  have  been  formulated,  since 
power  to  inflict  the  death  penalty  had  been  taken  from  all 
Jewish  tribunals ;  and  moreover,  the  crime  with  which  this 
woman  was  charged  was  not  a  capital  offense  under  Roman 
law.  Had  He  said  that  the  woman  should  go  unpunished 
or  suffer  only  minor  infliction,  the  crafty  Jews  could  have 
charged  Him  with  disrespect  for  the  law  of  Moses.  To 
these  scribes  and  Pharisees  Jesus  at  first  gave  little  heed. 
Stooping  down  He  traced  with  His  finger  on  the  ground ; 
but  as  He  wrote  they  continued  to  question  Him.  Lifting 
Himself  up  He  answered  them,  in  a  terse  sentence  that  has 
become  proverbial :  "He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let 
him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her."  Such  was  the  law ;  the  ac- 
cusers on  whose  testimony  the  death  penalty  was  pronounced 
were  to  be  the  first  to  begin  the  work  of  execution/ 

Having  spoken,  Jesus  again  stooped  and  wrote  upon  the 
ground.  The  woman's  accusers  were  "convicted  by  their 
own  conscience" ;  shamed  and  in  disgrace  they  slunk  away, 
all  of  them  from  the  eldest  to  the  youngest.  They  knew 
themselves  to  be  unfit  to  appear  either  as  accusers  or  judges.1' 
What  cowards  doth  conscience  make!  "When  Jesus  had 
lifted  up  himself,  and  saw  none  but  the  woman,  he  said  unto 
her.  Woman,  where  are  those  thine  accusers?  hath  no  man 
condemned  thee  ?  She  said,  No  man,  L,ord.  And  Jesus 
said  unto  her,  Neither  do  I  condemn  thee :  go  and  sin  no 
more."* 

The  woman  was  repentant ;  she  remained  humbly  await- 
ing the  Master's  decision,  even  after  her  accusers  had  gone. 
Jesus  did  not  expressly  condone ;  He  declined  to  condemn ; 
but  He  sent  the  sinner  away  with  a  solemn  adjuration  to  a 
better  life.ty 


t  Deut.    17:6,   7;    also   13:9. 

«  Compare  Rom.  2:1,  22;  Matt.  7:1,  2;  Luke  6:37;  2  Sam.  12:5-7. 
vjohn    8:10,     11;    compare    5:14.      Consider    another    instance    of    mercy 
granted  through  contrition  Luke  7:36-50. 
w  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


HIS    HOUR   WAS    NOT   YET   COME.  407 


THE  LIGHT  OF  THE  WORLD.* 

Sitting  within  the  temple  enclosure  in  the  division  known 
as  the  Treasury,  which  was  connected  with  the  Court  of  the 
Women,^  our  Lord  continued  His  teaching,  saying:  "I  am 
the  light  of  the  world :  he  that  followeth  me  shall  not  walk 
in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life."2  The  great 
lamps  set  up  in  the  court  as  a  feature  of  the  joyful  celebra- 
tion just  ended  gave  point  to  our  Lord's  avowal  of  Himself 
as  the  Light  of  the  World.  It  was  another  proclamation  of 
His  divinity  as  God  and  the  Son  of  God.  The  Pharisees 
challenged  His  testimony,  declaring  it  of  no  worth  because 
He  bore  record  of  Himself.  Jesus  admitted  that  He  testified 
of  Himself,  but  affirmed  nevertheless  that  what  He  said  was 
true,  for  He  knew  whereof  He  spoke,  whence  He  came  and 
whither  He  would  go,  while  they  spoke  in  ignorance.  They 
thought,  talked,  and  judged  after  the  ways  of  men  and  the 
frailties  of  the  flesh;  He  was  not  sitting  in  judgment,  but 
should  He  choose  to  judge,  then  His  judgment  would  be 
just,  for  He  was  guided  by  the  Father  who  sent  Him.  Their 
law  required  the  testimony  of  two  witnesses  for  the  legal 
determination  of  any  question  of  fact  ;a  and  Jesus  cited  Him- 
self and  His  Father  as  witnesses  in  support  of  His  affirma- 
tion. His  opponents  then  asked  with  contemptuous  or  sar- 
castic intent,  "Where  is  thy  Father?"  The  reply  was  in 
lofty  tone ;  "Ye  neither  know  me,  nor  my  Father :  if  ye  had 
known  me,  ye  should  have  known  my  Father  also."  Enraged 
at  their  own  discomfiture,  the  Pharisees  would  have  seized 
Him,  but  found  themselves  impotent.  "No  man  laid  hands 
on  him ;  for  his  hour  was  not  yet  come." 


x  John    8:12-20. 
y  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

s  John  8:12;  compare  1:4,  5,  9;  3:19;  9:5;  12:35,  36,  46.     See  also  Doc.  and 
Cov.   6:21;   10:58,   70;   11:11;   14:9;  84:45,   46;   88:6-13. 
oDeut.  17:6;  19:15;  Numb.  35:30;  Matt.   18:16. 


408  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 


THE   TRUTH    SHAU,    MAKE   YOU 

Again  addressing  the  mixed  assemblage,  which  probably 
comprized  Pharisees,  scribes,  rabbis,  priests,  Levites,  and  lay 
people,  Jesus  repeated  His  former  assertion  that  soon  He 
would  leave  them,  and  that  whither  He  went  they  could  not 
follow ;  and  added  the  fateful  assurance  that  they  would 
seek  Him  in  vain  and  would  die  in  their  sins.  His  solemn 
portent  was  treated  with  light  concern  if  not  contempt.  Some 
of  them  asked  querulously,  "Will  he  kill  himself  ?"  the  impli- 
cation being  that  in  such  case  they  surely  would  not  follow 
Him ;  for  according  to  their  dogma,  Gehenna  was  the  place 
of  suicides,  and  they,  being  of  the  chosen  people,  were  bound 
for  heaven  not  hell.  The  Lord's  dignified  rejoinder  was: 
"Ye  are  from  beneath ;  I  am  from  above :  ye  are  of  this 
world ;  I  am  not  of  this  world.  I  said  therefore  unto  you, 
that  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins :  for  if  ye  believe  not  that  I  am 
he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins." 

This  reiteration  of  His  distinctive  supremacy  brought 
forth  the  challenging  question,  "Who  art  thou?"  Jesus  re- 
plied, "Even  the  same  that  I  said  unto  you  from  the  begin- 
ning." The  many  matters  on  which  He  might  have  judged 
them  He  refrained  from  mentioning,  Jbut  testified  anew  of 
the  P'ather,  saying :  "He  that  sent  me  is  true ;  and  I  speak 
to  the  world  those  things  which  I  have  heard  of  him."  Ex- 
plicit as  His  earlier  explanations  had  been,  the  Jews  in  their 
gross  prejudice  "understood  not  that  he  spake  to  them  of  the 
Father."  To  His  Father  Jesus  ascribed  all  honor  and  glory, 
and  repeatedly  declared  Himself  as  sent  to  do  the  Father's 
will.  "Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  When  ye  have  lifted  up 
the  Son  of  man,  then  shall  ye  know  that  I  am  he,  and  that 
I  do  nothing  of  myself ;  but  as  my  Father  hath  taught  me,  I 
speak  these  things.  And  he  that  sent  me  is  with  me:  the 


&John  8:21-59. 


THE   SERVITUDE   OF   SIN.  409 

Father  hath  not  left  me  alone ;  for  I  do  always  those  things 
that  please  him." 

The  evident  earnestness  and  profound  conviction  with 
which  Jesus  spoke  caused  many  of  His  hearers  to  believe  on 
Him;  and  these  He  addressed  with  the  promise  that  if  they 
continued  in  that  belief,  and  shaped  their  lives  according  to 
His  word,  they  should  be  His  disciples  indeed.  A  further 
promise  followed :  "And  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the 
truth  shall  make  you  free."  At  these  words,  so  rich  in  bless- 
ing, so  full  of  comfort  for  the  believing  soul,  the  people  were 
stirred  to  angry  demonstrations;  their  Jewish  temper  was 
immediately  ablaze.  To  promise  them  freedom  was  to  imply 
that  they  were  not  already  free.  "We  be  Abraham's  seed, 
and  were  never  in  bondage  to  any  man :  how  sayest  thou, 
Ye  shall  be  made  free  ?"  In  their  unbridled  fanaticism  they 
had  forgotten  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  the  captivity  of  Baby- 
lon, and  were  oblivious  of  their  existing  state  of  vassalage  to 
Rome.  To  say  that  Israel  had  never  been  in  bondage  was 
not  only  to  convict  themselves  of  falsehood  but  to  stultify 
themselves  wretchedly. 

Jesus  made  it  clear  that  He  had  not  referred  to  freedom 
in  its  physical  or  political  sense  alone,  though  to  this  concep- 
tion their  false  disavowal  had  been  directed ;  the  liberty  He 
proclaimed  was  spiritual  liberty ;  the  grievous  bondage  from 
which  He  would  deliver  them  was  the  serfdom  of  sin.  To 
their  vaunted  boast  that  they  were  free  men,  not  slaves,  He 
replied :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  com- 
mitteth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin."  As  a  sinner,  every  one  of 
them  was  in  slavery.  A  bond-servant,  Jesus  reminded  them, 
was  allowed  in  the  master's  house  by  sufferance  only ;  it  was 
not  his  inherent  right  to  remain  there ;  his  owner  could  send 
him  away  at  any  time,  and  might  even  sell  him  to  another ; 
but  a  son  of  the  family  had  of  his  own  right  a  place  in  his 
father's  home.  Now,  if  the  Son  of  God  made  them  free 
they  would  be  free  indeed.  Though  they  were  of  Abrahamic 


410  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

lineage  in  the  flesh,  they  were  no  heirs  of  Abraham  in  spirit 
or  works.  Our  Lord's  mention  of  His  Father  as  distinct 
from  their  father  drew  forth  the  angry  reiteration,  "Abraham 
is  our  father",  to  which  Jesus  replied :  "If  ye  were  Abra- 
ham's children,  ye  would  do  the  works,  of  Abraham.  But 
now  ye  seek  to  kill  me,  a  man  that  hath  told  you  the  truth, 
which  I  have  heard  of  God :  this  did  not  Abraham.  Ye  do 
the  deeds  of  your  father."  In  their  blind  anger  they  appar- 
ently construed  this  to  imply  that  though  they  were  children 
of  Abraham's  household  some  other  man  than  Abraham  was 
their  actual  progenitor,  or  that  they  were  not  of  unmixed 
Israelitish  blood.  "We  be  not  born  of  fornication"  they 
cried,  "we  have  one  Father,  even  God.  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  If  God  were  your  Father,  ye  would  love  me:  for  I 
proceeded  forth  and  came  from  God ;  neither  came  I  of 
myself,  but  he  sent  me." 

They  failed  to  understand  because  of  their  stubborn  re- 
fusal to  listen  dispassionately.  With  forceful  accusation 
Jesus  told  them  whose  children  they  actually  were,  as  evinced 
by  the  hereditary  traits  manifest  in  their  lives :  "Ye  are  of 
your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do. 
He  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in 
the  truth,  because  there  is  no  truth  in  him.  When  he 
speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own :  for  he  is  a  liar,  and 
the  father  of  it.c  And  because  I  tell  you  the  truth,  ye  be- 
lieve me  not."  He  challenged  them  to  find  sin  in  Him ; 
and  then  asked  why,  if  He  spake  the  truth,  they  so  per- 
sistently refused  to  believe  Him.  Answering  His  own 
question,  He  told  them  that  they  were  not  of  God  and 
therefore  they  understood  not  the  words  of  God.  The 
Master  was  unimpeachable ;  His  terse,  cogent  assertions 
were  unanswerable.  In  impotent  rage  the  discomfited  Jews 
resorted  to  invective  and  calumny.  "Say  we  not  well  that 


c  Compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  4:4;  5:24;  B.  of  M.,  2  Ncphi  2:18;  Doc.  and 
Cov.    10:25;  93:25. 


CHRIST'S  SUPREMACY  OVER  ABRAHAM.  411 

thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil?"  they  shrieked. 
They  had  before  called  Him  a  Galilean ;  that  appellative 
was  but  mildly  depreciatory,  and  moreover  was  a  truthful 
designation  according  to  their  knowledge ;  but  the  epithet 
"Samaritan"  was  inspired  by  hate/  and  by  its  appli- 
cation they  meant  to  disown  Him  as  a  Jew. 

The  charge  that  He  was  a  demoniac  was  but  a  repetition 
of  earlier  slanders.  "Jesus  answered,  I  have  not  a  devil; 
but  I  honour  my  Father,  and  ye  do  dishonour  me."  Revert- 
ing to  the  eternal  riches  offered  by  His  gospel,  the  Master 
said :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  If  a  man  keep  my  say- 
ing, he  shall  never  see  death."  This  rendered  them  the  more 
infuriate :  "Now  we  know  that  thou  hast  a  devil"  they  cried, 
and  as  evidence  of  what  they  professed  to  regard  as  His  in- 
sanity, they  cited  the  fact  that  great  as  were  Abraham  and 
the  prophets  they  were  dead,  yet  Jesus  dared  to  say  that 
all  who  kept  His  sayings  should  be  exempt  from  death.  Did 
He  pretend  to  exalt  Himself  above  Abraham  and  the  proph- 
ets? "Whom  makest  thou  thyself?"  they  demanded.  The 
Lord's  reply  was  a  disclaimer  of  all  self-aggrandizement; 
His  honor  was  not  of  His  own  seeking,  but  was  the  gift  of 
His  Father,  whom  He  knew ;  and  were  He  to  deny  that  He 
knew  the  Father  He  would  be  a  liar  like  unto  themselves. 
Touching  the  relationship  between  Himself  and  the  great 
patriarch  of  their  race,  Jesus  thus  affirmed  and  emphasized 
His  own  supremacy  :  "Your  father  Abraham  rejoiced  to  see 
my  day :  and  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad."  Not  only  angered 
but  puzzled,  the  Jews  demanded  further  explanation.  Con- 
struing the  last  declaration  as  applying  to  the  mortal  state 
only,  they  said:  "Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and  hast 
thou  seen  Abraham  ?"  Jesus  answered,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am." 

This  was  an  unequivocal  and  unambiguous  declaration  of 
our  Lord's  eternal  Godship.  By  the  awful  title  I  AM  He  had 


d  Pages    174,   183. 


4:12  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

made  himself  known  to  Moses  and  thereafter  was  so  known 
in  Israel/  As  already  shown,  it  is  the  equivalent  of  "Yah- 
veh,"  or  "Jahveh,"  now  rendered  "Jehovah,"  and  signifies 
"The  Self-existent  One,"  "The  Eternal,"  "The  First  and  the 
L,ast."^  Jewish  traditionalism  forbade  the  utterance  of  the 
sacred  Name ;  yet  Jesus  claimed  it  as  His  own.  In  an  orgy 
of  self-righteous  indignation,  the  Jews  seized  upon  the  stones 
that  lay  in  the  unfinished  courts,  and  would  have  crushed 
their  L,ord,  but  the  hour  of  His  death  had  not  yet  come,  and 
unseen  of  them  He  passed  through  the  crowd  and  departed 
from  the  temple. 

His  seniority  to  Abraham  plainly  referred  to  the  status 
of  each  in  the  antemortal  or  preexistent  state;  Jesus  was  as 
literally  the  Firstborn  in  the  spirit-world,  as  He  was  the 
Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh.  Christ  is  as  truly  the  Elder 
Brother  of  Abraham  and  Adam  as  of  the  last-born  child  of 
earths 

BODILY  AND  SPIRITUAL   BLINDNESS — SIGHT  GIVEN   TO  A   MAN 
ON    THE    SABBATH.*1 

At  Jerusalem  Jesus  mercifully  gave  sight  to  a  man  who 
had  been  blind  from  his  birth.1'  The  miracle  is  an  instance  of 
Sabbath-day  healing,  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  because 
of  its  attendant  incidents.  It  is  recorded  by  John  alone,  and, 
as  usual  with  that  writer,  his  narrative  is  given  with  descrip- 
tive detail.  Jesus  and  His  disciples  saw  the  sightless  one 
upon  the  street.  The  poor  man  lived  by  begging.  The  dis- 
ciples, eager  to  learn,  asked  :  "Master,  who  did  sin,  this  man, 
or  his  parents,  that  he  was  born  blind?"  The  Lord's  reply 


e  Exo.   3:14;   compare  6:3. 

/Compare  Isa.  44:6;  Rev.  1:4,  8;  see  also  John  17:5,  24;  Col.  1:17.  Page 
36  herein. 

g  Page    13. 

h  John   9. 

i  Whether  this  incident  occurred  in  immediate  sequence  to  the  events 
last  considered,  or  at  a  later  time  after  the  return  of  Jesus  to  Jerusalem 
following  an  unrecorded  departure  therefrom,  is  not  stated  in  the  scrip- 
tural record.  The  value  of  the  lesson  is  not  affected  by  its  place  in  the 
catalog  of  our  Lord's  works. 


A   BLIND    MAN'   HEALED   ON    THE   SABBATH.  413 

was:  "Neither  hath  this  man  sinned,  nor  his  parents:  but 
that  the  works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him." 
The  disciples'  question  implied  their  belief  in  a  state  of  moral 
agency  and  choice  antedating  mortality ;  else,  how  could  they 
have  thought  of  the  man  having  sinned  so  as  to  bring  upon 
himself  congenital  blindness  ?  We  are  expressly  told  that  he 
was  born  blind.  That  he  might  have  been  a  sufferer  from 
the  sins  of  his  parents  was  conceivable.''  The  disciples  evi- 
dently had  been  taught  the  great  truth  of  an  antemortal  ex- 
istence. It  is  further  to  be  seen  that  they  looked  upon  bodily 
affliction  as  the  result  of  personal  sin.  Their  generalization 
was  too  broad ;  for,  while  as  shown  by  instances  heretofore 
cited, k  individual  wickedness  may  and  does  bring  physical 
ills  in  its  train,  man  is  liable  to  err  in  his  judgment  as  to  the 
ultimate  cause  of  affliction.  The  Lord's  reply  was  sufficing ; 
the  man's  blindness  would  be  turned  to  account  in  bringing 
about  a  manifestation  of  divine  power.  As  Jesus  explained 
respecting  His  own  ministry,  it  was  necessary  that  He  do  the 
Father's  work  in  the  season  appointed,  for  His  time  was 
short.  With  impressive  pertinency  as  relating  to  the  state  of 
the  man  who  had  been  in  darkness  all  his  days,  our  Lord 
repeated  the  affirmation  before  made  in  the  temple,  "I  am  the 
light  of  the  world." 

The  outward  ministration  to  the  blind  man  was  different 
from  the  usual  course  followed  by  Jesus.  "He  spat  on  the 
ground,  and  made  clay  of  the  spittle,  and  he  anointed  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  man  with  the  clay" ;  and  then  directed  him 
to  go  to  the  pool  of  Siloam  and  wash  in  its  waters.7  The 
man  went,  washed,  and  came  seeing.  He  was  evidently  a 
well-known  character ;  many  had  seen  him  in  his  accustomed 
place  begging  alms,  and  the  fact  that  he  had  been  blind  from 
birth  was  also  of  common  knowledge.  When,  therefore,  it 


;Exo.  20:5;  34:7;  Lev.  26:39;  Numb.  14:18;  1  Kings  21:29;  compare  Ezek. 
chap.  18. 

k  Pages  192  and  208. 

/  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


414  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

was  noised  about  that  he  could  see,  there  was  much  excite- 
ment and  comment.  Some  doubted  that  the  man  they  ques- 
tioned was  the  once  sightless  beggar;  but  he  assured  them 
of  his  identity,  and  told  how  he  had  been  made  to  see.  They 
brought  the  man  to  the  Pharisees,  who  questioned  him  rigor- 
ously ;  and,  having  heard  his  account  of  the  miracle,  tried  to 
undermine  his  faith  by  telling  him  that  Jesus  who  had  healed 
him  could  not  be  a  man  of  God  since  He  had  done  the  deed 
on  the  Sabbath.  Some  of  those  who  heard  demurred  to  the 
Pharisaic  deduction,  and  asked:  "How  can  a  man  that  is  a 
sinner  do  such  miracles?"  The  man  was  questioned  as  to 
his  personal  opinion  of  Jesus,  and  promptly  answered :  "He 
is  a  prophet."  The  man  knew  his  Benefactor  to  be  more 
than  any  ordinary  being ;  as  yet,  however,  he  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  Him  as  the  Christ. 

The  inquisitorial  Jews  were  afraid  of  the  result  of  such  a 
wondrous  healing,  in  that  the  people  would  support  Jesus 
whom  the  rulers  were  determined  to  destroy.  They  assumed 
it  to  be  possible  that  the  man  had  not  been  really  blind ;  so 
they  summoned  his  parents,  who  answered  their  interrog- 
atories by  affirming  that  he  was  their  son,  and  they  knew 
him  to  have  been  born  blind ;  but  as  to  how  he  had  received 
sight,  or  through  whose  ministration,  they  refused  to  commit 
themselves,  knowing  the  rulers  had  decreed  that  any  one  who 
confessed  Jesus  to  be  the  Christ  should  be  cast  out  from  the 
community  of  the  synagog,  or,  as  we  would  say  today,  ex- 
communicated from  the  Church.  With  pardonable  astute- 
ness the  parents  said  of  their  son :  "He  is  of  age ;  ask  him : 
he  shall  speak  for  himself." 

Compelled  to  acknowledge,  to  themselves  at  least,  that 
the  fact  and  the  manner  of  the  man's  restoration  to  sight 
were  supported  by  irrefutable  evidence,  the  crafty  Jews 
called  the  man  again,  and  insinuatingly  said  unto  him : 
"Give  God  the  praise :  we  know  that  this  man  is  a  sinner." 
He  replied  fearlessly,  and  with  such  pertinent  logic  as  to  com- 


PHARISEES    HUMILIATED   BY   AN    UNLEARNED   BEGGAR.      415 

pletely  offset  their  skill  as  cross-examiners :  "Whether  he 
be  a  sinner  or  no,  I  know  not :  one  thing  I  know,  that, 
whereas  I  was  blind,  now  1  see."  He  very  properly  declined 
to  enter  into  a  discussion  with  his  learned  questioners  as  to 
what  constituted  sin  under  their  construction  of  the  law ;  of 
what  he  was  ignorant  he  declined  to  speak ;  but  on  one  mat- 
ter he  was  happily  and  gratefully  certain,  that  whereas  he 
"had  been  blind,  now  he  could  see. 

The  Pharisaical  inquisitors  next  tried  to  get  the  man  to 
repeat  his  story  of  the  means  employed  in  the  healing,  prob- 
ably with  the  subtle  purpose  of  leading  him  into  inconsistent 
or  contradictory  statements;  but  he  replied  with  emphasis, 
and  possibly  with  some  show  of  impatience,  "I  have  told  you 
already,  and  ye  did  not  hear  :m  wherefore  would  ye  hear  it 
again?  will  ye  also  be  his  disciples?"  They  retorted  with 
anger,  and  reviled  the  man ;  the  ironical  insinuation  that  they 
perchance  wished  to  become  disciples  of  Jesus  was  an  insult 
they  would  not  brook.  "Thou  art  his  disciple,"  said  they, 
"but  we  are  Moses'  disciples.  We  know  that  God  spake 
unto  Moses :  as  for  this  fellow,  we  know  not  from  whence 
he  is."  They  were  enraged  that  this  unlettered  mendicant 
should  answer  so  boldly  in  their  scholarly  presence ;  but  the 
man  was  more  than  a  match  for  all  of  them.  His  rejoinder 
was  maddening  because  it  flouted  their  vaunted  wisdom,  and 
withal  was  unanswerable.  "Why  herein  is  a  marvellous 
thing,"  said  he,  "that  ye  know  not  from  whence  he  is,  and 
yet  he  hath  opened  mine  eyes.  Now  we  know  that  God 
heareth  not  sinners :  but  if  any  man  be  a  worshipper  of  God, 
and  doeth  his  will,  him  he  heareth.  Since  the  world  began 
was  it  not  heard  that  any  man  opened  the  eyes  of  one  that 
was  born  blind.  If  this  man  were  not  of  God,  he  could  do 
nothing." 

For  such  an  affront  from  a  layman  there  was  no  prece- 
dent in  all  the  lore  of  rabbis  or  scribes.    "Thou  wast  alto- 


m  That    is,    "heed"    or    "believe". 


416  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

gether  born  in  sins,  and  dost  thou  teach  us?"  was  their  de- 
nunciatory though  weak  and  inadequate  rejoinder.  Unable 
to  cope  with  the  sometime  sightless  beggar  in  argument  or 
demonstration,  they  could  at  least  exercize  their  official  au- 
thority, however  unjustly,  by  excommunicating  him ;  and  this 
they  promptly  did.  "Jesus  heard  that  they  had  cast  him  out ; 
and  when  he  had  found  him,  he  said  unto  him,  Dost  thou  be- 
lieve on  the  Son  of  God  ?  he  answered  and  said,  Who  is  he, 
Lord,  that  I  might  believe  on  him?  And  Jesus  said  unto 
him,  Thou  hast  both  seen  him,  and  it  is  he  that  talketh  with 
thee.  And  he  said,  Lord,  I  believe.  And  he  worshipped 
him." 

In  commenting  upon  the  matter  Jesus  was  heard  to  say 
that  one  purpose  of  His  coming  into  the  world  was  "that 
they  which  see  not  might  see ;  and  that  they  which  see  might 
be  made  blind."  Some  of  the  Pharisees  caught  the  remark, 
and  asked  in  pride  :  "Are  we  blind  also  ?"  The  Lord's  reply 
was  a  condemnation:  "If  ye  were  blind,  ye  should  have  no 
sin :  but  now  ye  say,  We  see ;  wherefore  your  sin  remaineth." 

SHEPHERD  AND   SHEET- HERDER." 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not  by 
the  door  into  the  sheep  fold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way, 
the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber.  But  he  that  entereth  in  by 
the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep."  With  these  words 
Jesus  prefaced  one  of  His  most  impressive  discourses.  The 
mention  of  shepherd  and  sheep  must  have  brought  to  the 
minds  of  His  hearers  many  of  the  oft-quoted  passages  from 
prophets  and  psalms."  The  figure  is  an  effective  one,  and 
all  the  more  so  when  we  consider  the  cirrumstances  under 
which  it  was  used  by  the  Master.  Pastoral  conditions  pre- 
vailed in  Palestine,  and  the  dignity  o.f  the  shepherd's  voca- 

nTohn   10:1-21. 

<\Note  the  promise  of  a  Shepherd  to  Israel,  Isa.  40:11;  49:9,  10;  Ezek. 
34:23;  37:24;  compare  Jer.  3:15;  23:4;  Heb,  13:20;  1  Peter  2:25;  5:4;  Rev, 
7:17.  Read  studiously  Psalm  23. 


JESUS    CHRIST   THE   GOOD   SHEPHERD.  417 

tion  was  very  generally  recognized.  By  specific  prophecy  a 
Shepherd  had  been  promised  to  Israel.  David,  the  king  of 
whom  all  Israelites  were  proud,  had  been  taken  directly  from 
the  sheepfold,  and  had  come  with  a  shepherd's  crook  in  his 
hand  to  the  anointing  that  made  him  royal. 

As  the  Teacher  showed,  a  shepherd  has  free  access  to  the 
sheep.  When  they  are  folded  within  the  enclosure  of  safety, 
he  enters  at  the  gate ;  he  neither  climbs  over  nor  creeps  in.*' 
He,  the  owner  of  the  sheep  loves  them ;  they  know  his  voice 
and  follow  him  as  he  leads  from  fold  to  pasture,  for  he  goes 
before  the  flock  ;  while  the  stranger,  though  he  be  the  herder, 
they  know  not;  he  must  needs  drive,  for  he  cannot  lead. 
Continuing  the  allegory,  which  the  recorder  speaks  of  as  a 
parable,  Jesus  designated  Himself  as"  the  door  to  the  sheep- 
fold,  and  made  plain  that  only  through  Him  could  the  under- 
shepherds  rightly  enter.  True,  there  were  some  who  sought 
by  avoiding  the  portal  and  climbing  over  the  fence  to  reach 
the  folded  flock;  but  these  were  robbers,  trying  to  get  at 
the  sheep  as  prey ;  their  selfish  and  malignant  purpose  was 
to  kill  and  carry  off. 

Changing  the  figure,  Christ  proclaimed :  "I  am  the  good 
shepherd."  He  then  further  showed,  and  with  eloquent 
exactness,  the  difference  between  a  shepherd  and  a  hireling 
herder.  The  one  has  personal  interest  in  and  love  for  his 
flock,  and  knows  each  sheep  by  name,  the  other  knows  them 
only  as  a  flock,  the  value  of  which  is  gaged  by  number;  to 
the  hireling  they  are  only  as  so  many  or  so  much.  While 
the  shepherd  is  ready  to  fight  in  defense  of  his  own,  and  if 
necessary  even  imperil  his  life  for  his  sheep,  the  hireling 
flees  when  the  wolf  approaches,  leaving  the  way  open  for  the 
•avening  beast  to  scatter,  rend,  and  kill. 

Never  has  been  written  or  spoken  a  stronger  arraign- 
ment of  false  pastors,  unauthorized  teachers,  self-seeking 
hirelings  who  teach  for  pelf  and  divine  for  dollars,  deceivers 

f  Note  7,  end  of  chapter, 

H 


418  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

who  pose  as  shepherds  yet  avoid  the  door  and  climb  over 
"some  other  way,"  prophets  in  the  devil's  employ,  who  to 
achieve  their  master's  purpose,  hesitate  not  to  robe  them- 
selves in  the  garments  of  assumed  sanctity,  and  appear  in 
sheep's  clothing,  while  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves.9 
With  effective  repetition  Jesus  continued :  "I  am  the 
good  shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine. 
As  the  Father  knoweth  me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father :  and 
I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep."  For  this  cause  was  Jesus 
the  Father's  Beloved  Son — that  He  was  ready  to  lay  down 
His  life*  for  the  sake  of  the  sheep.  That  the  sacrifice  He 
was  soon  to  render  was  in  fact  voluntary,  and  not  a  forfeit- 
ure under  compulsion,  is  solemnly  affirmed  in  the  Savior's 
words :  "Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me,  because  I  lay 
down  my  life,  that  I  might  take  it  again.  No  man  taketh 
it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I  have  power  to 
lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again.  This  com- 
mandment have  I  received  of  my  Father."  The  certainty  of 
His  death  and  of  His  subsequent  resurrection  are  here  reit- 
erated. A  natural  effect  of  His  immortal  origin,  as  the 
earth-born  Son  of  an  immortal  Sire,  was  that  He  was  im- 
mune to  death  except  as  He  surrendered  thereto.  The  life 
of  Jesus  the  Christ  could  not  be  taken  save  as  He  willed  and 
allowed.  The  power  to  lay  down  His  life  was  inherent  in 
Himself,  as  was  the  power  to  take  up  His  slain  body  in  an 
immortalized  state/  These  teachings  caused  further  division 
among  the  Jews.  Some  pretended  to  dispose  of  the  matter 
by  voicing  anew  the  foolish  assumption  that  Jesus  was  but 
an  insane  demoniac,  and  that  therefore  His  words  were  not 
worthy  of  attention.  Others  with  consistency  said  "These 
are  not  the  words  of  him  that  hath  a  devil.  Can  a  devil  open 
the  eyes  of  the  blind?"  So  it  was  that  a  few  believed,  many 
doubted  though  partly  convinced,  and  some  condemned. 


gMatt.   7:15;   compare  24:4,   5,   11,   24;   Mark   13:22;   Rom.    18:17,   18;   Eph. 
5:6;  Col.  2:8;  2    Peter  2:1-3;   1  John  4:1;  Acts  20:29. 
r  Pages  22  and  81. 


SHEEP    BELONGING   TO   ANOTHER    FOLD.  419 

As  part  of  this  profound  discourse,  Jesus  said:  "And 
other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold :  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice;  and  there  shall 
be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd. "s  The  "other  sheep"  here 
referred  to  constituted  the  separated  flock  or  remnant  of 
the  house  of  Joseph,  who,  six  centuries  prior  to  the  birth  of 
Christ,  had  been  miraculously  detached  from  the  Jewish  fold 
in  Palestine,  and  had  been  taken  beyond  the  great  deep  to 
the  American  continent.  When  to  them  the  resurrected 
Christ  appeared  He  thus  spake:  "And  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  that  ye  are  they  of  whom  I  said,  other  sheep  I  have 
which  are  not  of  this  fold ;  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they 
shall  hear  my  voice ;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and  one 
shepherd. "*  The  Jews  had  vaguely  understood  Christ's 
reference  to  other  sheep  as  meaning  in  some  obscure  way, 
the  Gentile  nations ;  and  because  of  their  unbelief  and  conse- 
quent inability  to  rightly  comprehend,  Jesus  had  withheld 
any  plainer  exposition  of  His  meaning,  for  so,  He  informed 
the  Nephites,  had  the  Father  directed.  "This  much  did  the 
Father  command  me,"  He  explained,  "that  I  should  tell 
unto  them,  That  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this 
fold ;  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ; 
and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd."  On  the 
same  occasion  the  Lord  declared  that  there  were  yet  other 
sheep,  those  of  the  Lost,  or  Ten,  Tribes,  to  whom  He  was 
then  about  to  go,  and  who  would  eventually  be  brought  forth 
from  their  place  of  exile,  and  become  part  of  the  one  blessed 
fold  under  the  governance  of  the  one  supreme  Shepherd  and 
King.1* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  25. 

i.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles. — In  the  order  of  yearly  occur- 
rence this  was  the  third  of  the  great  festivals,  the  observance  of 
which  was  among  the  national  characteristics  of  the  people  of 

s  John  10:16;  compare  as  to  "one  fold  and  one  shepherd,"  Ezek.  37:22;  Isa. 
11:13;  Ter.  3:18;  50:4.  See  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xviii,— "The  Gathering  of 
Israel." 

*  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi   15:21;   read  verses   12-24;   see   chapter  39  herein. 

«3  Nephi  16:1-5. 


420  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

Israel;  the  others  were  the  Passover,  and  the  feast  of  Weeks  or 
Pentecost;  at  each  of  the  three  all  the  males  in  Israel  were  re- 
quired to  appear  before  the  Lord  in  formal  celebration  of  the  re- 
spective feast  (Exo.  23:17).  The  feast  of  Tabernacles  was  also 
known  as  the  "feast  of  ingathering"  (Exo.  23:16);  it  was  both  a 
memorial  and  a  current  harvest  celebration.  In  commemoration 
of  their  long  journeying  in  the  wilderness  following  their  deliv- 
erance from  Egypt,  in  the  course  of  which  journey  they  had  to 
live  in  tents  and  improvized  booths,  the  people  of  Israel  were 
required  to  observe  annually  a  festival  lasting  seven  days,  with 
an  added  day  of  holy  convocation.  During  the  week  the  people 
lived  in  booths,  bowers,  or  tabernacles,  made  of  the  branches  or 
"boughs  of  goodly  trees"  wattled  with  willows  from  the  brook 
(Ley.  23:34-43;  Numb.  29:12-38;  Deut.  16:13-15;  31:10-13).  The 
festival  lasted  from  the  I5th  to  the  22d  of  the  month  Tizri,  the 
seventh  in  the  Hebrew  calendar,  corresponding  to  parts  of  our 
September  and  October.  It  was  made  to  follow  soon  after  the 
annual  Day  of  Atonement  which  was  a  time  of  penitence  and 
affliction  of  the  soul  in  sorrow  for  sin  (Lev.  23:26-32).  The  altar 
sacrifices  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  exceeded  those  prescribed 
for  other  festivals,  and  comprized  a  daily  offering  of  two  rams, 
fourteen  lambs,  and  a  kid  as  a  sin  offering,  and  in  addition  a 
varying  number  of  young  bullocks,  thirteen  of  which  were  sacri- 
ficed on  the  first  day,  twelve  on  th£  second,  eleven  on  the  third, 
and  so  on  to  the  seventh  day,  on  which  seven  were  offered,  mak- 
ing in  all  seventy  bullocks  (Numb.  29:12-38).  Rabbinism  in- 
vested this  number,  seventy,  and  the  graded  diminution  in  the 
number  of  altar  victims,  with  much  symbolical  significance  not 
set  forth  in  the  law. 

At  the  time  of  Christ,  tradition  had  greatly  embellished 
many  of  the  prescribed  observances.  Thus  the  "boughs  of 
goodly  trees,"  more  literally  rendered  "fruit"  (Lev.  23:40),  had 
come  to  be  understood  as  the  citron  fruit;  and  this  every  ortho- 
dox Jew  carried  in  one  hand  while,  in  the  other  he  bore  a  leafy 
branch  or  a  bunch  of  twigs,  known  as  the  "lulab,"  when  he  re- 
paired to  the  temple  for  the  morning  sacrifice,  and  in  the  joyous 
processions  of  the  day.  The  ceremonial  carrying  of  water  from 
the  spring  of  Siloam  to  the  altar  of  sacrifice  was  a  prominent 
feature  of  the  service.  This  water  was  mingled  with  wine  at  the 
altar  and  the  mixture  was  poured  upon  the  sacrificial  offering. 
Many  authorities  hold  that  the  bringing  of  water  from  the  pool 
was  omitted  on  the  last  or  great  day  of  the  feast,  and  it  is  in- 
ferred that  Jesus  had  in  mind  the  circumstance  of  the  omission 
when  He  cried:  "If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and 
drink."  At  night,  during  the  progress  of  the  feast,  great  lamps 
were  kept  burning  in  the  temple  courts,  and  this  incident  Christ 
may  have  used  as  an  objective  illustration  in  his  proclamation: 
"I  am  the  light  of  the  world." 

For  fuller  account  see  any  reliable  and  comprehensive  Bible 
Dictionar}*-,  and  Josephus  Ant.  viii,  4:1;  xv,  3:3,  etc.  The  follow- 
ing is  an  excerpt  from  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  The 
Messiah,  vol.  ii,  p.  158-160:  "When  the  Temple-procession  had 


NOTES.  421 

reached  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  the  priest  filled  his  golden  pitcher 
from  its  waters.  Then  they  went  back  to  the  Temple,  so  timing 
it  that  they  should  arrive  just  as  they  were  laying  the  pieces  of 
the  sacrifice  on  the  great  altar  of  burnt-offering,  towards  the 
close  of  the  ordinary  morning-sacrifice  service.  A  threefold 
blast  of  the  priests'  trumpets  welcomed  the  arrival  of  the  priest 
as  he  entered  through  the  Water  Gate,  which  obtained  its  name 
from  this  ceremony,  and  passed  straight  into  the  Court  of  the 

Priests Immediately  after   the   'pouring   of   the 

water/  the  great  'Hallel,'  consisting  of  Psalms  1-13  to  118  inclu- 
sive, was  chanted  antiphonally,  or  rather,  with  responses,  to  the 

accompaniment   of   the   flute In    further   symbolism   of 

this  Feast,  as  pointing  to  the  ingathering  of  the  heathen  nations, 
the  public  services  closed  with  a  procession  round  the  altar  by 

the    priests But   on    'the    last,    the    Great    Day   of    the 

Feast,'  this  procession  of  priests  made  the  circuit  of  the  altar, 
not  only  once,  but  seven  times,  as  if  they  were  again  compass- 
ing, but  now  with  prayer,  the  Gentile  Jericho  which  barred  their 
possession  of  the  promised  land." 

2.  The  Test  of  our  Lord's  Doctrine. — Any  man  may  know 
for  himself  whether  the  doctrine  of  Christ  is  of   God  or  not  by 
simply  doing  the  will  of  the  Father   (John  7:17).     Surely  it  is  a 
more  convincing  course  than  that  of  relying  upon  another's  word. 
The    writer    was    once    approached    by   an    incredulous    student    in 
college,    who    stated   that   he   could   not   accept   as    true   the   pub- 
lished  results   of   a  certain   chemical   analysis,   since   the   specified 
amounts    of    some    of    the    ingredients    were    so    infinitesimally 
small    that    he    could    not    believe    it    possible    to    determine    such 
minute    quantities.      The    student    was    but    a   beginner   in    chem- 
istry; and  with  his  little  knowledge  he  had  undertaken  to  judge 
as  to  the  possibilities  of  the  science.    He  was  told  to  do  the  things 
his    instructor    prescribed,    and    he    should    some    day    know    for 
himself    whether   the   results   were  true   or   false.      In   the   senior 
year  of  his  course,  he  received  for  laboratory  analysis  a  portion 
of    the    very    substance    whose    composition    he    had    once    ques- 
tioned.     With  the  skill  attained  by  faithful  devotion  he  success- 
fully completed  the  analysis,  and  reported  results  similar  to  those, 
which   in   his   inexperience   he  thought  impossible   to   obtain.     He 
was  manly  enough  to  acknowledge  as  unfounded  his  earlier  skep- 
ticism and  rejoiced  in  the  fact  that  he  had  been  able  to  demon- 
strate the  truth  for  himself. 

3.  The  Pool  of  Siloam.— "The   names   'Shiloah'    ('Shelah,' 
Neh.   3:15,   'Siloah'   in   authorized   version)    and   'Siloam'   are   the 
exact   equivalent   in    Hebrew   and    Greek,   respectively,   of   'Silwan' 
in   the   modern   Arabic   name    ('Ain    Silwan')    of   the  pool   at  the 
mouth   of    El-Wad.      All   the   ancient   references   agree   with   this 
identification    (compare   Neh.  3:15;  Josephus,  Wars  of  the  Jews, 
v,  4:1,  2;  6:1 ;  9:4;  12:2;  ii,  16:2;  vi,  7:2;  8:5).     In  spite  of  its  mod- 
ern designation  as   an  'ain'    (spring),   Siloam  is   not  a  spring,  but 
is  fed  by  a  tunnel  cut  through  the  rock  from  the  Gihon,  or  Vir- 
gin's Fountain." — L.  B.  Paton,  in  article  "Jerusalem,"  Stand.  Bible 
Dictionary. 


4:22  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    25. 

4.  Whence  was  the  Messiah  to  Come? — Many  stifled  their 
inward  promptings  to  a  belief  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  by  the 
objection  that  all  prophecies  relating  to  His  coming  pointed  to 
Bethlehem  as  His  birthplace,  and  Jesus  was  of  Galilee.  Others 
rejected  Him  because  they  had  been  taught  that  no  man  was  to 
know  whence  the  Messiah  came  and  they  all  knew  Jesus  came 
from  Galilee.  The  seeming  inconsistency  is  thus  explained :  The 
city  of  David,  or  Bethlehem  in  Judea,  was  beyond  question  the 
fore-appointed  place  of  the  Messiah's  birth ;  but  the  rabbis  had 
erroneously  taught  that  soon  after  birth  the  Christ  Child  would 
be  caught  away,  and  after  a  time  would  appear  as  a  Man,  and 
that  no  one  would  know  whence  or  how  He  had  returned. 
Geikie  (ii,  p.  274),  citing  Lightfoot  in  part,  thus  states  the  pop- 
ular criticism :  "  'Do  not  the  rabbis  tell  us'  said  some,  'that  the 
Messiah  will  be  born  at  Bethlehem,  but  that  He  will  be  snatched 
away  by  spirits  and  tempests  soon  after  His  birth,  and  that  when 
He  returns  the  second  time  no  one  will  know  from  whence  He 
has  come  ?'  But  we  know  this  man  comes  from  Nazareth." 

•  5.  The  Record  Relating  to  the  Woman  Taken  in  Adultery. 
— Some  modern  critics  claim  that  the  verses  John  7:53  and  8:1-11 
inclusive  are  out  of  place  as  they  appear  in  the  authorized  or 
King  James  version  of  the  Bible,  on  the  grounds  that  the  inci- 
dent therein  recorded  does  not  appear  in  certain  of  the  ancient 
manuscript  copies  of  John's  Gospel,  and  that  the  style  of  the 
narrative  is  distinctive.  In  some  manuscripts  it  appears  at  the 
end  of  the  book.  Other  manuscripts  contain  the  account  as  it 
appears  in  the  English  Bible.  Canon  Farrar  pertinently  asks 
(p.  404,  note),  why,  if  the  incident  is  out  of  place  or  not  of  John's 
authorship,  so  many  important  manuscripts  give  place  to  it  as 
we  have  it? 

6.  The  Treasury,  and  Court  of  the  Women. — "Part  of  the 
space  within  the  inner  courts  was  open  to  Israelites  of  both  sexes, 
and  was  known  distinctively  as  the  Court  of  the  Women.      This 
was  a  colonnaded  enclosure,  and  constituted  the  place  of  general 
assembly  in  the  prescribed  course  of  public  worship.      Chambers 
used    for  ceremonial^  purposes   occupied   the    four   corners   of   this 
court ;  and  between  "these  and  the  houses  at  the  gates,  were  other 
buildings,   of    which   one   series   constituted   the   Treasury   wherein 
were   set   trumpet-shaped   receptacles    for   gifts."     (See   Mark   12: 
41-44.) — The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  57-58. 

7.  The      Sheepfold. — Dummelow's      Commentary     says,     on 
John  10:2:     "To  understand  the  imagery,  it  must  be  remembered 
that     Eastern     folds     are     large     open     enclosures,     into     which 
several  flocks  are  driven  at  the  approach  of  night.      There  is  only 
one   door,   which   a   single   shepherd   guards,   while   the   others  go 
home  to  rest.     In  the  morning  the  shepherds   return,  are  recog- 
nized by  the   doorkeeper,  call  their  flocks  round  them,  and  lead 
them  forth  to  pasture." 


BEGINNING  OF  A  SLOW  JOURNEY  TOWARD  JERUSALEM.   423 

CHAPTER   26. 
OUR  LORD'S  MINISTRY  IN  PEREA  AND  JUDEA. 

When  or  under  what  attendant  circumstances  our  Lord 
departed  from  Jerusalem  after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  in 
the  last  autumn  of  His  earthly  life,  we  are  not  told.  The 
writers  of  the  synoptic  Gospels  have  recorded  numerous  dis- 
courses, parables,  and  miracles,  as  incidents  of  a  journey 
toward  Jerusalem,  in  the  course  of  which,  Jesus,  accom- 
panied by  the  apostles,  traversed  parts  of  Samaria  and  Perea. 
and  the  outlying  sections  of  Judea.  We  read  of  Christ's  pres- 
ence in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication,0  between  two 
and  three  months  after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  some  of  the  events  now  to  be  considered  oc- 
curred during  that  interval.*  That  Jesus  left  Jerusalem  soon 
after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  is  certain;  whether  He  re- 
turned to  Galilee,  or  went  only  into  Perea,  possibly  with  a 
short  detour  across  the  border  into  Samaria,  is  not  conclu- 
sively stated.  We  shall  here  as  heretofore  devote  our  study 
primarily  to  His  words  and  works,  with  but  minor  regard 
to  place,  time,  or  sequence: 

As  the  time  of  His  foreknown  betrayal  and  crucifixion 
drew  near,  "he  stedfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem,"*7 
though,  as  we  shall  find,  He  turned  northward  on  two  occa- 
sions, once  when  He  retired  to  the  region  of  Bethabara,  and 
again  to  Ephraim.^ 

HIS   REJECTION    IN    SAMARIA/ 

Jesus  sent  messengers  ahead,  to  announce  His  coming 
and  to  prepare  for  His  reception.  In  one  of  the  Samaritan 

a  John   10:22. 

b  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 

cLuke  9:51. 

djohn  10:40;  11:54. 

rLuke  9:51-56. 


424:  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   26. 

villages  He  was  refused  entertainment  and  a  hearing,  "be- 
cause his  face  was  as  though  he  would  go  to  Jerusalem." 
Racial  prejudice  had  superseded  the  obligations  of  hospi- 
tality. This  repulse  is  in  unfavorable  contrast  with  the  cir- 
cumstances of  His  earlier  visit  among  the  Samaritans,  when 
He  had  been  received  with  gladness  and  entreated  to  remain ; 
but  on  that  occasion  He  was  journeying  not  toward  but 
farther  from  Jerusalem/ 

The  disrespect  shown  by  the  Samaritans  was  more  than 
the  disciples  could  endure  without,  protest.  James  and  John, 
those  Sons  of  Thunder,  were  so  resentful  as  to  yearn  for 
vengeance.  Said  they :  "Lord,  wilt  thou  that  we  command 
fire  to  come  down  from  heaven,  and  consume  them,  even  as 
Elias  did  ?"0  Jesus  rebuked  His  uncharitable  servants  thus : 
"Ye  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the 
Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save 
them."  Repulsed  in  this  village  the  little  company  went  to 
another,  as  the  Twelve  had  been  instructed  to  do  under  like 
circumstances.^  This  was  but  one  of  the  impressive  lessons 
given  to  the  apostles  in  the  matter  of  tolerance,  forbearance, 
charity,  patience,  and  long-suffering. 

lyiike  gives  next  place  to  the  incident  of  three  men  who 
were  desirous  or  willing  to  become  disciples  of  Christ ;  one 
of  them  seems  to  have  been  discouraged  at  the  prospect  of 
hardship  such  as  the  ministry  entailed ;  the  others  wished 
to  be  temporarily  excused  from  service,  one  that  he  might 
attend  the  burial  of  his  father,  the  other  that  he  might  first 
bid  his  loved  ones  farewell.  This,  or  a  similar  occurrence, 
is  recorded  by  Matthew  in  another  connection,  and  has 
already  received  attention  in  these  pages.* 


/John  4:4-42;  page  176  herein. 

g  Luke  9:54;  compare  2  Kings  1:10,  12. 

h  Matt.    10:23. 

iLuke  9:57-62;  see  pages  305-307  herein, 


MISSION   OF  THE  SEVENTY.  425 


THE   SEVENTY   CHARGED   AND   SENT. 

The  supreme  importance  of  our  Lord's  ministry,  and  the 
shortness  of  the  time  remaining  to  Him  in  the  flesh,  de- 
manded more  missionary  laborers.  The  Twelve  were  to 
remain  with  Him  to  the  end ;  every  hour  of  possible  instruc- 
ion  and  training  had  to  be  utilized  in  their  further  prepara- 
tion for  the  great  responsibilities  that  would  rest  upon  them 
after  the  Master's  departure.  As  assistants  in  the  ministry, 
He  called  and  commissioned  the  Seventy,  and  straightway 
sent  them  forth/  "two  and  two  before  his  face  into  every 
city  and  place,  whither  he  himself  would  come."  The  need 
of  their  service  was  explained  in  the  introduction  to  the  im- 
pressive charge  by  which  they  were  instructed  in  the  duties 
of  their  calling.  "Therefore  said  he  unto  them,  The  harvest 
truly  is  great,  but  the  labourers  are  few :  pray  ye  therefore 
the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  would  send  forth  labourers 
into  his  harvest. "* 

Many  matters  on  which  the  Twelve  had  been  instructed 
prior  to  their  missionary  tour  were  now  repeated  to  the 
Seventy.  They  were  told  that  they  must  expect  unfriendly 
and  even  hostile  treatment ;  their  situation  would  be  as  that 
of  lambs  among  wolves.  They  were  to  travel  without  purs.e 
or  scrip,  and  thus  necessarily  to  depend  upon  the  provision 
that  God  would  make  through  those  to  whom  they  came.  As 
their  mission  was  urgent,  they  were  not  to  stop  on  the  way 
to  make  or  renew  personal  acquaintanceships.  On  entering 
a  house  they  were  to  invoke  peace  upon  it ;  if  the  household 
deserved  the  gift  peace  would  rest  therein,  but  otherwise  the 
Lord's  servants  would  feel  that  their  invocation  was  void.* 


/Luke  10:1-12. 

k  Compare  Matt.  9:37,  38;   see  also  John  4:35. 

/  Edersheim  (vol.  ii,  p,  138)  says:  "The  expression  "if  the  son  o!  peace 
be  there'  is  a  Hebraism,  equivalent  to  'if  the  house  be  worthy'  (compare 
Matt.  10:13)  and  refers  to  the  character  of  the  head  of  the  house  and 
the  tone  of  the  household.," 


4:26  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

To  any  family  by  whom  they  were  received  they  were  to 
impart  blessing — healing  the  afflicted,  and  proclaiming  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  had  come  nigh  unto  that  house.  They 
were  not  to  go  from  one  house  to  another  seeking  better 
entertainment,  nor  should  they  expect  or  desire  to  be  feasted, 
but  they  should  accept  what  was  offered,  eating  that  which 
,was  set  before  them,  thus  sharing  with  the  family.  If  re- 
jected in  any  city,  they  were  to  depart  therefrom,  leaving, 
however,  their  solemn  testimony  that  the  city  had  turned 
away  from  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  had  been  brought  to 
its  doors,  and  attesting  the  same  by  ridding  themselves  of 
the  dust  of  that  place.'"  It  was  not  for  them  to  pronounce 
anathema  or  curse,  but  the  Lord  assured  them  that  such  a 
city  would  bring  upon  itself  a  fate  worse  than  the  doom  of 
Sodom."  He  reminded  them  that  they  were  His  servants, 
and  therefore  whoever  heard  or  refused  to  hear  them  would 
be  judged  as  having  so  treated  Him. 

They  were  not  restrained,  as  the  Twelve  had  been,  from 
entering  Samaritan  towns  or  the  lands  of  the  Gentiles.  This 
difference  is  consistent  with  the  changed  conditions,  for  now 
the  prospective  itinerary  of  Jesus  would  take  Him  into  non- 
Jewish  territory,  where  His  fame  had  already  spread;  and 
furthermore,  His  plan  provided  for  an  extension  of  the 
gospel  propaganda,  which  was  to  be  ultimately  world-wide. 
The  narrow  Jewish  prejudice  against  Gentiles  in  general  and 
Samaritans  in  particular  was  to  be  discountenanced;  and 
proof  of  this  intent  could  not  be  better  given  than  by  send- 
ing authorized  ministers  among  those  peoples.  We  must 
keep  in  mind  the  progressiveness  of  the  Lord's  work.  At 
first  the  field  of  gospel  preaching  was  confined  to  the  land 
,of  Israel,0  but  the  beginning  of  its  extension  was  inaugurated 
.during  our  Lord's  life,  and  was  expressly  enjoined  upon  the 


ra  Compare    Matt.    10:14;    page    329   herein. 

n  Compare  the  charge  given  the  Seventy  with  that  of  the  Twelve,  Matt. 
,10:5-42;  Mark  6:7-11;  Luke  9:1-5;  see  page  328  herein. 
oMatt.  10:5,  6;  15:24. 


THE   SEVENTY   RETURN   AND  REPORT.  427 

apostles  after  His  resurrection/  Duly  instructed,  the  Sev- 
enty set  out  upon  their  mission. s 

Mention  of  the  condemnation  that  would  follow  wilful 
rejection  of  the  authorized  servants  of  God,  aroused  in  our 
.Lord's  mind  sad  memories  of  the  repulses  He  had  suffered, 
and  of  the  many  unrepentant  souls,  in  the  cities  wherein  He 
had  accomplished  so  many  mighty  works.  In  profound 
sorrow  He  predicted  the  woes  then  impending  over  Cho- 
•azin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum/ 

THE    SEVENTY    RETURN. 

Considerable  time  may  have  elapsed,  weeks  or  possibly 
months,  between  the  departure  of  the  Seventy  and  their 
return.  We  are  not  told  when  or  where  they  rejoined  the 
•Master;  but  this  we  know,  that  the  authority  and  power  of 
Christ  had  been  abundantly  manifest  in  their  ministry ;  and 
that  they  had  rejoiced  in  the  realization.  "Lord,"  said  they, 

'even  the  devils  are  subject  unto  us  through  thy  name."* 
This  testimony  was  followed  by  the  Lord's  solemn  state- 
ment :  "I  beheld  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from  heaven."  This 
was  said  with  reference  to  the  expulsion  of  the  rebellious 
son  of  the  morning,  after  his  defeat  by  Michael  and  the 
heavenly  hosts.'  Commending  the  Seventy  for  their  faithful 

abors,  the  Lord  gave  them  assurance  of  further  power,  on 
the  implied  condition  of  their  continued  worthiness :  "I  give 
unto  you  power  to  tread  on  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  over 
all  the  power  of  the  enemy :  and  nothing  shall  by  any  means 
hurt  you.""  The  promise  that  they  should  tread  on  serpents 
and  scorpions  included  immunity  from  injury  by  venomous 

pMatt.  28:19;   Mark   16:15. 

qDoc.  and  Cov.  107:25;  124:137-140;  see  also  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xi:20, 
28.  The  special  office  of  the  Seventy  has  been  reestablished  in  the  restored 
Church;  and  in  thi«,  the  last  dispensation,  many  quorums  of  Seventy  are 
maintained  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  The  office  of  the  Seventy  is  one 
belonging  to  the  Higher  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood. 

r  Luke  10:13-15;  compare  Matt.  11:20-24;  see  page  258  herein. 

jLuke  10:17. 

/Rev.  9:1;  12:8,  9;  see  pages  6  and  7  herein. 

«  Luke  10:19;  read  verses  20-24. 


428  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

creatures  if  encountered  in  the  path  of  duty''  and  power  to 
prevail  over  the  wicked  spirits  that  serve  the  devil,  who  is 
elsewhere  expressly  called  the  serpent.11'  Great  as  was  the 
power  and  authority  thus  imparted,  these  disciples  were  told 
not  to  rejoice  in  such,  nor  primarily  in  the  fact  that  evil 
spirits  were  subject  unto  them,  but  rather  because  they  were 
accepted  of  the  Lord,  and  that  their  names  were  written  in 
heaven.* 

The  righteous  joy  of  His  servants  and  His  contemplation 
of  their  faithfulness  caused  Jesus  to  rejoice.  His  happiness 
found  its  most  appropriate  expression  in  prayer,  and  thus 
He  prayed :  "I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth,  that  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent, and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes :  even  so,  Father ; 
for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  Compared  with  the 
learned  men  of  the  time,  such  as  the  rabbis  and  scribes, 
whose  knowledge  served  but  to  harden  their  hearts  against 
the  truth,  these  devoted  servants  were  as  babes  in  humility, 
trust,  and  faith.  Such  children  were  and  are  among  the 
nobles  of  the  kingdom.  As  in  the  hours  of  darkest  sorrow, 
so  in  this  moment  of  righteous  exultation  over  the  faithful- 
ness of  His  followers,  Jesus  communed  with  the  Father,  to 
do  whose  will  was  His  sole  purpose. 

Our  Lord's  joy  on  this  occasion  is  comparable  to  that 
which  He  experienced  when  Peter  had  burst  forth  with  the 
confession  of  his  soul :  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God."  In  solemn  discourse  Jesus  said :  "All  things 
are  delivered  to  me  of  my  Father:  and  no  man  knoweth 
who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father ;  and  who  the  Father  is,  but 
the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal  him."  Then 
in  more  intimate  communion  with  the  disciples  He  added : 
"Blessed  are  the  eyes  which  see  the  things  that  ye  see :  For 
I  tell  you,  that  many  prophets  and  kings  have  desired  to  see 

v  Compare    Mark    16:18;    Acts    28:5. 

wRev.  12:9;  20:2;  compare  Gen.  3:1-4,  14,  15. 

#  Compare    Rev.    13:8;    20:12;    21:27. 


A  LAWYER'S  QUESTION.  429 

those  things  which  ye  see,  and  have  not  seen  them ;  and  to 
hear  those  things  which  ye  hear,  and  have  not  heard  them." 

WHO  IS   MY  NEIGHBOR? 

We  have  seen  that  the  Pharisees  and  their  kind  were  con- 
stantly on  the  alert  to  annoy  and  if  possible  disconcert  Jesus 
on  questions  of  law  and  doctrine,  and  to  provoke  Him  to 
some  overt  utterance  or  deed  y  It  may  be  such  an  attempt 
that  is  recorded  by  L,uke  in  immediate  sequence  to  his  ac- 
count of  the  joyous  return  of  the  Seventy/  for  he  tells  us 
that  the  "certain  lawyer,"  of  whom  he  speaks,  put  a  question 
to  tempt  Jesus.  Viewing  the  questioner's  motive  with  all 
possible  charity,  for  the  basal  meaning  of  the  verb  which  ap- 
pears in  our  version  of  the  Bible  as  "to  tempt"  is  that  of  put- 
ting to  test  or  trial  and  not  necessarily  and  solely  to  allure 
into  evil,0  though  the  element  of  entrapping  or  ensnaring  is 
connoted,  we  may  assume  that  he  wished  to  test  the  knowl- 
edge and  wisdom  of  the  famous  Teacher,  probably  for  the 
purpose  of  embarrassing  Him.  Certainly  his  purpose  was 
not  that  of  sincere  search  for  truth. 

This  lawyer,  standing  up  among  the  people  who  had  gath- 
ered to  hear  Jesus,  asked :  "Master,  what  shall  I  do  to  in- 
herit eternal  life?"&  Jesus  replied  by  a  counter  question,  in 
which  was  plainly  intimated  that  if  this  man,  who  was  pro- 
fessedly learned  in  the  law,  had  read  and  studied  properly, 
he  should  know  without  asking  what  he  ought  to  Ho.  "What 
is  written  in  the  law  ?  how  readest  thou  ?"  The  man  replied 
with  an  admirable  summary  of  the  commandments:  "Thou 
shalt  love  the  lyOrd  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind ; 
and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. "c  The  answer  was  approved. 
"This  do,  and  thou  shalt  live"  said  Jesus.  These  simple 

y  Compare  Mark  12:13;   see  also  Luke  11:53,  54. 

z  Luke    10:25-37. 

c  Compare    Gen.    22:1. 

b  Compare    Matt.    19:16;    Mark    10:17;    Luke    18:18. 

cLuke  10:27;  compare  Deut.  6:5,  and  Lev.  19:18;   see  also  Matt.  22:35-40. 


430  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

vvords  conveyed  a  rebuke,  as  the  lawyer  must  have  realized ; 
they  indicated  the  contrast  between  knowing  and  doing. 
Having  thus  failed  in  his  plan  to  confound  the  Master,  and 
probably  realizing  that  he,  a  lawyer,  had  made  no  creditable 
display  of  his  erudition  by  asking  so  simple  a  question  and 
then  answering  it  himself,  he  tamely  sought  to  justify  him- 
self by  inquiring  further:  "And  who  is  my  neighbour?" 
We  may  well  be  grateful  for  the  lawyer's  question ;  for  it 
served  to  draw  from  the  Master's  inexhaustible  store  of  wis- 
dom one  of  His  most  appreciated  parables. 

The  story  is  known  as  the  Parable  of  the  Good  Samar- 
itan; it  runs  as  follows : 

"A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho, 
and  fell  among  thieves,  which  stripped  him  of  his  raiment, 
and  wounded  him,  and  departed,  leaving  him  half  dead.  And 
by  chance  there  came  down  a  certain  priest  that  way :  and 
when  he  saw  him,  he  passed  by  on  the  other  side.  And 
likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the  place,  came  and  looked 
on  him,  and  passed  by  on  the  other  side.  But  a  certain 
Samaritan,  as  he  journeyed,  came  where  he  was :  and  when 
he  saw  him,  he  had  compassion  on  him,  and  went  to  him, 
and  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine,  and  set 
him  on  his  own  beast,  and  brought  him  to  an  inn,  and  took 
care  of  him.  And  on  the  morrow  when  he  departed,  he  took 
out  two  pence,  and  gave  them  to  the  host,  and  said  unto  him, 
Take  care  of  him ;  and  whatsoever  thou  spendest  more,  when 
I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee." 

Then  of  the  lawyer  Jesus  asked:  "Which  now  of  these 
three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto  him  that  fell  among 
the  thieves?  And  he  said,  He  that  shewed  mercy  on  him. 
Then  said  Jesus  unto  him,  Go,  and  do  thou  likewise."** 

Whatever  of  motive  there  may  have  been  in  the  lawyer's 
query,  "Who  is  my  neighbour?"  aside  from  that  of  self-justi- 
fication and  a  desire  to  retreat  in  the  best  form  possible  from 
an  embarrassing  situation,  we  may  conceive  to  lie  in  the  wish 

JLuke  10:30-37. 


THE  PRIEST,  THE  LEVITE  AND  THE  GOOD  SAMARITAN.   431 

to  find  a  limitation  in  the  application  of  the  law,  beyond 
which  he  would  not  be  bound  to  go.  If  he  had  to  love  his 
neighbors  as  he  loved  himself,  he  wanted  to  have  as  few- 
neighbors  as  possible.  His  desire  may  have  been  somewhat 
akin  to  that  of  Peter,  who  was  eager  to  learn  just  how  many 
times  he  was  required  to  forgive  an  offending  brother/ 

The  parable  with  which  our  Lord  replied  to  the  lawyer's 
question  is  rich  in  interest  as  a  story  alone,  and  particularly 
so  as  an  embodiment  of  precious  lessons.  It  was  withal  so 
true  to  existing  conditions,  that,  like  the  story  of  the  sower 
,who  went  forth  to  sow,  and  other  parables  given  by  the  Lord 
Jesus,  it  may  be  true  history  as  well  as  parable.  The  road 
between  Jerusalem  and  Jericho  was  known  to  be  infested 
by  highway  robbers;  indeed  a  section  of  the  thoroughfare 
was  called  the  Red  Path  or  Bloody  Way  because  of  the  fre- 
quent atrocities  committed  thereon.  Jericho  was  prominent 
as  a  residence  place  for  priests  and  Levites.  A  priest,  who, 
out  of  respect  to  his  office,  if  for  none  other  cause,  should 
,have  been  willing  and  prompt  in  acts  of  mercy,  caught  sight 
of  the  wounded  traveler  and  passed  by  on  the  far  side  of  the 
road.  A  Levite  followed ;  he  paused  to  look,  then  passed 
|on.  These  ought  to  have  remembered  the  specified  require- 
ment o'f  the  law — that  if  one  saw  an  ass  or  an  ox  fall  down 
;by  the  way,  he  should  not  hide  himself,  but  should  surely 
(help  the  owner  to  lift  the  creature  up  again/  If  such  was 
their  duty  toward  a  brother's  beast,  much  greater  was  their 
obligation  when  a  brother  himself  was  in  so  extreme  a  plight. 
Doubtless  priest  as  well  as  Levite  salved  his  conscience 
with  ample  excuse  for  his  inhumane  conduct ;  he  may  have 
been  in  a  hurry,  or  was  fearful,  perhaps,  that  the  robbers 
would  return  and  make  him  also  a  victim  of  their  outrage. 
Excuses  are  easy  to  find ;  they  spring  up  as  readily  and 
plentifully  as  weeds  by  the  wayside.  When  the  Samaritan 


<?Matt.  18:21,  22;  compare  Luke  17:4;  page  392  herein. 
/Deut.  22:4;  compare  Exo.  23:5. 


432  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

came  along  and  saw  the  wretched  state  of  the  wounded  man, 
he  had  no  excuse  for  he  wanted  none.  Having  done  what 
he  could  by  way  of  emergency  treatment  as  recognized  in 
the  medical  practise  of  the  day,  he  placed  the  injured  one 
upon  his  own  beast,  probably  a  mule  or  an  ass,  and  took  hirn 
to  the  nearest  inn,  where  he  tended  him  personally  and 
made  arrangements  for  his  further  care.  The  essential  dif- 
ference between  the  Samaritan  and  the  others  was  that  the 
one  had  a  compassionate  heart,  while  they  were  unlov- 
ing and  selfish.  Though  not  definitely  stated,  the  victim  of 
the  robbers  was  almost  certainly  a  Jew ;  the  point  of  the 
parable  requires  it  to  be  so.  That  the  merciful  one  was  a 
Samaritan,  showed  that  the  people  called  heretic  and  de- 
spized  by  the  Jews,  could  excel  in  good  works.  To  a  Jew, 
lone  but  Jews  were  neighbors.  We  are  not  justified  in  re- 
garding priest,  Levite,  or  Samaritan  as  the  type  of  his  class ; 
doubtless  there  were  many  kind  and  charitable  Jews,  and 
many  heartless  Samaritans ;  but  the  Master's  lesson  was  ad- 
mirably illustrated  by  the  characters  in  the  parable ;  and  the 
words  of  His  application  were  pungent  in  their  simplicity 
and  appropriateness. 

MARTHA   AND   MARY.* 

On  one  of  His  visits  to  Bethany,  a  small  town  about  two 
miles  from  Jerusalem,  Jesus  was  received  at  the  home  where 
dwelt  two  sisters,  Martha  and  Mary.  Martha  was  house- 
keeper, and  therefore  she  assumed  responsibility  for  the 
proper  treatment  of  the  distinguished  Guest.  While  she 
busied  herself  with  preparations  and  "was  cumbered  about 
much  serving,"  well  intended  for  the  comfort  and  entertain- 
ment of  Jesus,  Mary  sat  at  the  Master's  feet,  listening  with 
reverent  attention  to  His  words.  Martha  grew  fretful  in  her 
bustling  anxiety,  and  came  in,  saying:  "Lord,  dost  thou  not 

g  Luke  10:38-42.    Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ONE  THING   NEEDFUL.  433 

care  that  my  sister  hath  left  me  to  serve  alone?  bid  her 
therefore  that  she  help  me."  She  was  talking  to  Jesus  but 
really  at  Mary.  For  the  moment  she  had  lost  her  calmness 
in  undue  worry  over  incidental  details.  It  is  reasonable  to 
infer  that  Jesus  was  on  terms  of  familiarity  in  the  household, 
else  the  good  woman  would  scarcely  have  appealed  to  Him  in 
a  little  matter  of  domestic  concern.  He  replied  to  her  com- 
plaining words  with  marked  tenderness :  "Martha,  Martha, 
thou  art  careful  and  troubled  about  many  things:  but  one 
thing  is  needful :  and  Mary  hath  chosen  that  good  part, 
which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her." 

There  was  no  reproof  of  Martha's  desire  to  provide  well ; 
nor  any  sanction  of  possible  neglect  on  Mary's  part.  We 
must  suppose  that  Mary  had  been  a  willing  helper  before  the 
Master's  arrival ;  but  now  that  He  had  come,  she  chose  to 
remain  with  Him.  Had  she  been  culpably  neglectful  of  her 
duty,  Jesus  would  not  have  commended  her  course.  He  de- 
sired not  well-served  meals  and  material  comforts  only,  but 
the  company  of  the  sisters,  and  above  all  their  receptive  atten- 
tion to  what  He  had  to  say.  He  had  more  to  give  them  than 
they  could  possibly  provide  for  Him.  Jesus  loved  the  two 
sisters  and  their  brother  as  well.7*  Both  these  women  were 
devoted  to  Jesus,  and  each  expressed  herself  in  her  own  way. 
Martha  was  of  a  practical  turn,  concerned  in  material  ser- 
vice ;  she  was  by  nature  hospitable  and  self-denying.  Mary, 
contemplative  and  more  spiritually  inclined,  showed  her  de- 
votion through  the  service  of  companionship  and  apprecia- 
tion.* 

By  inattention  to  household  duties,  the  little  touches  that 
make  or  mar  the  family  peace,  many  a  woman  has  reduced 
her  home  to  a  comfortless  house  ;  and  many  another  has  elim- 
inated the  essential  elements  of  home  by  her  self-assumed 
and  persistent  drudgery,  in  which  she  denies  to  her  dear 


/*John    11:5. 

i  Compare   John   12 :2,   3. 


434  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

ones  the  cheer  of  her  loving  companionship.  One-sided 
service,  however  devoted,  may  become  neglect.  There  is  a 
time  for  labor  inside  the  home  as  in  the  open ;  in  every 
family  time  should  be  found  for  cultivating  that  better  part, 
that  one  thing  needful — true,  spiritual  development. 

ASK,  AND  IT  SHALIy  BE  GIV£N   YOU/ 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  he  was  praying  in  a  cer- 
tain place,  when  he  ceased,  one  of  his  disciples  said  unto  him, 
Lord,  teach  us  to  pray."  Our  Lord's  example  and  the  spirit 
of  prayer  manifest  in  His  daily  life  moved  the  disciples  to 
ask  for  instruction  as  to  how  they  should  pray.  No  form 
of  private  prayer  was  given  in  the  law,  but  formal  prayers 
had  been  prescribed  by  the  Jewish  authorities,  and  John  the 
Baptist  had  instructed  his  followers  in  the  mode  or  manner 
of  prayer.  Responding  to  the  disciples'  request,  Jesus  re- 
peated that  brief  epitome  of  soulful  adoration  and  supplica- 
tion which  we  call  the  Lord's  Prayer.  This  He  had  before 
given  in  connection  with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. k  On 
this  occasion  of  its  repetition,  the  Lord  supplemented  the 
prayer  by  explaining  the  imperative  necessity  of  earnestness 
and  enduring  persistency  in  praying. 

The  lesson  was  made  plain  by  the  Parable  of  the  Friend 
at  Midnight: 

"And  he  said  unto  them,  Which  of  you  shall  have  a 
friend,  and  shall  go  unto  him  at  midnight,  and  say  unto  him, 
Friend,  lend  me  three  loaves;  For  a  friend  of  mine  in  his 
journey  is  come  to  me,  and  I  have  nothing  to  set  before  him? 
And  he  from  within  shall  answer  and  say,  Trouble  me  not : 
the  door  is  now  shut,  and  my  children  are  with  me  in  bed ; 
I  cannot  rise  and  give  thee.  I  say  unto  you,  Though  he  will 
not  rise  and  give  him,  because  he  is  his  friend,  yet  because  of 
his  importunity  he  will  rise  and  give  him  as  many  as  he 
needeth." 


/Luke  11:1-13. 
k  Pages   238-241. 


THE   LESSON    OF   THE   IMPORTUNATE    NEIGHBOR.         435 

The  man  to  whose  home  a  friend  had  come  at  midnight 
could  not  let  his  belated  and  weary  guest  go  hungry,  yet 
there  was  no  bread  in  the  house.  He  made  his  visitor's 
wants  his  own,  and  pleaded  at  his  neighbor's  door  as  though 
asking  for  himself.  The  neighbor  was  loath  to  leave  his 
comfortable  bed  and  disturb  his  household  to  accommodate 
another ;  but,  finding  that  the  man  at  the  door  was  impor- 
tunate, he  at  last  arose  and  gave  him  what  he  asked,  so  as 
to  get  rid  of  him  and  be  able  to  sleep  in  peace.  The  Master 
added  by  way  of  comment  and  instruction:  "Ask,  and  it 
shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find;  knock,  and  if 
shall  be  opened  unto  you!' 

The  hospitable  man  in  the  parable  had  refused  to  be  re- 
pulsed ;  he  kept  on  knocking  until  the  door  was  opened ;  and 
as  a  result  received  what  he  wanted,  found  what  he  had  set 
out  to  obtain.  The  parable  is  regarded  by  some  as  a  difficult 
one  to  apply,  since  it  deals  with  the  selfish  and  comfort- 
loving  element  of  human  nature,  and  apparently  uses  this  to 
symbolize  God's  deliberate  delay.  The  explanation,  how- 
ever, is  clear  when  the  context  is  duly  considered.  The 
Lord's  lesson  was,  that  if  man,  with  all  his  selfishness  and 
disinclination  to  give,  will  nevertheless  grant  what  his  neigh- 
bor with  proper  purpose  asks  and  continues  to  ask  in  spite 
of  objection  and  temporary  refusal,  with  assured  certainty 
will  God  grant  what  is  persistently  asked  in  faith  and  with 
righteous  intent.  No  parallelism  lies  between  man's  selfish 
refusal  and  God's  wise  and  beneficent  waiting.  There  must 
be  a  consciousness  of  real  need  for  prayer,  and  real  trust  in 
God,  to  make  prayer  effective ;  and  in  mercy  the  Father 
sometimes  delays  the  granting  that  the  asking  may  be  more 
fervent.  But  in  the  words  of  Jesus :  "If  ye  then,  being 
evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children :  how 
much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  him  ?" 

Sometime  later  Jesus  spake  another  parable,  the  moral  of 


436  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

I 

which  is  so  closely  akin  to  that  of  the  story  of  the  midnight 
visitor,  as  to  suggest  the  study  of  the  later  lesson  here.  It 
is  known  as  the  Parable  of  the  Unjust  Judge,  or  of  the  Im- 
portunate Widow: 

"There  was  in  a  city  a  judge,  which  feared  not  God, 
neither  regarded  man :  And  there  was  a  widow  in  that  city ; 
and  she  came  unto  him,  saying,  Avenge  me  of  mine  adver- 
sary. And  he  would  not  for  a  while :  but  afterward  he  said 
within  himself,  Though  I  fear  not  God,  nor  regard  man ;  Yet 
because  this  widow  troubleth  me,  I  will  avenge  her,  lest  by 
her  continual  coming  she  weary  me."; 

The  judge  was  of  wicked  character ;  he  denied  justice  to 
the  widow,  who  could  obtain  redress  from  none  other.  He 
was  moved  to  action  by  the  desire  to  escape  the  woman's 
importunity.  Let  us  beware  of  the  error  of  comparing  his 
selfish  action  with  the  ways  of  God.  Jesus  did  not  indicate 
that  as  the  wicked  judge  finally  yielded  to  supplication  so 
would  God  do ;  but  He  pointed  out  that  if  even  such  a  being 
as  this  judge,  who  "feared  not  God,  neither  regarded  man," 
would  at  last  hear  and  grant  the  widow's  plea,  no  one  should 
doubt  that  God,  the  Just  and  Merciful,  will  hear  and  answer. 
The  judge's  obduracy,  though  wholly  wicked  on  his  part, 
may  have  been  ultimately  advantageous  to  the  widow.  Had 
she  easily  obtained  redress  she  might  have  become  again 
unwary,  and  perchance  a  worse  adversary  than  the  first 
might  have  oppressed  her.  The  Lord's  purpose  in  giving 
the  parable  is  specifically  stated ;  it  was  "to  this  end,  that 
men  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint."m 

CRITICISM    ON    PHARISEES    AND    LAWYERS.0 

Varied  comment  as  to  the  source  of  our  Lord's  super- 
human powers  was  aroused  afresh  by  His  merciful  act  of 


/  Luke   18:2-5;   read   verses   1,   and  6-8. 

in  Luke    18:1;    compare    21:36;    Rom.    12:12;    Eph.    6:18;    Col.   4:2;    1    Thess. 
5:17. 

a  Luke    11:37-54. 


CEREMONIAL  CLEANSING  OF  CUPS  AND  PLATTERS.       437 

expelling  a  demon  from  a  man,  who,  in  consequence  of  this 
evil  possession  had  been  dumb.  The  old  Pharisaic  theory, 
that  He  cast  out  devils  through  the  power  of  "Beelzebub, 
the  chief  of  the  devils,"  was  revived.  The  utter  foolishness 
of  such  a  conception  was  demonstrated,  as  it  had  been  on 
an  earlier  occasion  to  which  we  have  given  attention."  The 
spiritual  darkness,  in  which  evil  men  grope  for  signs,  the 
disappointment  and  condemnation  that  await  them,  and  other 
precious  precepts,  Jesus  elucidated  in  further  discourse.0 

Then,  by  invitation  He  went  to  the  house  of  a  certain 
Pharisee  to  dine.  Other  Pharisees,  as  also  lawyers  and 
scribes,  were  present.  Jesus  intentionally  omitted  the  cere- 
monial washing  of  hands,  which  all  others  in  the  company 
scrupulously  performed  before  taking  their  places  at  table. 
This  omission  caused  a  murmur  of  disapproval  if  not  an  open 
expression  of  fault-finding.  Jesus  utilized  the  occasion  by 
voicing  a  pungent  criticism  of  Pharisaic  externalism,  which 
He  likened  to  the  cleansing  of  cups  and  platters  on  the  out- 
side, while  the  inside  is  left  filthy.  "Fools"  said  He,  "did 
not  he  that  made  that  which  is  without  make  that  which  is 
within  also?"  In  another  form  we  may  ask,  Did  not  God 
who  established  the  outward  observances  of  the  law,  ordain 
the  inward  and  spiritual  requirements  of  the  gospel  also? 
In  response  to  a  question  by  one  of  the  lawyers,  Jesus  in- 
cluded them  in  His  sweeping  reproof.  Pharisees  and  scribes 
resented  the  censure  to  which  they  had  been  subjected,  and 
"began  to  urge  him  vehemently,  and  to  provoke  him  to  speak 
of  many  things :  laying  wait  for  him,  and  seeking  to  catch 
something  out  of  his  mouth,  that  they  might  accuse  him." 
As  our  Lord's  recorded  utterances  on  this  occasion  appear 
also  in  His  final  denunciation  of  Pharisaism,  later  delivered 
at  the  temple,  we  may  well  defer  further  consideration  of 
the  matter  until  we  take  up  in  order  that  notable  occurrence.^ 


n  Luke  11:14-28;  see  page  265  herein. 
o  Luke  11:29-36;  see  page  270  herein. 
p  Matt.  23;  see  chapter  31  herein. 


438  JESUS    THE    CHRTST.  [CHAP.    26. 


*  THE;  DISCIPLES  ADMONISHED  AND  ENCOURAGED.^ 

Popular  interest  in  our  Lord's  movements  was  strong  in 
the  region  beyond  Jordan,  as  it  had  been  in  Galilee.  We 
read  of  Him  surrounded  by  "an  innumerable  multitude  of 
people,  insomuch  that  they  trode  one  upon  another."  Ad- 
dressing the  multitude,  and  more  particularly  His  disciples, 
Jesus  warned  them  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which  He 
characterized  as  hypocrisy/  The  recent  scene  at  the  table 
of  a  Pharisee  gave  special  significance  to  the  warning.  Some 
of  the  precepts  recorded  in  connection  with  His  Galilean 
ministry  were  here  repeated,  and  particular  stress  was  laid 
upon  the  superiority  of  the  soul  to  the  body,  and  of  eternal 
life  as  contrasted  with  the  brief  duration  of  mortal  existence. 
One  man  in  the  company,  intent  on  selfish  interests  and 
unable  to  see  beyond  the  material  affairs  of  life,  spoke  out 
saying,  "Master,  speak  to  my  brother,  that  he  divide  the  in- 
heritance with  me."  Jesus  promptly  refused  to  act  as  media- 
tor or  judge  in  the  matter.  "Man,  who  made  me  a  judge  or 
a  divider  over  you?"  was  the  Master's  rejoinder.  The  wis- 
dom underlying  His  refusal  to  interfere  is  apparent.  As  in 
the  case  of  the  guilty  woman  who  had  been  brought  before 
Him  for  judgment/  so  in  this-  instance,  He  refrained  from 
intervention  in  matters  of  legal  administration.  An  opposite 
course  would  have  probably  involved  Him  in  useless  disputa- 
tion, and  might  have  given  color  to  a  complaint  that  He  was 
arrogating  to  Himself  the  functions  of  the  legally  established 
tribunals.  The  man's  appeal,  however,  was  made  the  nu- 
cleus of  valuable  instruction;  his  clamor  for  a  share  in  the 
family  inheritance  caused  Jesus  to  say :  "Take  heed,  and  be- 
ware of  covetousness :  for  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the 
abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesseth." 


gLuke  12:1-12. 
rPage   359. 
s  Page    404. 


"THIS    NIGHT   THY   SOUL   SHALL   BE   REQUIRED/"         439 

This  combined  admonition  and  profound  statement  of 
truth  was  emphasized  by  the  Parable  of  the  Foolish  Rich 
Man.  Thus  runs  the  story : 

"The  ground  of  a  certain  rich  man  brought  forth  plenti- 
fully :  And  he  thought  within  himself,  saying,  What  shall  I 
do,  because  I  have  no  room  where  to  bestow  my  fruits  ?  And 
he  said,  This  will  I  do :  I  will  pull  down  my  barns,  and  build 
greater ;  and  there  will  I  bestow  all  my  fruits  and  my  goods. 
And  I  will  say  to  my  soul,  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid 
up  for  many  years ;  take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry. 
But  God  said  unto  him,  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall 
be  required  of  thee :  then  whose  shall  those  things  be,  which 
thou  hast  provided?  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for 
himself,  and  is  not  rich  toward  God."' 

The  man's  abundance  had  been  accumulated  through 
labor  and  thrift ;  neglected  or  poorly-tilled  fields  do  not  yield 
plentifully.  He  is  not  represented  as  one  in  possession  of 
wealth  not  rightfully  his  own.  His  plans  for  the  proper 
care  of  his  fruits  and  goods  were  not  of  themselves  evil, 
though  he  might  have  considered  better  ways  of  distributing 
his  surplus,  as  for  the  relief,  of  the  needy.  His  sin  was  two- 
fold ;  first,  he  regarded  his  great  store  chiefly  as  the  means 
of  securing  personal  ease  and  sensuous  indulgence ;  secondly, 
in  his  material  prosperity  he  failed  to  acknowledge  God,  and 
even  counted  the  years  as  his  own.  In  the  hour  of  his  selfish 
jubilation  he  was  smitten.  Whether  the  voice  of  God  came 
to  him  as  a  fearsome  presentiment  of  impending  death,  or  by 
angel  messenger,  or  how  otherwise,  we  are  not  informed ;  but 
the  voice  spoke  his  doom :  "Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul 
shall  be  required  of  thee  !"**  He  had  used  his  time  and  his 
powers  of  body  and  mind  to  sow,  reap  and  garner — all  for 
himself.  And  what  came  of  it  all?  Whose  should  be  the 


fLuke    12:14-21. 

«  Compare  the  fate  that  overtook  Nebuchadnezzar,  while  the  words  of 
boastful  pride  were  yet  in  his  mouth  (Dan.  4:24-33);  and  that  of  Belshazzar, 
before  whose  eyes  appeared  the  hand  of  destiny  in  the  midst  of  his  riotous 
feast;  in  that  night  was  the  king's  soul  required  of  him.  (Dan.  5.) 


440  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

wealth,  to  amass  which  he  had  jeopardized  his  soul?  Had 
he  been  other  than  a  fool  he  might  have  realized  as  Solomon 
had  done,  the  vanity  of  hoarding  wealth  for  another,  and  he 
perhaps  of  uncertain  character,  to  possess.*' 

Turning  to  the  disciples  Jesus  reiterated  some  of  the  glo- 
rious truths  He  had  uttered  when  preaching  on  the  mount,w 
and  pointed  to  the  birds  of  the  air,  the  lilies  and  grass  of  the 
field,  as  examples  of  the  Father's  watchful  care ;  He  admon- 
ished His  hearers  to  seek  the  kingdom  of  God,  and,  doing 
so,  they  should  find  all  needful  things  added.  "Fear  not, 
little  flock/'  He  added  in  tone  of  affectionate  and  paternal 
regard,  "for  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you 
the  kingdom."  They  were  urged  to  store  their  wealth  in 
bags  that  wax  not  old/  containers  suited  to  the  heavenly 
treasure  which,  unlike  the  goods  of  the  foolish  rich  man, 
shall  not  be  left  behind  when  the  soul  is  summoned.  The 
man  whose  treasure  is  of  earth  leaves  it  all  at  death ;  he 
whose  wealth  is  in  heaven  goes  to  his  own,  and  death  is 
but  the  portal  to  his  treasury. 

The  disciples  were  admonished  to  be  ever  ready,  waiting 
as  servants  wait  at  night  with  lights  burning,  for  their  mas- 
ter's return ;  and,  inasmuch  as  the  lord  of  the  household 
comes  at  his  will,  in  the  early  or  later  watches,  if  when  he 
comes  he  finds  his  faithful  servants  ready  to  open  imme- 
diately to  his  knock  he  will  honor  them  as  they  deserve.  So 
is  the  Son  of  Man  to  come,  perhaps  when  least  expected. 
To  a  question  interjected  by  Peter  as  to  whether  "this  para- 
ble" was  spoken  to  the  Twelve  only  or  to  all,  Jesus  made 
no  direct  reply ;  the  answer,  however,  was  conveyed  in  the 
continuation  of  the  allegory  of  contrast  between  faithful  and 
wicked  servants.^  "Who  then  is  that  faithful  and  wise 
steward,  whom  his  lord  shall  make  ruler  over  his  household, 


v  Eccles.  2:18,  19;  compare  succeeding  verses;  see  also  Psa.  39:6;  49:6-20; 
Job  27:  16,  17. 

wLuke   12:22-31;    compare   Matt.    6:25-34. 
x  Compare  Matt.  6:20. 
y  Luke  12:35-48. 


THE   APOSTLES  AS   STEWARDS.  441 

to  give  them  their  portion  of  meat  in  due  season?"  The 
faithful  steward  is  a  good  type  of  the  apostles,  individually 
or  as  a  body.  As  stewards  they  were  charged  with  the  care 
of  the  other  servants,  and  of  the  household ;  and  as  to  them 
more  had  been  given  than  to  the  others,  so  of  them  more 
would  be  required ;  and  they  would  be  held  to  strict  account- 
ability for  their  stewardship. 

The  Lord  then  referred  feelingly  to  His  own  mission, 
and  especially  to  the  dreadful  experiences  then  soon  to  befall 
Him,  saying:  "I  have  a  baptism  to  be  baptized  with;  and 
how  am  I  straitened  till  it  be  accomplished !"  He  told  again 
of  the  strife  and  dissension  that  would  follow  the  preaching 
of  His  gospel ;  and  dwelt  upon  the  significance  of  then  cur- 
rent events.  To  those  who,  ever  ready  to  interpret  the  signs 
of  the  weather  yet  remained  wilfully  blind  to  the  important 
developments  of  the  times,  He  applied  the  caustic  epithet, 
hypocrites  \3 

"EXCEPT  Y$  REPENT  YS  SHALL  ALL  LIKEWISE.  PERISH "a 

Some  of  the  people  who  had  been  listening  to  our  Lord's 
discourse  reported  to  Him  the  circumstances  of  a  tragical 
event  that  had  taken  place,  probably  but  a  short  time  before, 
inside  the  temple  walls.  A  number  of  Galileans  had  been 
slain  by  Roman  soldiers,  at  the  base  of  the  altar,  so  that  their 
blood  had  mingled  with  that  of  the  sacrificial  victims.  It  is 
probable  that  the  slaughter  of  these  Galileans  was  incident 
to  some  violent  demonstration  of  Jewish  resentment  against 
Roman  authority,  which  the  procurator,  Pilate,  construed 
as  an  incipient  insurrection,  to  be  promptly  and  forcibly 
quelled.  Such  outbursts  were  not  uncommon,  and  the 
Roman  tower  or  fortress  of  Antonia  had  been  erected  in  a 
commanding  position  overlooking  the  temple  grounds,  and 
connected  therewith  by  a  wide  flight  of  steps,  so  that  soldiers 


z  Luke   12:49-57;   compare  Matt.   10:34-37. 
cLuke   13:1-5. 


442  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

could  have  ready  access  to  the  enclosure  at  the  first  indication 
of  turmoil.  The  purpose  of  the  informants  who  brought  this 
matter  to  the  attention  of  Jesus  is  not  stated;  but  we  find 
probability  in  the  thought  that  His  reference  to  the  signs  of 
the  times  had  reminded  them  of  the  tragedy,  and  that  they 
were  inclined  to  speculate  as  to  the  deeper  significance  of  the 
occurrence.  Some  may  have  wondered  as  to  whether  the 
fate  of  the  Galilean  victims  had  befallen  them  as  a  merited 
retribution.  Anyway,  to  some  such  conception  as  this  Jesus 
directed  His  reply.  By  question  and  answer  He  assured 
them  that  those  who  had  so  been  slain  were  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  sinners  above  other  Galileans ;  "But,"  said  He, 
"except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish." 

Then,  referring  on  His  own  initiative  to  another  catastro- 
phe, He  cited  the  instance  of  eighteen  persons  who  had  been 
killed  by  the  fall  of  a  tower  at  Siloam,  and  affirmed  that 
these  were  not  to  be  counted  greater  sinners  than  other 
Jerusalemites.  "But,"  came  the  reiteration,  "except  ye  re- 
pent, ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  There  were  perhaps  some 
who  believed  that  the  men  upon  whom  the  tower  had  fallen 
had  deserved  their  fate ;  and  this  conception  is  the  more 
probable  if  the  generally  accepted  assumption  be  correct, 
that  the  calamity  came  upon  the  men  while  they  were  en- 
gaged under  Roman  employ  in  work  on  the  aqueduct,  for 
the  construction  of  which  Pilate  had  used  the  "corban"  or 
sacred  treasure,  given  by  vow  to  the  temple.6 

It  is  not  man's  prerogative  to  pass  upon  the  purposes  and 
designs  of  God,  nor  to  judge  by  human  reason  alone  that  this 
person  or  that  suffers  disaster  as  a  direct  result  of  individual 
sin/  Nevertheless  men  have  even  been  prone  to  so  judge. 
There  are  many  inheritors  of  the  spirit  of  Job's  friends,  who 
assumed  his  guilt  as  certain  because  of  the  great  misfortunes 
and  sufferings  that  had  come  upon  him.d  Even  while  Jesus 


b  Josephus,  Wars  ii,  9:4;  also  page  352  herein. 
c  Compare  John  9:2,  3;  also  page  413  herein. 
d  Job  4:7;  8:2-14,  20;  22:5. 


THE  BARREN  FIG  TREE.  443 

spake,  calamity  dark  and  dire  was  impending  over  temple, 
city  and  nation ;  and  unless'  the  people  would  repent  and 
accept  the  Messiah  then  in  their  midst,  the  decree  of  de- 
struction would  be  carried  to  its  dread  fulfilment.  Hence, 
as  Jesus  said,  except  the  people  repented  they  should  perish. 
The  imperative  need  of  reformation  was  illustrated  by  the 
Parable  of  the  Barren  Fig  Tree. 

"A  certain  man  had  a  fig  tree  planted  in  his  vineyard; 
and  he  came  and  sought  fruit  thereon,  and  found  none. 
Then  said  he  unto  the  dresser  of  his  vineyard,  Behold,  these 
three  years  I  come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig  tree,  and  find 
none :  cut  it  down ;  why  cumbereth  it  the  ground  ?  And  he 
answering  said  unto  him,  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year  also,  till 
I  shall  dig  about  it,  and  dung  it :  And  if  it  bear  fruit,  well : 
and  if  not,  then  after  that  thou  shalt  cut  it  down."* 

In  Jewish  literature,  particularly  in  rabbinical  lore,  the 
fig  tree  is  of  frequent  mention  as  a  symbol  of  the  nation. 
The  warning  conveyed  in  the  parable  is  plain;  the  element 
of  possible  escape  is  no  less  evident.  If  the  fig  tree  repre- 
sents the  covenant  people,  then  the  vineyard  is  naturally  the 
world  at  large,  and  the  dresser  of  the  vineyard  is  the  Son 
of  God,  who  by  personal  ministry  and  solicitous  care  makes 
intercession  for  the  barren  tree,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  yet 
bear  fruit.  The  parable  is  of  universal  application;  but  so 
far  as  it  had  special  bearing  upon  the  Jewish  "fig  tree"  of 
that  time,  it  was  attended  by  an  awful  sequel.  The  Baptist 
had  cried  out  in  warning  that  the  ax  was  even  then  in  readi- 
ness, and  every  unfruitful  tree  would  be  hewn  down/ 

A  WOMAN  HEALED  ON  THE  SABBATH  .^ 

On  a  certain  Sabbath  Jesus  was  teaching  in  a  synagog,  of 
what  place  we  are  not  told,  though  it  was  probably  in  one  of 
the  towns  of  Perea.  There  was  present  a  woman  who  for 


*Luke  13:6-9. 
/Luke  3:9. 
0Luke   13:11-17. 


444  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

eighteen  years  had  been  suffering  from  an  infirmity  that  had 
so  drawn  and  atrophied  the  muscles  as  to  bend  her  body  so 
that  she  could  in  no  wise  straighten  herself.  Jesus  called 
her  to  Him,  and  without  waiting  for  petition  or  request,  said 
simply,  "Woman,  thou  art  loosed  from  thine  infirmity." 
These  words  He  accompanied  by  the  laying-on  of  hands,  a 
feature  of  His  healing  ministrations  not  always  performed. 
She  was  healed  forthwith  and  stood  erect ;  and,  acknowledg- 
ing the  source  of  the  power  by  which  she  had  been  released 
from  her  bonds,  glorified  God  in  a  fervent  prayer  of  thanks- 
giving. Doubtless  many  of  the  beholders  rejoiced  with  her; 
but  there  was  one  whose  soul  was  stirred  by  indignation 
only;  and  he,  the  ruler  of  the  synagog.  Instead  of  address- 
ing himself  to  Jesus,  of  whose  power  he  may  have  been 
afraid,  he  vented  his  ill  feeling  upon  the  people,  by  telling 
them  there  were  six  days  in  which  men  ought  to  work,  and 
that  on  those  days  they  who  wished  to  be  healed  should 
come,  but  not  on  the  Sabbath.  The  rebuke  was  ostensibly 
directed  to  the  people,  especially  to  the  woman  who  had 
received  the  blessing,  but  in  reality  against  Jesus;  for  if 
there  were  any  element  of  work  in  the  healing  it  had  been 
done  by  Him,  not  by  the  woman  nor  by  others.  Upon  the 
ruler  of  the  synagog  the  Lord  turned  with  direct  address : 
"Thou  hypocrite,  doth  not  each  one  of  you  on  the  sabbath 
loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  stall,  and  lead  him  away  to 
watering?  And  ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daughter 
of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen 
years,  be  loosed  from  this  bond  on  the  sabbath  day?" 

It  may  be  inferred  that  the  woman's  affliction  had  been 
more  deeply  seated  than  in  the  muscles ;  for  Luke  who  was 
himself  a  physician*1  tells  us  she  "had  a  spirit  of  infirmity," 
and  records  the  significant  words  of  the  Lord  to  the  effect 
that  Satan  had  held  her  bound  for  eighteen  years.  But 
whatever  her  ailment,  whether  wholly  physical  or  in  part 

fcColos.  4:14. 


THE  LAST  MAY  BE  FIRST  AND  THE  FIRST  LAST.  445 

mental  and  spiritual,  she  was  freed  from  her  bonds.  Again 
was  the  Christ  triumphant ;  His  adversaries  were  shamed 
into  silence,  while  the  believers  rejoiced.  The  rebuke  to 
the  ruler  of  the  synagog  was  followed  by  a  brief  discourse  in 
which  Jesus  gave  to  these  people  some  of  the  teachings  be- 
fore delivered  in  Galilee ;  these  included  the  parables  of  the 
mustard  seed  and  the  leaven.1' 


WILL.   MANY  OR  F£W  BF,  SAVFJ)  ?' 

Continuing  His  journey  toward  Jerusalem,  Jesus  taught 
in  many  of  the  cities  and  towns  of  Perea.  His  coming  had 
probably  been  announced  by  the  Seventy,  who  had  been  sent 
to  prepare  the  people  for  His  ministry.  One  of  those  who 
had  been  impressed  by  His  doctrines  submitted  this  question  : 
"Lord,  are  there  few  that  be  saved  ?"  Jesus  replied :  "Strive 
to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate :  for  many,  I  say  unto  you,  will 
seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be  able."fe  The  counsel  was 
enlarged  upon  to  show  that  neglect  or  procrastination  in 
obeying  the  requirements  for  salvation  may  result  in  the 
soul's  loss.  When  the  door  is  shut  in  judgment  many  will 
come  knocking,  and  some  will  plead  that  they  had  known 
the  Lord,  having  eaten  and  drunk  in  His  company,  and  that 
He  had  taught  upon  their  streets ;  but  to  them  who  had 
failed  to  accept  the  truth  when  offered  the  L,ord  shall  say : 
"I  tell  you,  I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are ;  depart  from  me, 
all  ye  workers  of  iniquity."  The  people  were  warned  that 
their  Israelitish  lineage  would  in  no  wise  save  them,  for 
many  who  were  not  of  the  covenant  people  would  believe 
and  be  saved,  while  unworthy  Israelites  would  be  thrust  out.' 
.So  is  it  that  "There  are  last  which  shall  be  first,  and  there  are 
first  which  shall  be  last." 

iLuke  13:19-21;  see  pages  290,  291  herein. 

/Luke   13:23-30. 

k  Compare    Matt.    7:13. 

,' Compare   Matt.   7:23;  8:11,    12;   19:30;   Mark   10:31. 


446  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 


JESUS  WARNED  OS  HEROES  DESIGN.™ 

On  the  day  of  the  discourse  last  noted,  certain  Pharisees 
came  to  Jesus  with  this  warning  and  advice :  "Get  thee  out, 
and  depart  hence :  for  Herod  will  kill  thee.""  We  have  here- 
tofore found  the  Pharisees  in  open  hostility  to  the  Lord,  or 
secretly  plotting  against  Him ;  and  some  commentators  re- 
gard this  warning  as  another  evidence  of  Pharisaic  cunning 
— possibly  intended  to  rid  the  province  of  Christ's  presence, 
or  designed  to  drive  Him  toward  Jerusalem,  where  He 
would  be  again  within  easy  reach  of  the  supreme  tribunal. 
Ought  we  not  to  be  liberal  and  charitable  in  our  judgment 
as  to  the  intent  of  others?  Doubtless  there  were  good  men 
in  the  fraternity  of  Pharisees,"  and  those  who  came  inform- 
ing Christ  of  a  plot  against  His  life  were  possibly  impelled 
by  humane  motives,  and  may  even  have  been  believers  at 
heart.  That  Herod  had  designs  against  our  Lord's  liberty 
or  life  appears  most  probable  in  the  answer  Jesus  made. 
He  received  the  information  in  all  seriousness,  and  His  com- 
ment thereon  is  one  of  the  strongest  of  His  utterances  against 
an  individual.  "Go  ye,"  said  He,  "and  tell  that  fox,  Behold, 
I  cast  out  devils,  and  I  do  cures  to  day  and  to  morrow,  and 
the  third  day  I  shall  be  perfected."  The  specifying 
of  today,  tomorrow,  and  the  third  day,  was  a  means  of 
expressing  the  present  in  which  the  Lord  was  then  act- 
ing, the  immediate  future,  in  which  He  would  continue 
to  minister,  since,  as  He  knew,  the  day  of  His  death 
was  yet  several  months  distant,  and  the  time  at 
which  his  earthly  work  would  be  finished  and  He  be  per- 
fected. He  placed  beyond  doubt  the  fact  that  He  did  not 
intend  to  hasten  His  steps,  neither  cut  short  His  journey  nor 


mLuke  13:31-33. 

n  In  the  revised  version  the  last  clause  reads  "for  Herod  would  fain 
kill  thee." 

o  Paul  the  apostle  had  been  a  Pharisee  of  the  most  pronounced  type. 
(Acts  23:6;  26:5.) 


NOTES.  447 

cease  His  labors  through  fear  of  Herod  Antipas,  who  for 
craft  and  cunning  was  best  typified  by  a  sly  and  murderous 
fox.  Nevertheless  it  was  Christ's  intention  to  go  on,  and 
soon  in  ordinary  course  He  would  leave  Perea,  which  was 
part  of  Herod's  domain,  and  enter  Judea ;  and  at  the  fore- 
known time  would  make  His  final  entry  into  Jerusalem,  for 
in  that  city  was  He  to  accomplish  his  sacrifice.  "It  cannot 
be,"  He  explained,  "that  a  prophet  perish  out  of  Jerusalem." 
The  awful  reality  that  He,  the  Christ,  would  be  slain  in 
the  chief  city  of  Israel  wrung  from  Him  the  pathetic  apos- 
trophe over  Jerusalem,  which  was  repeated  when  for  the 
last  time  His  voice  was  heard  within  the  temple  walls.^ 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  26. 

i.  Christ's  Ministry  Following  His  Final  Withdrawal  From 
Galilee. — John  tells  us  that  when  Jesus  went  from  Galilee  to  Jeru- 
salem to  attend  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  He  went  "not  openly, 
but  as  it  were  in  secret"  (7:10).  It  appears  improbable  that  the 
numerous  works  recorded  by  the  synoptic  writers  as  features  of 
our  Lord's  ministry,  which  extended  from  Galilee  through  Perea, 
into  Samaria  and  parts  of  Judea,  could  have  attended  that  special 
and,  as  it  were  secret,  journey,  at  the  time  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles. The  lack  of  agreement  among  writers  as  to  the  sequence 
of  events  in  Christs'  life  is  wide.  A  comparison  of  the  "Har- 
monies" published  in  the  most  prominent  Bible  Helps  (see  e.  g. 
Oxford  and  Bagster  "Helps")  exemplifies  these  divergent  views. 
The  subject-matter  of  our  Lord's  teachings  maintains  its  own 
intrinsic  worth  irrespective  of  merely  circumstantial  incidents. 
The  following  excerpt  from  Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  chap.  42)  will 
be  of  assistance  to  the  student,  who  should  bear  in  mind,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  professedly  but  a  tentative  or  possible  arrange- 
ment. "It  is  well  known  that  the  whole  of  one  great  section  in 
St.  Luke — from  9:51  to  18:30 — forms  an  episode  in  the  Gospel 
narrative  of  which  many  incidents  are  narrated  by  this  Evan- 
gelist alone,  and  in  which  the  few  identifications  of  time  and 
place  all  point  to  one  slow  and  solemn  progress  from  Galilee  to 
Jerusalem  (9:51;  13:22;  17:11;  10:38).  Now  after  the  Feast  of 
Dedication  our  Lord  retired  into  Perea,  until  He  was  summoned 
thence  by  the  death  of  Lazarus  (John  10:40,  42;  11:1-46);  after 
the  resurrection  [raising]  of  Lazarus,  He  fled  to  Ephraim 
(n  :54)  ;  and  He  did  not  leave  His  retirement  at  Ephraim  until 
He  went  to  Bethany,  six  days  before  His  final  Passover  (12:1). 

"This    great    journey,    therefore,    from    Galilee    to    Jerusalem, 


/>Luke  13:34,  35;  compare  Matt.  23:37-39. 


448  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    26. 

so  rich  in  occasions  which  called  forth  some  of  His  most  memor- 
able utterances,  must  have  been  either  a  journey  to  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles  or  to  the  Feast  of  Dedication.  That  it  could  not 
have  been  the  former  may  be  regarded  as  settled,  not  only  on 
other  grounds,  but  decisively  because  that  was  a  rapid  and  secret 
journey,  this  an  eminently  public  and  leisurely  one. 

"Almost  every  inquirer  seems  to  differ  to  a  greater  or  less 
degree  as  to  the  exact  sequence  and  chronology  of  'he  events 
which  follow.  Without  entering  into  minute  and  tedious  dis- 
quisitions where  absolute  certainty  is  impossible.  I  will  narrate 
this  period  of  our  Lord's  life  in  the  order  which,  after  repeated 
study  of  the  Gospels,  appears  to  me  to  be  the  most  probable,  and 
in  the  separate  details  of  which  I  have  found  myself  again  and 
again  confirmed  by  the  conclusions  of  other  independent  inquir- 
ers. And  here  I  will  only  premise  my  conviction — 

"i.  That  the  episode  of  St.  Luke  up  to  18:30,  mainly  refers 
to  a  single  journey,  although  unity  of  subject,  or  other  causes, 
may  have  led  the  sacred  writer  to  weave  into  his  narrative  some 
events  or  utterances  which  belong  to  an  earlier  or  later  epoch. 

"2.  That  the  order  of  the  facts  narrated  even  by  St.  Luke 
alone  is  not,  and  does  not  in  any  way  claim  to  be,  strictly 
chronological ;  so  that  the  place  of  any  event  in  the  narrative  by 
no  means  necessarily  indicates  its  true  position  in  the  order  of 
time. 

"3.  That  this  journey  is  identical  with  that  which  is  par- 
tially recorded  in  Matt.  18:1;  20:16;  Mark  10:1-31. 

"4.  That  (as  seems  obvious  from  internal  evidence)  the  events 
narrated  in  Matt.  20:17-28;  Mark  10:32-45;  Luke  18:31-34,  belong 
not  to  this  journey  but  to  the  last  which  Jesus  ever  took — the 
journey  from  Ephraim  to  Bethany  and  Jerusalem." 

2.  Jesus  at  the  Home  in  Bethany. — Some  writers  (e.g. 
Edersheim)  place  this  incident  as  having  occurred  in  the  course 
of  our  Lord's  journey  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles; others  (e.  g.  Geikie)  assume  that  it  took  place  immediately 
after  that  feast;  and  yet  others  (e.  g.  Farrar)  assign  it  to  the 
eve  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  nearly  three  months  later.  The 
place  given  it  in  the  text  is  that  in  which  it  appears  in  the  scrip- 
tural record!, 


A  LESSON   IN  GOOD  MANNERS.  449 


CHAPTER  27. 

CONTINUATION    OF   THE   PEREAN   AND   JUDEAN 
MINISTRY. 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF   ONE)  OF  THE   CHIEF   PHARISEES.0 

On  a  certain  Sabbath  Jesus  was  a  guest  at  the  house  of  a 
prominent  Pharisee.  A  man  afflicted  with  dropsy  was 
there ;  he  may  have  come  with  the  hope  of  receiving  a  bless- 
ing, or  possibly  his  presence  had  been  planned  by  the  host  or 
others  as  a  means  of  tempting  Jesus  to  work  a  miracle  on 
the  holy  day.  The  exercize  of  our  Lord's  healing  power  was 
at  least  thought  of  if  not  openly  intimated  or  suggested,  for 
we  read  that  "Jesus  answering  spake  unto  the  lawyers  and 
Pharisees,  saying,  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath  day  ?"& 
No  one  ventured  to  reply.  Jesus  forthwith  healed  the  man ; 
then  He  turned  to  the  assembled  company  and  asked : 
"Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fallen  into  a  pit, 
and  will  not  straightway  pull  him  out  on  the  sabbath  day  ?"c 
The  learned  expositors  of  the  law  remained  prudently  silent. 
Observing  the  eager  activity  of  the  Pharisee's  guests  in 
securing  for  themselves  prominent  places  at  table,  Jesus  in- 
structed them  in  a  matter  of  good  manners,  pointing  out  not 
only  the  propriety  but  the  advantage  of  decent  self-restraint. 
An  invited  guest  should  not  select  for  himself  the  seat  of 
honor,  for  some  one  more  distinguished  than  he  may  come, 
and  the  host  would  say :  "Give  this  man  place."  Better  is 
it  to  take  a  lower  seat,  then  possibly  the  lord  of  the  feast  may 
say:  "Friend,  go  up  higher."  The  moral  follows:  "For 

cLuke  14:1-24. 

b  The  question  is  identical  with  that  asked  of  Jesus  in  the  synagog  at 
Capernaum  preliminary  to  the  healing  of  the  man  with  the  withered  hand 
(Matt.  12:10). 

cExo.   23:5;   Deut.   22:4;   Luke   13:15. 

IS 


450  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

whosoever  exalt eth  himself  shall  be  abased;  and  he  that 
humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted. "d 

This  festive  gathering  at  the  house  of  the  chief  Pharisee 
included  persons  of  prominence  and  note,  rich  men  and 
officials,  leading  Pharisees,  renowned  scholars,  famous  rabbis 
and  the  like.  Looking  over  the  distinguished  company, 
Jesus  said :  "When  thou  makest  a  dinner  or  a  supper,  call 
not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  neither  thy  kinsmen,  nor 
thy  rich  neighbours;  lest  they  also  bid  thee  again,  and  a 
recompence  be  made  thee.  But  when  thou  makest  a  feast, 
call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  the  blind :  And  thou 
shalt  be  blessed ;  for  they  cannot  recompense  thee :  for  thou 
shalt  be  recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just."  This 
bit  of  wholesome  advice  was  construed  as  a  reproof ;  and 
some  one  attempted  to  relieve  the  embarrassing  situation  by 
exclaiming:  "Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the  king- 
dom of  God."*  The  remark  was  an  allusion  to  the  great  fes- 
tival, which  according  to  Jewish  traditionalism  was  to  be  a 
feature  of  signal  importance  in  the  Messianic  dispensation. 
Jesus  promptly  turned  the  circumstance  to  good  account  by 
basing  thereon  the  profoundly  significant  Parable  of  the 
Great  Supper: 

"A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and  bade  many : 
And  sent  his  servant  at  supper  time  to  say  to  them  that  were 
bidden,  Come ;  for  all  things  are  now  ready.  And  they  all 
with  one  consent  began  to  make  excuse.  The  first  said  unto 
him,  I  have  bought  a  piece  of  ground,  and  I  must  needs  go 
and  see  it :  I  pray  thee  have  me  excused.  And  another  said, 
I  have  bought  five  yoke  of  oxen,  and  I  go  to  prove  them :  I 
pray  thee  have  me  excused.  And  another  said,  I  have  mar- 
ried a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot  come.  So  that  servant 
came,  and  shewed  his  lord  these  things.  Then  the  master 
of  the  house  being  angry  said  to  his  servant,  Go  out  quickly 
into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring  in  hither  the 

d  Compare  Matt.  23:12;  Luke  1:52;   18:14;  James  4:6;   1  Peter  5:5. 
*  Compare  Matt.  8:11;  Rev.  19:9.    The  expression  "eat  bread"  is  a  Hebra- 
ism, signifying  eating  in  full  as  at  a  feast  rather  than  partaking  of  bread  only. 


PARABLE  OF  THE  GREAT  SUPPER.  451 

poor,  and  the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and  the  blind.  And  the 
servant  said,  Lord,  it  is  done  as  thou  hast  commanded,  and 
yet  there  is  room.  And  the  lord  said  unto  the  servant,  Go 
out  into  the  highways  and  hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come 
in,  that  my  house  may  be  filled.  For  I  say  unto  you,  That 
none  of  those  men  which  were  bidden  shall  taste  of  my 
supper."* 

The  story  implies  that  invitations  had  been  given  suffi- 
ciently early  to  the  chosen  and  prospective  guests ;  then  on 
the  day  of  the  feast  a  messenger  was  sent  to  notify  them 
again,  as  was  the  custom  of  the  time.  Though  called  a  sup- 
per, the  meal  was  to  be  a  sumptuous  one ;  moreover,  the 
principal  meal  of  the  day  was  commonly  spoken  of  as  supper 
One  man  after  another  declined  to  attend,  one  saying:  "I 
pray  thee  have  me  excused" ;  another :  "I  cannot  come." 
The  matters  that  engaged  the  time  and  attention  of  those 
who  had  been  bidden,  or  as  we  would  say,  invited,  to  the 
feast,  were  not  of  themselves  discreditable,  far  less  sinful ; 
but  to  arbitrarily  allow  personal  affairs  to  annul  an  honorable 
engagement  once  accepted  was  to  manifest  discourtesy,  dis- 
respect and  practical  insult  toward  the  provider  of  the  feast. 
The  man  who  had  bought  a  field  could  have  deferred  the 
inspection ;  he  who  had  just  purchased  cattle  could  have 
waited  a  day  to  try  them  .under  the  yoke ;  and  the  newly  mar- 
ried man  could  have  left  his  bride  and  his  friends  for  the 
period  of  the  supper  that  he  had  promised  to  attend.  Plainly 
none  of  these  people  wanted  to  be  present.  The  master  of 
the  house  was  justly  angry.  His  command  to  bring  in  the 
poor  and  the  maimed,  the  halt  and  the  blind  from  the  city 
streets  must  have  appealed  to  those  who  listened  to  our 
Lord's  recital  as  a  reminiscence  of  His  counsel  given  a  few 
minutes  before,  concerning  the  kind  of  guests  a  rich  man 
could  invite  with  profit  to  his  soul.  The  second  sending  out 

/Luke  14:16-24.  Compare  the  parable  relating  to  the  marriage  of  the 
king's  son  (Matt.  22:2-10);  study  points  of  resemblance  and  difference  be- 
tween the  two  and  the  distinctive  lessons  of  each.  See  page  536. 


452  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

of  the  servant,  this  time  into  the  highways  and  hedges  out- 
side the  city  walls,  to  bring  in  even  the  country  poor,  indi- 
cated boundless  benevolence  and  firm  determination  on  the 
householder's  part. 

Explication  of  the  parable  was  left  to  the  learned  men  to 
whom  the  story  was  addressed.  Surely  some  of  them  would 
fathom  its  meaning,  in  part  at  least.  The  covenant  people, 
Israel,  were  the  specially  invited  guests.  They  had  been 
bidden  long  enough  aforetime,  and  by  their  own  profession 
as  the  Lord's  own  had  agreed  to  be  partakers  of  the  feast. 
When  all  was  ready,  on  the  appointed  day,  they  were  sev- 
erally summoned  by  the  Messenger  who  had  been  sent  by 
the  Father;  He  was  even  then  in  their  midst.  But  the 
cares  of  riches,  the  allurement  of  material  things,  and  the 
pleasures  of  social  and  domestic  life  had  engrossed  them ; 
and  they  prayed  to  be  excused  or  irreverently  declared  they 
could  not  or  would  not  come.  Then  the  gladsome  invitation 
was  to  be  carried  to  the  Gentiles,  who  were  looked  upon  as 
spiritually  poor,  maimed,  halt,  and  blind.  And  later,  even 
the  pagans  beyond  the  walls,  strangers  in  the  gates  of  the 
holy  city,  would  be  bidden  to  the  supper.  These,  surprized 
at  the  unexpected  summons,  would  hesitate,  until  by  gentle 
urging  and  effective  assurance  that  they  were  really  included 
among  the  bidden  guests,  they  would  feel  themselves  con- 
strained or  compelled  to  come.  The  possibility  of  some  of 
the  discourteous  ones  arriving  later,  after  they  had  attended 
to  their  more  absorbing  affairs,  is  indicated  in  the  Lord's 
closing  words :  "For  I  say  unto  you,  That  none  of  those 
men  which  were  bidden  shall  taste  of  my  supper." 

COUNTING  THE:  COST.*7 

As  had  been  in  Galilee,  so  was  it  in  Perea  and  Judea — 
great  multitudes  attended  the  Master  whenever  He  appeared 

0Luke   14:25-35. 


THE  COST  OF  DISCIPLESHIP.  453 

in  public.  When  once  a  scribe  has  presented  himself  as  a 
disciple,  offering  to  follow  wherever  the  Master  led,  Jesus 
had  indicated  the  self-denial,  privation  and  suffering  incident 
to  devoted  service,  with  the  result  that  the  man's  enthusiasm 
was  soon  spent.71  So  now  to  the  eager  multitude  Jesus  ap- 
plied a  test  of  sincerity.  He  would  have  only  genuine  disci- 
ples, not  enthusiasts  of  a  day,  ready  to  desert  His  cause  when 
effort  and  sacrifice  were  most  needed.  Thus  did  He  sift  the 
people  :  "If  any  man  come  to  me,  and  hate  not  his  father,  and 
mother,  and  wife,  and  children,  and  brethren,  and  sisters, 
yea,  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple.  And 
whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  cross,  and  come  after  me,  can- 
not be  my  disciple."  Literal  hatred  toward  one's  family 
was  not  specified  as  a  condition  of  discipleship ;  indeed  a 
man  who  indulges  hatred  or  any  other  evil  passion  is  a  sub- 
ject for  repentance  and  reformation.  The  preeminence  of 
duty  toward  God  over  personal  or  family  demands  on  the 
part  of  one  who  had  assumed  the  obligations  of  a  disciple 
was  the  precept.* 

As  Jesus  pointed  out,  it  is  good  common-sense  to  count 
well  the  cost  before  one  enters  upon  a  great  undertaking, 
even  in  ordinary  affairs.  A  man  who  wishes  to  build,  say 
a  tower  or  a  house,  tries  to  determine,  before  he  begins  the 
work,  what  the  expense  will  be ;  otherwise  he  may  be  able  to 
do  no  more  than  lay  the  foundation ;  then,  not  only  will  h~ 
find  himself  a  loser,  for  the  unfinished  structure  will  be  of  no 
service,  but  people  may  laugh  at  his  lack  of  prudent  fore- 
thought. So  also  a  king,  finding  his  realm  menaced  by  hostile 
invaders,  does  not  rush  into  battle  recklessly;  he  first  tries 
to  ascertain  the  strength  of  the  enemy's  forces ;  and  then,  if 
the  odds  against  him  be  too  great,  he  sends  an  embassage  to 
treat  for  peace.  "So  likewise,"  said  Jesus  to  the  people 
around  Him,  "whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all 


h  Matt.   8:19,   20;   compare  Luke  9:57,  58;   page  305  herein. 
i  Compare  the  requirement  under  the  Mosaic  administration,  Deut.  13:6- 
11;  and  note  the  application  of  the  principle  to  the  apostles,  Matt.  10:37-39, 


454  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple."  All  who  entered 
His  service  would  be  expected  to  maintain  their  self-sacrific- 
ing devotion.  He  wanted  no  disciples  who  would  become 
like  salt  that  had  spoiled,  unsavory  and  useless.  "He  that 
hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."'' 

SALVATION    FOR    "PUBLICANS    AND    SINNERS" — ILLUSTRATIVE 
PARABLHS.^ 

The  Pharisees  in  Galilee  had  intolerantly  criticized  Jesus 
because  of  His  friendly  and  helpful  ministry  among  the  pub- 
licans and  their  associates,  who  were  disparagingly  classed 
together  as  "publicans  and  sinners."*  He  had  replied  to 
these  uncharitable  aspersions  by  saying  that  a  physician  is 
most  needed  by  them  that  are  sick,  and  that  He  had  come  to 
call  sinners  to  repentance.  The  Judean  Pharisees  raised  a 
similar  complaint,  and  were  particularly  virulent  when  they 
saw  that  "all  the  publicans  and  sinners"  drew  near  to  hear 
Him.  He  met  their  murmurs  by  presenting  a  number  of 
parables,  designed  to  show  the  incumbent  duty  of  trying  to 
recover  the  lost,  and  the  joy  of  success  in  such  God-like 
endeavor.  The  first  of  the  series  of  parables  was  that  of 
the  Lost  Sheep;  this  we  have  considered  in  connection  with 
its  earlier  delivery  in  the  course  of  instruction  to  the  disciples 
in  Galilee.w  Its  application  in  the  present  instance,  how- 
ever, is  somewhat  different  from  that  of  its  former  presenta- 
tion. The  lesson  on  this  later  occasion  was  directed  to  the 
self-seeking  Pharisees  and  scribes  who  personified  the  theoc- 
racy, and  whose  bounden  duty  it  should  have  been  to  care 
for  the  strayed  and  the  lost.  If  the  "publicans  and  sinners," 
whom  these  ecclesiasts  so  generally  contemned,  were  nearly 
as  bad  as  they  were  represented  to  be,  if  they  were  men  who 
had  broken  through  the  close-hedged  path  of  the  law  and 

/Compare  Matt.  5:13;  Mark  9:50. 

fcLuke  15. 

/Matt.   9:10-13;   Mark   2:15-17;   Luke   5:29-32.     Se«   page   193  herein. 

mMatt.  18:12-14.     See  page  389  herein. 


JOY  IN   HEAVEN  WHEN  THE  LOST  ARE  FOUND.  455 

had  become  in  a  measure  apostate,  they  were  the  ones  toward 
whom  the  helping  hand  of  missionary  service  could  be  best 
extended.  In  no  instance  of  Pharisaic  slur  upon,  or  open 
denunciation  of,  these  "publicans  and  sinners,"  do  we  find 
Jesus  defending  their  alleged  evil  ways ;  His  attitude  toward 
these  spiritually  sick  folk  was  that  of  a  devoted  physician : 
His  concern  over  these  strayed  sheep  was  that  of  a  loving 
shepherd  whose  chief  desire  was  to  find  them  out  and  bring 
them  back  to  the  fold.  This  neither  the  theocracy  as  a  sys- 
tem nor  its  officials  as  individual  ministers  even  attempted 
to  do.  The  shepherd,  on  finding  the  sheep  that  was  lost, 
thinks  not  at  the  time  of  reprimand  or  punishment ;  on  the 
contrary,  "when  he  hath  found  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoul- 
ders, rejoicing.  And  when  he  cometh  home,  he  calleth  to- 
gether his  friends  and  neighbours,  saying  unto  them:  Re- 
joice with  me ;  for  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost." 
A  direct  application  of  the  parable  appears  in  the  Lord's 
concise  address  to  the  Pharisees  and  scribes :  "I  say  unto 
you,  that  likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons, 
which  need  no  repentance."  Were  they  the  ninety  and  nine, 
who,  by  self -estimation  had  strayed  not,  being  "just  persons, 
which  need  no  repentance?"  Some  readers  say  they  catch 
this  note  of  just  sarcasm  in  the  Master's  concluding  words. 
In  the  earlier  part  of  the  story,  the  Lord  Himself  appears 
as  the  solicitous  Shepherd,  and  by  plain  implication  His  ex- 
ample is  such  as  the  theocratic  leaders  ought  to  emulate. 
Such  a  conception  puts  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  in  the  posi- 
tion of  shepherds  rather  than  of  sheep.  Both  explications 
are  tenable ;  and  each  is  of  value  as  portraying  the  status  and 
duty  of  professing  servants  of  the  Master  in  all  ages. 

Without  break  in  the  narrative,  the  Lord  passed  from 
the  story  of  the  lost  sheep  to  the  Parable  of  the  Lost  Coin. 

"Either  what  woman  having  ten  pieces  of  silver,  if  she 


456  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

lose  one  piece,  doth  not  light  a  candle,  and  sweep  the  house, 
and  seek  diligently  till  she  find  it?  And  when  she  hath 
found  it,  she  calleth  her  friends  and  her  neighbours  together, 
saying,  Rejoice  with  me ;  for  I  have  found  the  piece  which 
I  had  lost.  Likewise,  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the 
presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  re- 
penteth." 

Between  this  parable  and  that  of  the  lost  sheep  there  are 
certain  notable  differences,  though  the  lesson  in  each  is  in 
general  the  same.  The  sheep  had  strayed  by  its  own  voli- 
tion ;  the  coin"  had  been  dropped,  and  so  was  lost  as  a  result 
of  inattention  or  culpable  carelessness  on  the  part  of  its 
owner.  The  woman,  discovering  her  loss  institutes  a  dili- 
gent search ;  she  sweeps  the  house,  and  perhaps  learns  of 
dirty  corners,  dusty  recesses,  cobwebby  nooks,  to  which  she 
had  been  oblivious  in  her  self-complacency  as  an  outwardly 
clean  and  conventional  housewife.  Her  search  is  rewarded 
by  the  recovery  of  \he  lost  piece,  and  is  incidentally  bene- 
ficial in  the  cleansing  of  her  house.  Her  joy  is  like  that  of 
the  shepherd  wending  his  way  homeward  with  the  sheep 
upon  his  shoulders — once  lost  but  now  regained. 

The  woman  who  by  lack  of  care  lost  tbe  precious  piece 
may  be  taken  to  represent  the  theocracy  of  tl  e  time,  and  the 
Church  as  an  institution  in  any  dispensational  period;  then 
the  pieces  of  silver,  every  one  a  genuine  coin  of  the  realm, 
bearing  the  image  of  the  great  King,  are  the  souls  committed 
to  the  care  of  the  Church ;  and  the  lost  piece  symbolizes  the 
souls  that  are  neglected  and,  for  a  time  at  least,  lost  sight  of, 
by  the  authorized  ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  These 
cogent  illustrations  were  followed  by  one  yet  richer  in  im- 
agery and  more  impressively  elaborate  in  detail.  It  is  the 
never  to  be  forgotten  Parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son.0 

n  That  the  lost  piece  of  silver  was  a  coin,  and  not  a  piece  of  unstamped 
bullion  nor  an  ornament,  is  apparent  from  the  original,  "drachma,"  a  silver 
coin.  See  page  384  herein. 

o  Luke    15:11-32. 


PARABLE  OF  THE  PRODIGAL  SON.  457 

"And  he  said,  A  certain  man  had  two  sons:  And  the 
younger  of  them  said  to  his  father,  Father,  give  me  the  por- 
tion of  goods  that  falleth  to  me.  And  he  divided  unto  them 
his  living.  And  not  many  days  after  the  younger  son  gath- 
ered all  together,  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far  country, 
and  there  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous  living.  And 
when  he  had  spent  all,  there  arose  a  mighty  famine  in  that 
land ;  and  he  began  to  be  in  want.  And  he  went  and  joined 
himself  to  a  citizen  of  that  country ;  and  he  sent  him  into 
his  fields  to  feed  swine.  And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his 
belly  with  the  husks  that  the  swine  did  eat :  and  no  man  gave 
unto  him.  And  when  he  came  to  himself,  he  said,  How 
many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough  and 
to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger !  I  will  arise  and  go  to 
my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned 
against  heaven,  and  before  thee,  And  am  no  more  worthy  to 
be  called  thy  son :  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants. 
And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father.  But  when  he  was 
yet  a  great  way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had  compassion, 
and  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him.  And  the  son 
said  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in 
thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son.  But 
the  father  said  to  his  servants,  Bring  forth  the  best  robe,  and 
put  it  on  him ;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his 
feet :  And  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf,  and  kill  it ;  and  let  us 
eat,  and  be  merry :  For  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is  alive 
again;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found.  And  they  began  to  be 
merry.  Now  his  elder  son  was  in  the  field :  and  as  he  came 
and  drew  nigh  to  the  house,  he  heard  musick  and  dancing. 
And  he  called  one  of  the  servants,  and  asked  what  these 
things  meant.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thy  brother  is  come ; 
and  thy  father  hath  killed  the  fatted  calf,  because  he  hath 
received  him  safe  and  sound.  And  he  was  angry,  and  would 
not  go  in :  therefore  came  his  father  out,  and  intreated  him. 
And  he  answering  said  to  his  father,  L,o,  these  many  years 
do  I  serve  thee,  neither  transgressed  I  at  any  time  thy  com- 
mandment :  and  yet  thou  never  gavest  me  a  kid,  that  I  might 
make  merry  with  my  friends :  But  as  soon  as  this  thy  son 
was  come,  which  hath  devoured  thy  living  with  harlots,  thou 
hast  killed  for  him  the  fatted  calf.  And  he  said  unto  him, 
Son,  thou  art  ever  with  me,  and  all  that  I  have  is  thine.  It 
was  meet  that  we  should  make  merry,  and  be  glad :  for  this 


458  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27, 

thy  brother  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again  ;  and  was  lost,  and  is 
found/" 

The  demand  of  the  younger  son  for  a  portion  of  the 
patrimony  even  during  his  father's  lifetime,  is  an  instance 
of  deliberate  and  unfilial  desertion ;  the  duties  of  family  co- 
operation had  grown  distasteful  to  him,  and  the  wholesome 
discipline  of  the  home  had  become  irksome.  He  was  deter- 
mined to  break  away  from  all  home  ties,  forgetful  of  what 
home  had  done  for  him  and  the  debt  of  gratitude  and  duty 
by  which  he  was  morally  bound.  He  went  into  a  far  coun- 
try, and,  as  he  thought,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  father's 
directing  influence.  He  had  his  season  of  riotous  living,  of 
unrestrained  indulgence  and  evil  pleasure,  through  it  all 
wasting  his  strength  of  body  and  mind,  and  squandering  his 
father's  substance ;  for  what  he  had  received  had  been  given 
as  a  concession  and  not  as  the  granting  of  any  legal  or  just 
demand.  Adversity  came  upon  him,  and  proved  to  be  a 
more  effective  minister  for  good  than  pleasure  had  been. 
He  was  reduced  to  the  lowest  and  most  menial  service,  that 
of  herding  swine,  which  occupation,  to  a  Jew,  was  the  ex- 
treme of  degradation.  Suffering  brought  him  to  himself.  He, 
the  son  of  honorable  parentage,  was  feeding  pigs  and  eating 
with  them,  while  even  the  hired  servants  at  home  had  good 
food  in  plenty  and  to  spare.  He  realized  not  alone  his  abject 
foolishness  in  leaving  his  father's  well-spread  table  to  batten 
with  hogs,  but  the  unrighteousness  of  his  selfish  desertion ; 
he  was  not  only  remorseful  but  repentant.  He  had  sinned 
against  his  father  and  agamst  God ;  he  would  return,  confess 
his  sin,  and  ask,  not  to  be  reinstated  as  a  son,  but  to  be 
allowed  to  work  as  a  hired  servant.  Having  resolved  he 
delayed  not,  but  immediately  set  out  to  find  his  long  way 
back  to  home  and  father. 

The  father  became  aware  of  the  prodigal's  approach  and 
hastened  to  meet  him.    Without  a  word  of  condemnation, 


THE  PRODIGAL  AND   HIS  BROTHER.  459 

the  loving  parent  embraced  and  kissed  the  wayward  but  now 
penitent  boy,  who,  overcome  by  this  undeserved  affection, 
humbly  acknowledged  his  error,  and  sorrowfully  confessed 
that  he  was  not  worthy  to  be  known  as  his  father's  son0  It 
is  noteworthy  that  in  his  contrite  confession  he  did  not  ask 
to  be  accepted  as  a  hired  servant  as  he  had  resolved  to  do ; 
the  father's  joy  was  too  sacred  to  be  thus  marred,  he  would 
please  his  father  best  by  placing  himself  unreservedly  at  that 
father's  disposal.  The  rough  garb  of  poverty  was  discarded 
for  the  best  robe ;  a  ring  was  placed  on  his  finger  as  a  mark 
of  reinstatement;  shoes  told  of  restored  sonship,  not  of  em- 
ployment as  a  hired  servant.  The  father's  glad  heart  could 
express  itself  only  in  acts  of  abundant  kindness ;  a  feast  was 
made  ready ;  for  was  not  the  son,  once  counted  as  dead  now 
alive  ?  Had  not  the  lost  been  found  again  ? 

So  far  the  story  sustains  a  relation  of  close  analogy  to 
the  two  parables  that  preceded  it  in  the  same  discourse ;  the 
part  following  introduces  another  important  symbolism.  No 
one  had  complained  at  the  recovery  of  the  stray  sheep  nor 
at  the  rinding  of  the  lost  coin ;  friends  had  rejoiced  with  the 
finder  in  each  case.  But  the  father's  happiness  at  the  return 
of  the  prodigal  was  interrupted  by  the  grumbling  protest  of 
the  elder  son.  He,  on  approaching  the  house,  had  observed 
the  evidences  of  festal  joy ;  and,  instead  of  entering  as  was 
his  right,  had  inquired  of  one  of  the  servants  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  unusual  rejoicing.  On  learning  that  his  brother  had 
returned  and  that  the  father  had  prepared  a  festival  in  honor 
of  the  event,  this  elder  son  grew  angry,  and  churlishly  re- 
fused to  enter  the  house  even  after  his  father  had  come  out 
and  entreated  him.  He  cited  his  own  faithfulness  and  de- 
votion to  the  routine  labor  of  the  farm,  to  which  claim  of 
excellence  the  father  did  not  demur;  but  the  son  and  heir 
reproached  his  father  for  having  failed  to  give  him  so  much 
as  a  kid  with  which  to  make  merry  with  his  friends ;  while 
now  that  the  wayward  and  spendthrift  son  had  come  back  the 


460  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

father  had  killed  for  him  even  the  fatted  calf.  There  is 
significance  in  the  elder  one's  designation  of  the  penitent  as 
"this  thy  son,"  rather  than  "my  brother."  The  elder  son, 
deafened  by  selfish  anger,  refused  to  hear  aright  the  affec- 
tionate assurance;  "Son,  thou  art  ever  with  me,  and  all  that 
I  have  is  thine,"  and  with  heart  hardened  by  unbrotherly 
resentment  he  stood  unmoved  by  the  emotional  and  loving 
outburst,  "this  thy  brother  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again ;  and 
was  lost,  and  is  found." 

We  are  not  justified  in  extolling  the  virtue  of  repentance 
on  the  part  of  the  prodigal  above  the  faithful,  plodding 
service  of  his  brother,  who  had  remained  at  home,  true  to 
the  duties  required  of  him.  The  devoted  son  was  the  heir ; 
the  father  did  not  disparage  his  worth,  nor  deny  his  deserts. 
His  displeasure  over  the  rejoicing  incident  to  the  return  of 
his  wayward  brother  was  an  exhibition  of  illiberality  and 
narrowness;  but  of  the  two  brothers  the  elder  was  the  more 
faithful,  whatever  his  minor  defects  may  have  been.  The 
particular  point  emphasized  in  the  Lord's  lesson,  however, 
had  to  do  with  his  uncharitable  and  selfish  weaknesses. 

Pharisees  and  scribes,  to  whom  this  masterpiece  of  illus- 
trative incident  was  delivered,  must  have  taken  to  themselves 
its  personal  application.  They  were  typified  by  the  elder 
son,  laboriously  attentive  to  routine,  methodically  plodding 
by  rule  and  rote  in  the  multifarious  labors  of  the  field,  with- 
out interest  except  that  of  self,  and  all  unwilling  to  welcome 
a  repentant  publican  or  a  returned  sinner.  From  all  such 
they  were  estranged;  such  a  one  might  be  to  the  indulgent 
and  forgiving  Father,  "this  thy  son,"  but  never  to  them,  a 
brother.  They  cared  not  who  or  how  many  were  lost,  so 
long  as  they  were  undisturbed  in  heirship  and  possession  by 
the  return  of  penitent  prodigals.  But  the  parable  was  not 
for  then:  alone ;  it  is  a  living  perennial  yielding  the  fruit  of 
wholesome  doctrine  and  soul-sustaining  nourishment  for  all 
'ime.  Not  a  word  appears  in  condonation  or  excuse  for  the 


THE   UNRIGHTEOUS   STEWARD.  461 

prodigal's  sin ;  upon  that  the  Father  could  not  look  with 
the  least  degree  of  allowance/  but  over  that  sinner's  repent- 
ance and  contrition  of  soul,  God  and  the  household  of  heaven 
rejoiced. 

The  three  parables  which  appear  in  the  scriptural  record 
as  parts  of  a  continuous  discourse,  are  as  one  in  portraying 
the  joy  that  abounds  in  heaven  over  the  recovery  of  a  soul 
once  numbered  among  the  lost,  whether  that  soul  be  best 
symbolized  by  a  sheep  that  had  wandered  afar,  a  coin  that 
had  dropped  out  of  sight  through  the  custodian's  neglect, 
or  a  son  who  would  deliberately  sever  himself  from  home 
and  heaven.  There  is  no  justification  for  the  inference  that 
a  repentant  sinner  is  to  be  given  precedence  over  a  righteous 
soul  who  has  resisted  sin ;  were  such  the  way  of  God,  then 
Christ,  the  one  sinless  Man,  would  be  surpassed  in  the 
Father's  esteem  by  regenerate  offenders.  Unqualifiedly 
offensive  as  is  sin,  the  sinner  is  yet  precious  in  the  Father's 
eyes,  because  of  the  possibility  of  his  repentance  and  return 
to  righteousness.  The  loss  of  a  soul  is  a  very  real  and  a 
very  great  loss  to  God.  He  is  pained  and  grieved  thereby, 
for  it  is  His  will  that  not  one  should  perish.^ 

THE,   DISCIPI^S   INSTRUCTED   BY   PARABIy£. 

Addressing  Himself  more  directly  to  the  disciples  pres- 
ent, who  on  this  occasion  probably  comprized  in  addition  to 
the  apostles,  many  believers,  including  even  some  of  the  pub- 
licans, Jesus  spake  the  Parable  of  the  Unrighteous  Steward.1" 

"And  he  said  also  unto  his  disciples,  There  was  a  certain 
rich  man,  which  had  a  steward ;  and  the  same  was  accused 
unto  him  that  he  had  wasted  his  goods.  And  he  called  him, 
and  said  unto  him,  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of  thee  ?  give  an 
account  of  thy  stewardship ;  for  thou  mayest  be  no  longer 

p  Compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  1:31;  B.  of  M.,  Alma  45:16. 
q  Compare  Matt.   18:14;  P.  of  G.   P.,  Moses  1:39. 
rLuke  16:1-8. 


JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

steward.  Then  the  steward  said  within  himself,  What  shall 
I  do?  for  my  lord  taketh  away  from  me  the  stewardship; 
I  cannot  dig;  to  beg  I  am  ashamed.  I  am  resolved  what 
to  do,  that,  when  I  am  put  out  of  Vhe  stewardship,  they  may 
receive  me  into  their  houses.  So  he  called  every  one  of  his 
lord's  debtors  unto  him,  and  said  unto  the  first,  How  much 
owest  thou  unto  my  lord  ?  And  he  said,  An  hundred  meas- 
ures of  oil.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy  bill,  and  sit 
down  quickly,  and  write  fifty.  Then  said  he  to  another,  And 
how  much  owest  thou  ?  And  he  said,  An  hundred  measures 
of  wheat.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy  bill,  and  write 
fourscore.  And  the  lord  commended  the  unjust  steward, 
because  he  had  done  wisely :  for  the  children  of  this  world 
are  in  their  generation  wiser-than  the  children  of  light." 

The  three  preceding  parables  show  forth  their  lessons 
through  the  relationship  of  close  analogy  and  intimate  sim- 
ilarities ;  this  one  teaches  rather  by  its  contrast  of  situa- 
tions. The  steward  in  the  story  was  the  duly  authorized 
agent  of  his  employer,  holding  what  we  would  call  the 
power-of -attorney  to  act  in  his  master's  name/  He  was 
called  to  account  because  a  report  of  his  wastefulness  and 
lack  of  care  had  reached  the  master's  ears.  The  steward 
did  not  deny  his  guilt,  and  forthwith  he  received  notice  oi 
dismissal.  Considerable  time  would  be  required  for  making 
up  his  accounts  preparatory  to  turning  the  stewardship  over 
to  his  successor.  This  interval,  during  which  he  remained 
in  authority,  he  determined  to  use  so  far  as  possible  to  his 
own  advantage,  even  though  he  wrought  further  injustice 
to  his  master's  interests.  He  contemplated  the  condition  of 
dependence  in  which  he  would  soon  find  himself.  Through 
unthrift  and  extravagance  he  had  failed  to  lay  by  any  store 
from  his  earnings ;  he  had  wasted  his  own  and  his  lord's 
substance.  He  felt  that  he  was  unfit  for  hard  manual  labor ; 
and  he  would  be  ashamed  to  beg,  particularly  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  had  been  a  lavish  spender  and  a  man  of 

sN-<te  1,  end  of  chapter. 


THE   MORAL  OF  THE  PARABLE.  463 

influence.  With  the  desire  to  put  others  under  some  obliga- 
tion to  himself  so  that  when  he  was  deposed  he  could  the 
more  effectively  appeal  to  them,  he  called  his  lord's  debtors 
and  authorized  them  to  change  their  bonds,  bills  of  sale,  or 
notes  of  hand,  so  as  to  show  a  greatly  decreased  indebted- 
ness. Without  doubt  these  acts  were  unrighteous ;  he  de- 
frauded his  employer,  and  enriched  the  debtors  through 
whom  he  hoped  to  be  benefited.  Most  of  us  are  surprized 
to  know  that  the  master,  learning  what  his  far-seeing  though 
selfish  and  dishonest  steward  had  done,  condoned  the  offense 
and  actually  commended  him  for  his  foresight,  "because  he 
had  done  wisely"  as  our  version  reads,  or  "because  he  had 
done  prudently"  as  many  scholars  aver  to  be  the  better  ren- 
dering. 

In  pointing  the  moral  of  the  parable  Jesus  said  :*  "For 
the  children  of  this  world  are  in  their  generation  wiser  than 
the  children  of  light.  And  I  say  unto  you,  Make  to  your- 
selves friends  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness;  that, 
when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into  everlasting  habita- 
tions." Our  Lord's  purpose  was  to  show  the  contrast  be- 
tween" the  care,  thought  fulness,  and  devotion  of  men  engaged 
in  the  money-making  affairs  of  earth,  and  the  half  hearted 
ways  of  many  who  are  professedly  striving  after  spiritual 
riches.  Worldly-minded  men  do  not  neglect  provision  for 
their  future  years,  and  often  are  sinfully  eager  to  amass 
plenty;  while  the  "children  of  light,"  or  those  who  believe 
spiritual  wealth  to  be  above  all  earthly  possessions,  are  less 
energetic,  prudent,  or  wise.  By  "mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness" we  may  understand  material  wealth  or  worldly  things. 
While  far  inferior  to  the  treasures  of  heaven,  money  or  that 
which  it  represents  may  be  the  means  of  accomplishing  good, 
and  of  furthering  the  purposes  of  God.  Our  Lord's  admoni- 
tion was  to  utilize  "mammon"  in  good  works,  while  it  lasted, 
for  some  day  it  shall  fail,  and  only  the  results  achieved 


fLuke  16:9-13. 


464  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

through  its  use  shall  endure."  If  the  wicked  steward,  when 
cast  out  from  his  master's  house  because  of  unworthiness, 
might  hope  to  be  received  into  the  homes  of  these  whom  he 
had  favored,  how  much  more  confidently  may  they  who  are 
genuinely  devoted  to  the  right  hope  to  be  received  into  the 
everlasting  mansions  of  God !  Such  seems  to  be  part  of  the 
lesson. 

It  was  not  the  steward's  dishonesty  that  was  extolled; 
his  prudence  and  foresight  were  commended,  however;  for 
while  he  misapplied  his  master's  substance,  he  gave  relief  to 
the  debtors ;  and  in  so  doing  he  did  not  exceed  his  legal 
powers,  for  he  was  still  steward  though  he  was  morally  guilty 
of  malfeasance.  The  lesson  may  be  summed  up  in  this  wise : 
Make  such  use  of  your  wealth  as  shall  insure  you  friends 
hereafter.  Be  diligent ;  for  the  day  in  which  you  can  use 
your  earthly  riches  will  soon  pass.  Take  a  lesson  from  even 
the  dishonest  and  the  evil ;  if  they  are  so  prudent  as  to  pro- 
vide for  the  only  future  they  think  of,  how  much  more  should 
you,  who  believe  in  an  eternal  future,  provide  therefor!  If 
you  have  not  learned  wisdom  and  prudence  in  the  use  of 
"unrighteous  mammon,"  how  can  you  be  trusted  with  the 
more  enduring  riches?  If  you  have  not  learned  how  to  use 
properly  the  wealth  of  another,  which  has  been  committed 
to  you  as  steward,  how  can  you  expect  to  be  successful  in 
the  handling  of  great  wealth  should  such  be  given  you  as 
your  own?  Emulate  the  unjust  steward  and  the  lovers  of 
mammon,  not  in  their  dishonesty,  cupidity,  and  miserly 
hoarding  of  the  wealth  that  is  at  best  but  transitory,  but  in 
their  zeal,  forethought,  and  provision  for  the  future.  More- 
over, let  not  wealth  become  your  master ;  keep  it  to  its  place 
as  a  servant,  for,  "No  servant  can  serve  two  masters :  for 
either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the  other;  or  else  he 
will  hold  to  the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  Ye  cannot  serve 
God  and  mammon." 

u  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 


PHARISEES  PROUD  OF  THEIR  FALSE  HUMILITY.  465 

DERISION    OF    THE    PHARISEES    MET;    ANOTHER    ILLUSTRATIVE 

PARABLES 

The  Pharisees,  who  were  covetous,  or  more  precisely 
stated,  who  were  lovers  of  money ,w  overheard  the  foregoing 
instructions  to  the  disciples,  and  openly  scoffed  at  the 
Teacher  and  the  lesson.  What  did  this  Galilean,  who  owned 
nothing  but  the  clothes  He  wore,  know  about  money  or  the 
best  way  of  administering  wealth?  Our  Lord's  reply  to 
their  words  of  derision  was  a  further  condemnation.  They 
knew  all  the  tricks  of  the  business-world,  and  could  outdo 
the  unrighteous  steward  in  crafty  manipulation ;  and  yet  so 
successfully  could  they  justify  themselves  before  men  as  to 
be  outwardly  honest  and  straightforward ;  furthermore,  they 
made  ostentatious  display  of  a  certain  type  of  simplicity, 
plainness,  and  self-denial,  in  which  external  observances  they 
asserted  superiority  over  the  luxury-loving  Sadducees ;  they 
had  grown  arrogantly  proud  of  their  humility,  but  God  knew 
their  hearts,  and  the  traits  and  practises  they  most  esteemed 
were  an  abomination  in  His  sight.  They  posed  as  custodians 
of  the  law  and  expounders  of  the  prophets.  The  "law  and 
the  prophets"  had  been  in  force  until  the  Baptist's  time,  since 
which  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  had  been  preached,  and 
people  were  eager  to  enter  it*  though  the  theocracy  strove 
mightily  to  prevent.  The  law  had  not  been  invalidated ; 
easier  were  it  that  heaven  and  earth  pass  away  than  that  one 
tittle  of  the  law  fail  of  fulfilment  p  yet  those  Pharisees  and 
scribes  had  tried  to  nullify  the  law.  In  the  matter  of  divorce, 
for  example,  they,  by  their  unlawful  additions  and  false  in- 
terpretations, had  condoned  even  the  sin  of  adultery. 

The  Master  gave  as  a  further  lesson  the  Parable  of  the 
Rich  Man  and  Lazarus: 


z/Luke   16:14-31. 

w  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 

.*•  Revised  version,  Luke  16:16:  "The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until 
John;  from  that  time  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached,  and 
every  man  entereth  violently  into  it." 

y  Compare  Matt.  5:18;   see  page  233  herein. 


166  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

"There  was  a  certain  rich  man,  which  was  clothed  in 
purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day  :  And 
there  was  a  certain  beggar  named  Lazarus,  which  was  laid 
at  his  gate,  full  of  sores,  And  desiring  to  be  fed  with  the 
crumbs  which  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table:  moreover  the 
dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that 
the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by  the  angels  into  Abra- 
ham's bosom :  the  rich  man  also  died,  and  was  buried ;  And 
in  hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments,  and  seeth  Abra- 
ham afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom.  And  he  cried  and 
said,  Father  Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me,  arid  send  Lazarus, 
that  he  may  dip  the  tip  of  his  finger  in  water,  and  cool  my 
tongue ;  for  I  am  tormented  in  this  flame.  But  Abraham 
said,  Son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy  lifetime  receivedst  thy 
good  things,  and  likewise  Lazarus  evil  things ;  but  now  he  is 
comforted,  and  thou  art  tormented.  And  beside  all  this,  be- 
tween us  and  you  there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed ;  so  that  they 
which  would  pass  from  hence  to  you  cannot ;  neither  can 
they  pass  to  us,  that  would  come  from  thence.  Then  he  said, 
I  pray  thee  therefore,  father,  that  thou  wouldest  send  him  to 
my  father's  house :  For  I  have  five  brethren ;  that  he  may 
testify  unto  them,  lest  they  also  come  into  this  place  of  tor- 
ment. Abraham  saith  unto  him,  They  have  Moses  and  the 
prophets;  let  them  hear  them.  And  he  said,  Nay,  father 
Abraham ;  but  if  one  went  unto  them  from  the  dead,  they 
will  repent.  And  he  said  unto  him,  If  they  hear  not  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded,  though 
one  rose  from  the  dead."3 

The  afBicted  beggar  is  honored  with  a  name ;  the  other 
is  designated  simply  as  "a  certain  rich  man."0  The  two  are 
presented  as  the  extremes  of  contrast  between  wealth  and 
destitution.  The  rich  man  was  clothed  in  the  costliest  attire, 
purple  and  fine  linen ;  and  his  every-day  fare  was  a  sumptu- 
ous feast.  Lazarus  had  been  brought  to  the  gates  of  the 
rich  man's  palace,  and  there  left,  a  helpless  mendicant,  his 
body  covered  with  sores.  The  rich  man  was  attended  by 
servitors  ready  to  gratify  his  slightest  desire;  the  poor  beg- 

*Luke  16:19-31. 

a  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  RICH    MAN   AND  LAZARUS.  467 

gar  at  his  gates  had  neither  companions  nor  attendants  except 
the  dogs,  which  like  himself  waited  for  the  refuse  from  the 
rich  man's  table.  Such  is  the  picture  of  the  two  in  life.  An 
abrupt  change  of  scene  brings  into  view  the  same  two  on  the 
far  side  of  the  veil  that  hangs  between  the  here  and  the  here- 
after. Lazarus  died ;  no  mention  is  made  of  his  funeral ;  his 
festering  body  was  probably  thrown  into  a  pauper's  grave ; 
but  angels  bore  his  immortal  spirit  into  Paradise,  the  resting 
place  of  the  blessed  and  commonly  known  in  the  figurative 
lore  of  the  rabbis  as  Abraham's  bosom.  The  rich  man  also 
died;  his  burial  was  doubtless  an  elaborate  affair,  but  we 
read  not  of  any  angelic  escort  receiving  his  spirit.  In  hell 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw,  afar,  Lazarus  at  peace  in  the 
abode  of  Abraham. 

As  a  Jew  the  man  had  often  boasted  of  having  Abraham 
for  his  father ;  and  now  the  wretched  spirit  appealed  td  the 
patriarch  of  his  race  by  the  paternal  address,  "Father  Abra- 
ham," and  asked  only  the  boon  of  a  single  drop  of  water  to 
be  placed  on  his  parched  tongue  ;  this  he  prayed  that  Lazarus, 
the  erstwhile  beggar  might  bring.  The  reply  throws  light 
on  certain  conditions  existing  in  the  spirit  world,  though  as 
in  the  use  of  parables  generally,  the  presentation  is  largely 
figurative.  Addressing  the  poor  tormented  spirit  as  "Son," 
Abraham  reminded  him  of  all  the  good  things  he  had  kept 
for  himself  on  earth,  whilst  Lazarus  had  lain  a  suffering, 
neglected  beggar  at  his  gates ;  now  by  the  operation  of 
divine  law,  Lazarus  had  received  recompense,  and  he,  retri- 
bution. Moreover,  to  grant  his  pitiful  request  was  impossi- 
ble, for  between  the  abode  of  the  righteous  where  Lazarus 
rested  and  that  of  the  wicked  where  he  suffered  "there  is  a 
great  gulf  fixed,"  and  passage  between  the  two  is  interdicted. 
The  next  request  of  the  miserable  sufferer  was  not  wholly 
selfish ;  in  his  anguish  he  remembered  those  from  whom  he 
had  been  separated  by  death,  fain  would  he  save  his  brothers 
from  the  fate  he  had  met;  and  he  prayed  that  Lazarus  be 


468  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

sent  back  to  earth  to  visit  the  ancestral  home,  and  warn  those 
selfish,  pleasure-seeking,  and  yet  mortal  brothers,  of  the 
£wful  doom  awaiting  them  except  they  would  repent  and  re- 
form. There  may  have  been  in  this  petition  an  insinua- 
tion that  had  he  been  sufficiently  warned  he  would  have  done 
better,  and  would  have  escaped  the  torment.  To  the  re- 
minder that  they  had  the  words  of  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
which  they  should  obey,  he  replied  that  if  one  went  to  them 
from  the  dead  they  would  surely  repent.  Abraham  answered 
that  if  they  would  not  heed  Moses  and  the  prophets  neither 
would  "they  be  persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the  dead." 
In  any  attempt  to  interpret  the  parable  as  a  whole  or 
definitely  apply  any  of  its  parts,  we  should  bear  in  mind  that 
it  was  addressed  to  the  Pharisees  as  an  instructive  rebuke 
for  the  derision  and  scorn  with  which  they  had  received  the 
Lord's  warning  concerning  the  dangers  attending  servitude 
to  mammon.  Jesus  employed  Jewish  metaphors,  and  the 
imagery  of  the  parable  is  such  as  would  most  directly  appeal 
to  the  official  expounders  of  Moses  and  the  prophets.  While 
as  a  practise  it  would  be  critically  unfair  to  deduce  doctrinal 
principles  from  parabolic  incidents,  we  cannot  admit  that 
Christ  would  teach  falsely  even  in  parable ;  and  therefore  we 
accept  as  true  the  portrayal  of  conditions  in  the  world  of  the 
disembodied.  That  righteous  and  unrighteous  dwell  apart 
during  the  interval  between  death  and  resurrection  is  clear. 
Paradise,  or  as  the  Jews  like  to  designate  that  blessed  abode, 
"Abraham's  bosom,"  is  not  the  place  of  final  glory,  any  more 
than  the  hell  to  which  the  rich  man's  spirit  was  consigned  is 
the  final  habitation  of  the  condemned. b  To  that  preliminary 
or  intermediate  state,  however,  men's  works  do  follow  them  \c 
and  the  dead  shall  surely  find  that  their  abode  is  that  for 
which  they  have  qualified  themselves  while  in  the  flesh. 
The  rich  man's  fate  was  not  the  effect  of  riches,  nor  was 


&  Compare  B.  of  M.,  Alma  40:11-14;  see  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xxi,  Note  5. 
"The  Intermediate  State  of  the  Soul." 
.  14:13. 


FAITH,    AS    TO    QUANTITY    AND    QUALITY.  469 

the  rest  into  which  Lazarus  entered  the  resultant  of  poverty. 
Failure  to  use  his  wealth  aright,  and  selfish  satisfaction  with 
the  sensuous  enjoyment  of  earthly  things  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  concern  for  the  needs  or  privations  of  his  fellows,  brought 
the  one  under  condemnation ;  while  patience  in  suffering, 
faith  in  God  and  such  righteous  life  as  is  implied  though  not 
expressed,  insured  happiness  to  the  other.  The  proud  self- 
sufficiency  of  the  rich  man,  who  lacked  nothing  that  wealth 
could  furnish  and  who  kept  aloof  from  the  needy  and  suffer- 
ing, was  his  besetting  sin.  The  aloofness  of  the  Pharisees, 
on  which  indeed  they  prided  themselves,  as  their  very  name, 
signifying  "separatists,"  expressed,  was  thus  condemned. 
The  parable  teaches  the  continuation  of  individual  existence 
after  death,  and  the  relation  of  cause  to  effect  between  the 
life  one  leads  in  mortality  and  the  state  awaiting  him  beyond. 

UNPROFITABLE   SERVANTS.^ 

From  the  Pharisees,  Jesus  turned  to  His  disciples  and 
admonished  them  to  diligence.  Having  cautioned  them 
against  unguarded  utterances  or  actions  at  which  others 
might  take  offense,  He  proceeded  to  impress  the  absolute 
necessity  of  unselfish  devotion,  toleration  and  forgiveness. 
The  apostles,  realizing  the  whole-souled  service  required  of 
them,  implored  the  Lord,  saying :  "Increase  our  faith." 
They  were  shown  that  faith  was  less  fitly  reckoned  in  terms 
of  quantity  than  by  test  of  quality ;  and  the  analogy  of  the 
mustard  seed  was  again  invoked.  "And  the  Lord  said,  If 
ye  had  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye  might  say  unto 
this  sycamine  tree,  Be  thou  plucked  up  by  the  root,  and  be 
thou  planted  in  the  sea ;  and  it  should  obey  you."*  Their 
faith  could  best  be  gaged  by  obedience  and  untiring  service. 

This  was  emphasized  by  the  Parable  of  the  Unprofitable 
Servants. 

dLuke  17:1-10. 

*  Compare   Matt.   17:20;   21:21;   Mark  9:23;   11:23;   see  page  381   herein. 


470  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

"But  which  of  you,  having  a  servant  plowing  or  feeding 
cattle,  will  say  unto  him  by  and  by,  when  he  is  come  from 
the  field,  Go  and  sit  down  to  meat  ?  •  And  will  not  rather  say 
unto  him,  Make  ready  wherewith  I  may  sup,  and  gird  thy- 
self, and  serve  me,  till  I  have  eaten  and  drunken ;  and  after- 
ward thou  shalt  eat  and  drink  ?  Doth  he  thank  that  servant 
because  he  did  the  things  that  were  commanded  him?  I 
trow  not.  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  have  done  all  those 
things  which  are  commanded  you,  say,  We  are  unprofitable 
servants :  we  have  done  that  which  was  our  duty  to  do." 

The  servant  might  well  feel  that  after  a  day's  work  in  the 
field  he  was  entitled  to  rest;  but  on  reaching  the  house  he 
finds  other  demands  made  upon  him.  The  master  has  a 
right  to  the  servant's  time  and  attention;  such  was  among 
the  conditions  under  which  the  servant  had  been  engaged; 
and  while  his  employer  might  thank  him  or  give  some  sub- 
stantial reward,  the  servant  cannot  demand  such  recompense. 
So  the  apostles,  who  had  given  themselves  entirely  up  to 
their  Master's  service,  were  not  to  hesitate  nor  demur,  what- 
ever the  effort  or  sacrifice  required.  The  best  they  could 
do  would  be  no  more  than  their  duty  required ;  and,  without 
regard  to  the  Master's  estimate  of  their  worth,  they  were  to 
account  themselves  as  unprofitable  servants/ 

TEN    LEPERS    HEALED.0 

In  the  course  of  His  journey  toward  Jerusalem  Jesus 
"passed  through  the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee."  Ten 
men  afflicted  with  leprosy  approached,  probably  they  came 
as  near  as  the  law  permitted,  yet  they  were  afar  off.  These 
men  were  of  mixed  nationality ;  the  plague  under  which 
they  suffered  in  common  had  made  them  companions  in  dis- 
tress. They  cried  aloud  "Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  us." 

/Compare  Job  22:3;  35:7. 

g  Luke  17:11-19.  Marty  writers  treat  this  occurrence  as  having  immed- 
iately followed  the  repulse  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles  in  a  certain  Samari- 
tan village  (Luke  9:52-56).  We  give  it  place  in  the  order  followed  by  Luke, 
the  sole  recorder  of  the  two  incidents. 


GRATITUDE  OF  A   SAMARITAN   LEPER.  471 

The  Lord  answered :  "Go  shew  yourselves  unto  the  priests.'^ 
This  instruction  implied  their  ultimate  healing ;  obedience 
would  be  the  test  of  their  faith.  None  who  had  been  leprous 
could  be  lawfully  restored  to  community  life  until  pro- 
nounced clean  by  a  priest.  The  stricken  ten  hastened  to  obey 
the  Lord's  command,  "and  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  they 
went,  they  were  cleansed."1  One  of  the  ten  turned  tjack,  and 
with  loud  voice  glorified  God;  then  he  prostrate^  himself 
at  the  feet  of  Christ,  giving  thanks.  We  are  told  that  the 
grateful  one  was  a  Samaritan,  from  which  we  infer  that 
some  or  all  of  the  others  were  Jews.  Pained  over  the  lack 
of  gratitude  on  the  part  of  the  nine,  Jesus  exclaimed :  "Were 
there  not  ten  cleansed  ?  but  where  are  the  nine  ?  There  are 
not  found  that  return  to  give  glory  to  God,  save  this 
stranger."  And  to  the  cleansed  Samaritan,  still  worshiping 
at  His  feet,  the  Lord  said :  "Arise,  go  thy  way :  thy  faith 
hath  made  thee  whole."  Doubtless  the  nine  who  came  not 
back  were  obedient  to  the  strict  letter  of  the  Lord's  com- 
mand ;  for  He  had  told  them  to  go  to  the  priests ;  but  their 
lack  of  gratitude  and  their  failure  to  acknowledge  the  power 
of  God  in  their  restoration  stand  in  unfavorable  contrast 
with  the  spirit  of  the  one ;  and  he  was  a  Samaritan.  The 
occurrence  must  have  impressed  the  apostles  as  another  evi- 
dence of  acceptability  and  possible  excellence  on  the  part 
of  aliens,  to  the  disparagement  of  Jewish  claims  of  super- 
iority irrespective  of  merit. 

THE   PHARISEE   AND   THE   PUBLICAN.'' 

"And  he  spake  this  parable  unto  certain  which  trusted  in 
themselves  that  they  were  righteous,  and  despised  others : 

Jt  Compare  Lev.  13:2;  14:2;  see  also  page  189  herein. 

i  Compare  case  of  Naaman  the  Syrian,  2  Kings  5:14. 

j  Luke  18:9-14.  Luke's  narrative,  the  order  of  which  we  have  followed 
in  the  events  succeeding  Christ's  departure  from  Jerusalem  after  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  includes  our  Lord's  reply  to  the  Pharisee's  question  as  to 
"when  the  kingdom  of  God  should  come,"  and  additions  thereto  (17:20-37); 
these  matters  were  afterward  treated  with  greater  fulness  in  a  discourse  near 
Jerusalem  (Matt.  24)  and  will  be  considered  in  connection  with  that  later 
event.  The  Parable  of  the  Importunate  Widow  (Luke  16:1-7)  Has  already 
received  attention,  (page  436). 


472  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray ;  the  one  a  Phari- 
see, and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee  stoo^d  and 
prayed  thus  with  himself,  God,  I  thank  thee,  that  I  am  not 
as  other  men  are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even 
as  this  publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of 
all  that  I  possess.  And  the  publican,  standing  afar  off, 
would  not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but 
smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sin- 
ner. I  tell  you,  this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified 
rather  than  the  other:  for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself 
shall  be  abased;  and  he  that  hurnbleth  himself  shall  be  ex- 
alted." 

We  are  expressly  told  that  this  parable  was  given  for  the 
benefit  of  certain  ones  who  trusted  in  their  self-righteous- 
ness as  an  assurance  of  justification  before  God.  It  was  not 
addressed  to  the  Pharisees  nor  to  the  publicans  specifically. 
The  two  characters  are  types  of  widely  separated  classes. 
There  may  have  been  much  of  the  Pharisaic  spirit  of  self- 
complacency  among  the  disciples  and  some  of  it  even  among 
the  Twelve.  A  Pharisee  and  a  publican  went  up  to  the  tem- 
ple to  pray.  The  Pharisee  prayed  "with  himself" ;  his 
words  can  hardly  be  construed  as  a  prayer  to  God.  That 
he  stood  while  praying  was  not  an  impropriety,  for  the 
standing  attitude  was  usual  in  prayer ;  the  publican  also 
stood.  The  Pharisee  thanked  God  that  he  was  so  much  bet- 
ter than  other  men ;  he  was  true  to  his  class,  a  separatist 
who  looked  with  disdain  upon  all  who  were  not  like  him. 
That  he  was  not  like  "this  publican"  was  made  a  point  of 
special  thanksgiving.  His  boast,  that  he  fasted  twice  a 
week  and  gave  tithes  of  all  that  he  possessed,  was  a  speci- 
fication of  worthiness  above  what  was  required  by  the  law 
as  then  administered ;  he  thus  implied  that  God  was  his 
debtor.*  The  publican,  standing  afar  off,  was  so  oppressed 
by  his  consciousness  of  sin  and  his  absolute  need  of  divine 


k  Note  to  what  blasphemous  extreme  the  doctrine  of  supererogation,  or 
excess  of  meri';,  was  carried  by  the  papacy  in  the  13th  century;  see  "The 
Great  Apostasy,"  913-15. 


THE  SANCTITY  OF   MARRIAGE.  473 

help,  that  he  cast  down  his  eyes  and  smote  upon  his  breast, 
craving  mercy  as  a  penitent  sinner.  The  Pharisee  departed, 
justified  in  his  own  conscience  and  before  man,  prouder 
than  ever;  the  other  went  down  to  his  house  justified  be- 
fore God  though  still  a  despized  publican.  The  parable  is 
applicable  to  all  men ;  its  moral  was  summed  up  in  a  repe- 
tition of  our  Lord's  words  spoken  in  the  house  of  the  chief 
Pharisee :  "For  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be 
abased;  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted."7 

ON    MARRIAGE)   AND   DIVORCE} .m 

While  wending  His  way  by  short  stages  toward  Jerusa- 
lem, and  while  still  "beyond"  or  on  "the  farther  side"  of 
Jordan,  and  therefore  in  Perean  territory,  Jesus  was  met  by 
a  body  of  Pharisees,  who  had  come  with  the  deliberate  pur- 
pose of  inciting  Him  to  say  or  do  something  on  which 
they  could  base  an  accusation.  The  question  they  had 
agreed  to  submit  related  to  marriage  and  divorce,  and  no 
subject  had  been  more  vehemently  contested  in  their  own 
schools  and  among  their  own  rabbis."  The  crafty  ques- 
tioners may  have  hoped  that  Jesus  would  denounce  the 
adulterous  state  in  which  Herod  Antipas  was  then  living, 
and  so  bring  upon  Himself  the  fury  of  Herodias,  to  which 
the  Baptist  had  already  died  a  victim.  "Is  it  lawful  for  a 
man  to  put  away  his  wife  for  every  cause?"  they  asked. 
Jesus  cited  the  original  and  eternal  law  of  God  in  the  mat- 
ter ;  and  indicated  the  only  rational  conclusion  to  be  drawn 
therefrom :  "Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  which  made  them 
at  the  beginning  made  them  male  and  female,  and  said,  For 
this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father  and  mother,  and  shall 


/Compare  Luke  14:11. 

wMatt.  19:3-12;  see  also  Mark  10:2-12.  This  subject  is  introduced  by 
Matthew  and  Mark  directly  preceding  that  of  Christ  blessing  little  chil- 
dren; which  latter  is  recorded  by  Luke  next  after  the  Parable  of  the  Phari- 
see and  the  Publican.  We  therefore  turn  from  Luke's  record  to  the  ac- 
counts given  by  the  other  synoptic  writers. 

n  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


474  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

cleave  to  his  wife :  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh  ? 
Wherefore  they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh.  What 
therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asun- 
der."0 God  had  provided  for  honorable  marriage,  and  had 
made  the  relation  between  husban4  and  wife  paramount 
even  to  that  of  childien  to  parents;  the  severing  of  such  a 
union  was  an  invention  of  man,  not  a  command  of  God. 
The  Pharisees  had  a  ready  rejoinder:  "Why  did  Moses 
then  command  to  give  a  writing  of  divorcement,  and  to 
put  her  away?"  Be  it  remembered  that  Moses  had  not 
commanded  divorce,  but  had  required  that  in  case  a  man 
should  separate  from  his  wife  he  give  her  a  bill  of  divorce- 
ment.*7 Jesus  made  this  fact  plain,  saying:  "Moses  be- 
cause of  the  hardness  of  your  hearts  suffered  you  to  put 
away  your  wives :  but  from  the  beginning  it  was  not  so." 
The  higher  requirement  of  the  gospel  followed :  "And 
I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  except 
it  be  for  fornication,  and  shall  marry  another,  committeth 
adultery ;  and  whoso  marrieth  her  which  is  put  away  doth 
commit  adultery. "«  The  Mosaic  provision  had  been  but 
permissive,  and  was  justified  only  because  of  existing  un- 
righteousness. Strict  compliance  with  the  doctrine  enun- 
ciated by  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  means  by  which  a  perfect 
social  order  can  be  maintained.  It  is  important  to  note, 
however,  that  in  His  reply  to  the  casuistical  Pharisees,  Jesus 
announced  no  specific  or  binding  rule  as  to  legal  divorces  ; 
the  putting  away  of  a  wife,  as  contemplated  under  the 
Mosaic  custom,  involved  no  judicial  investigation  or  action 
by  an  established  court.  In  our  lord's  day  the  prevailing 
laxity  in  the  matter  of  marital  obligation  had  produced  a 
state  of  appalling  corruption  in  Israel ;  and  woman,  who 
by  the  law  of  God  had  been  made  a  companion  and  partner 


o  Compare    Gen.    1:27;    2:24;    5:2;    Eph.    5:31. 

p  Deut.   24:1-4. 

q  Compare   Matt.   5:32;   Luke   16:18;   see  also   1   Cor.   7:10-13. 


CHILDREN  BROfUGHT  TO  CHRIST  FOR  BLESSING.  475 

with  man,  had  become  his  slave.  The  world's  greatest 
champion  of  woman  and  womanhood  is  Jesus  the  Christ/ 
The  Pharisees  retired  foiled  in  purpose  and  convicted  in 
conscience.  The  Lord's  strict  construction  of  the  marriage 
bond  was  startling  even  to  some  of  the  disciples ;  these 
came  to  Him  privately,  saying  that  if  a  man  was  so  bound 
it  would  be  better  not  to  marry  at  all.  Such  a  broad  gen- 
eralization the  Lord  disapproved  except  so  far  as  it  might 
apply  in  special  cases.  True,  there  were  some  who  were 
physically  incapacitated  for  marriage;  others  voluntarily 
devoted  themselves  to  a  celibate  life,  and  some  few  adopted 
celibacy  "for  the  kingdom  of  heaven's  sake,"  that  thereby 
they  might  be  free  to  render  all  their  time  and  energy  to 
the  Lord's  service.  But  the  disciples'  conclusion  that  "it  is 
not  good  to  marry"  was  true  only  in  the  exceptional  in- 
stances stated.  Marriage  is  honorable  ;•*  for  neither  man 
without  woman  nor  woman  without  man  can  be  perfect  in 
the  Lord's  sight/ 

JESUS   AND   THE    LITTLE   ONES." 

The  next  event  of  record  is  one  of  surpassing  sweetness, 
rich  in  precept  and  invaluable  in  example.  Mothers  brought 
their  little  children  to  Jesus,  reverently  desiring  that  the 
lives  of  those  little  ones  be  brightened  by  a  sight  of  the 
Master  and  be  blessed  by  a  touch  of  His  hand  or  a  word 
from  His  lips.  The  circumstance  appears  in  appropriate 
sequence  to  that  of  the  Lord's  instructions  concerning  the 
sacredness  of  marriage  and  the  sanctity  of  the  home.  The 
disciples,  zealous  that  their  Master  be  not  troubled  unneces- 
sarily, and  conscious  of  the  continuous  demands  on  His  time 
and  attention,  rebuked  those  who  had  so  ventured  to  tres- 


rNote  5,  end  of  chapter. 

s  Compare  Heb.   13:4. 

/Compare    1    Cor.    11:11. 

uMark  10:13-16;  compare  Matt.   19:13-15;  Luke  18:15-17. 


476  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

pass.  Even  the  disciples  seem  to  have  been  yet  under  the 
influence  of  the  traditional  conception  that  women  and  chil- 
dren were  of  inferior  status,  and  that  for  such  to  seek  the 
L,ord's  attention  was  an  act  of  presumption.  Jesus 
was  displeased  over  the  misdirected  zeal  of  His  followers, 
and  rebuked  them.  Then  He  uttered  that  memorable  sen- 
tence of  infinite  tenderness  and  divine  affection :  "Suffer 
the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not:  for 
of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God."  Taking  the  children  one 
by  one  into  His  arms,  He  laid  His  hands  upon  them  and 
blessed  them.*'  Then  said  He:  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  lit- 
tle child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein. "w 

"ONE;  THING  THOU  LACKEST."* 

Jesus  was  accosted  on  the  way  by  a  young  man,  who 
came  running  to  meet  or  overtake  Him,  and  who  knelt  at 
His  feet,  inquiring :  "Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I 
may  inherit  eternal  life?"  The  question  was  asked  in  earn- 
estness ;  the  questioner  was  in  very  different  spirit  from  that 
of  the  lawyer  who  made  a  similar  inquiry  with  the  purpose 
of  tempting  the  Master.^  Jesus  said :  "Why  callest  thou 
me  good?  there  is  none  good  but  one,  that  is,  God."  This 
remark  was  no  denial  of  sinlessness  on  the  Savior's  part; 
the  young  man  had  called  Him  "good"  by  way  of  polite 
compliment  rather  than  in  recognition  of  His  Godship,  and 
Jesus  declined  to  acknowledge  the  distinction  when  applied 
in  that  sense.  The  Lord's  remark  must  have  deepened  the 
3  oung  man's  conception  as  to  the  seriousness  of  his  question. 
Then  said  Jesus :  "If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the 
commandments."  To  the  further  inquiry,  as  to  which  com- 

v  Compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  17:11-25.     See  Note  6,   end  of  chapter. 

w  Page  386. 

jrMatt.  19:16-26;  Mark  10:17-27;  Luke  18:18-30. 

y  Luke  10:25;  page  429  herein. 


THE  RICH   YOUNG  RULER.  477 

mandments  were  meant,  Jesus  cited  the  prohibitions  against 
murder,  adultery,  theft,  and  the  bearing  of  false  witness, 
and  the  requirements  as  to  honoring  parents,  and  loving 
one's  neighbor  as  one's  self.  In  simplicity  and  without 
pride  or  sense  of  self-righteousness,  the  young  man  said : 
"All  these  things  have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up :  what  lack 
I  yet  ?"  His  evident  sincerity  appealed  to  Jesus,  who  looked 
upon  him  lovingly  and  said:  "One  thing  thou  lackest:  go 
thy  way,  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor, 
and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven :  and  come,  take  up 
the  cross,  and  follow  me."2 

The  young  man  was  disappointed  and  saddened.  He 
had  probably  expected  to  hear  the  great  Teacher  prescribe 
some  one  special  observance,  by  which  excellence  could  be 
achieved.  Luke  tells  us  that  the  young  man  was  a  ruler ; 
this  may  mean  that  he  was  a  presiding  official  in  the  local 
synagog  or  possibly  a  Sanhedrist.  He  was  well  versed  in 
the  law,  and  had  been  strict  in  obedience  thereto.  He  de- 
sired to  advance  in  good  works  and  make  clear  his  title  to 
an  eternal  heritage.  But  the  Master  prescribed  what  he  had 
least  expected ;  "And  he  was  sad  at  that  saying,  and  went 
away  grieved :  for  he  had  great  possessions."  In  his  way, 
he  yearned  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  yet  more  devotedly 
he  loved  his  great  possessions.  To  give  up  wealth,  social  posi- 
tion, and  official  distinction,  was  too  great  a  sacrifice;  and 
the  necessary  self-denial  was  a  cross  too  heavy  for  him  to 
bear,  even  though  treasure  in  heaven  and  life  eternal  were 
offered  him.  Love  of  worldly  things  was  this  man's  beset- 
ting weakness;  Jesus  diagnosed  his  case  and  prescribed  a 
suitable  remedy.  We  are  not  warranted  in  saying  that  the 
same  treatment  would  be  best  in  all  cases  of  spiritual  defec- 
tion ;  but  where  the  symptoms  indicate  the  need,  it  may  be 
employed  with  confidence  as  to  the  cure. 


£  This  is  Mark's  record,   (10:21)  which  is  the  most  detailed  of  the  three 
accounts. 


478  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

Gazing  sorrowfully  upon  the  retreating  figure  of  the 
wealthy  young  ruler  Jesus  said  to  the  disciples:  "Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  That  a  rich  man  shall  hardly  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  To  impress  the  lesson  more  thor- 
oughly He  applied  one  of  the  figurative  proverbs  of  the  age, 
and  said:  "It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye 
of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God."0  At  this  statement  the  disciples  were  amazed. 
"Who  then  can  be  saved?"  they  wondered.  Jesus  under- 
stood their  perplexity,  and  encouraged  them  with  the  assur- 
ance that  with  God  all  things  are  possible.  Thus  were  they 
given  to  understand  that  while  wealth  is  a  means  of  tempta- 
tion to  which  many  succumb,  it  is  no  insuperable  obstacle, 
no  insurmountable  barrier,  in  the  way  of  entrance  to  the 
kingdom.  Had  the  young  ruler  followed  the  advice  called 
forth  by  his  inquiry,  his  possession  of  riches  would  have 
made  possible  to  him  meritorious  service  such  as  few  are 
able  to  render.  Willingness  to  place  the  kingdom  of  God 
above  all  material  possessions  was  the  one  thing  he  lacked.2 
Everyone  of  us  may  pertinently  ask,  What  do  I  lack  ? 

THE   FIRST   MAY   BE   LAST,   AND   THE  LAST   FIRST.6 

The  sorrowful  departure  of  the  rich  young  ruler,  whose 
great  possessions  were  so  much  a  part  of  his  life  that  he 
could  not  give  them  up  at  the  time,  though  we  may  hope  that 
he  afterward  did,  brought  forth  from  Peter  an  abrupt  ques- 
tion, which  revealed  the  course  of  his  thoughts  and  aspira- 
tions: "Behold,  we  h'ave  forsaken  all,  and  followed  thee; 
what  shall  we  have  therefore?"  Whether  he  spoke  for 
himself  alone,  or  by  his  use  of  the  plural  "we"  meant  to  in- 
clude all  the  Twelve,  is  uncertain  and  unimportant.  He 

a  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 

z  Consider  the  lessons  of  the  parables  of  the  Hidden  Treasure,  and  the 
Pearl  of  Great  Price,  pages  292-4. 

fcMatt.  19:27-30;  Mark  10:28-31;  Luke  18:28-30. 


RICH  REWARD  FOR  MERIT  ASSURED.  479 

was  thinking  of  the  home  and  family  he  had  left,  and  a 
longing  for  them  was  pardonable;  he  was  thinking  also  of 
boats  and  nets,  hooks  and  lines,  and  the  lucrative  business 
for  which  such  things  stood.  All  these  he  had  forsaken ; 
what  was  to  be  his  reward  ?  Jesus  answered :  "Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  That  ye  which  have  followed  me,  in  the  re- 
generation when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of 
his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  It  is  doubtful  that  Peter  or  any 
other  of  the  Twelve  had  ever  conceived  of  so  great  a  dis- 
tinction. The  day  of  regeneration,  when  the  Son  of  Man 
shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  His  glory,  as  Judge  and  King,  is 
even  yet  future ;  but  in  that  day,  those  of  the  Lord's  Twelve 
who  endured  to  the  end  shall  be  enthroned  as  judges,  in 
Israel.  The  further  assurance  was  given  that  "every  one 
that  hath  forsaken  houses,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father, 
or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for  my  name's 
sake,  shall  receive  an  hundredfold,  and  shall  inherit  ever- 
lasting life."  Rewards  of  such  transcendent  worth  could 
scarcely  be  reckoned  or  their  meaning  comprehended.  L,est 
those  to  whom  they  were  promised  might  count  too  surely 
upon  successful  attainment,  to  the  neglect  of  effort,  and 
become  proud  withal,  the  Lord  added  this  profound  precept 
of  caution :  "But  many  that  are  first  shall  be  last ;  and  the 
last  shall  be  first." 

It  was  the  text  of  the  sermon  known  to  us  as  the  Parable 
of  the  Laborers.0    Hear  it : 

"For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is 
an  householder,  which  went  out  early  in  the  morning  to  hire 
labourers  into  his  vineyard.  And  when  he  had  agreed  with 
the  labourers  for  a  penny  a  day,  he  sent  them  into  his  vine- 
yard. And  he  went  out  about  the  third  hour,  and  saw 
others  standing  idle  in  the  marketplace,  and  said  unto  them : 


c  Matt.  20:1-16.  The  parable  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  events  immediately 
preceding  it.  Matt.  19:27-30  should  be  read  as  part  of  the  narrative  contin- 
ued in  chap.  20.  The  existing  division  into  chapters  is  unfortunate. 


480  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard,  and  whatsoever  is  right  I  will 
give  you.  And  they  went  their  way.  Again  he  went  out 
about  the  sixth  and  ninth  hour,  and  did  likewise.  And 
about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out,  and  found  others  stand- 
ing idle,  and  saith  unto  them,  Why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day 
idle  ?  They  say  unto  him,  Because  no  man  hath  hired  us.  He 
saith  unto  them,  Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard ;  and  whatso- 
ever is  right,  that  shall  ye  receive.  So  when  even  was  come, 
the  lord  of  the  vineyard  saith  unto  his  steward,  Call  the 
labourers,  and  give  them  their  hire,  beginning  from  the  last 
unto  the  first.  And  when  they  came  that  were  hired  about 
the  eleventh  hour,  they  received  every  man  a  penny.  But 
when  the  first  came,  they  supposed  that  they  should  have 
received  more ;  and  they  likewise  received  every  man  a 
penny.  And  when  they  had  received  it,  they  murmured 
against  the  goodman  of  the  house,  saying,  These  last  have 
wrought  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto 
us,  which  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  But 
he  answered  one  of  them,  and  said,  Friend,  I  do  thee  no 
wrong:  didst  not  thou  agree  with  me  for  a  penny?  Take 
that  thine  is,  and  go  thy  way :  I  will  give  unto  this  last,  even 
as  unto  thee.  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will  with 
mine  own?  Is  thine  eye  evil,  because  I  am  good?  So  the 
last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first  last :  for  many  be  called,  but 
few  chosen." 

The  procedure  of  a  householder  going  into  the  market- 
place to  hire  laborers  was  common  to  the  time  and  place, 
and  is  still  an  ordinary  occurrence  in  many  lands.  The 
first  to  be  hired  in  the  course  of  the  story  made  a  definite 
bargain  as  to  wages.  Those  who  were  employed  at  nine, 
twelve,  and  three  o'clock  respectively  went  willingly  with- 
out agreement  as  to  what  they  were  to  receive ;  so  glad 
were  they  to  find  a  chance  to  work  that  they  lost  no  time  in 
specifying  terms.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  or  eve- 
ning, when  but  a  single  hour  of  the  working  day  remained, 
the  last  band  of  laborers  went  to  work,  trusting  to  the  mas- 
ter's word  that  whatever  was  right  they  should  receive. 
That  they  had  not  found  work  earlier  in  the  day  was  no 


LABORERS  AND  THEIR  WAGE.  481 

fault  of  theirs ;  they  had  been  ready  and  willing,  and  had 
waited  at  the  place  where  employment  was  most  likely  to  be 
secured.  At  the  close  of  the  day,  the  laborers  came  for 
their  wages;  this  was  in  accordance  with  law  and  custom, 
for  it  had  been  established  by  statute  in  Israel  that  the  em- 
ployer should  pay  the  servant,  hired  by  the  day,  before  the 
sun  went  down/  Under  instructions,  the  steward  who  acted 
as  paymaster  began  with  those  who  had  been1  engaged  at  the 
eleventh  hour;  and  to  each  of  them  he  gave  a  denarius,  or 
Roman  penny,  worth  about  fifteen  cents  in  our  money,  and 
the  usual  wage  for  a  day's  work.  This  was  the  amount  for 
which  those  who  began  earliest  had  severally  bargained; 
and  as  these  saw  their  fellow-workers,  who  had  served  but 
an  hour,  receive  each  a  penny,  they  probably  exulted  in  the 
expectation  of  receiving  a  wage  proportionately  larger,  not- 
withstanding their  stipulation.  But  each  of  them  received  a 
penny  and  no  more.  Then  they  complained ;  not  because 
they  had  been  underpaid,  but  because  the  others  had  re- 
ceived a  full  day's  pay  for  but  part  of  a  day's  work.  The 
master  answered  in  all  kindness,  reminding  them  of  their 
agreement.  Could  he  not  be  just  to  them  and  charitable 
to  the  rest  if  he  so  chose?  His  money  was  his  own,  and  he 
could  give  of  it  as  he  liked.  Were  those  grumblers  justified 
in  their  evil  displeasure  because  their  master  was  charitable 
and  good?  "So,"  said  Jesus,  passing  directly  from  the 
story  to  one  of  the  lessons  it  was  designed  to  teach,  "the 
last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first  last :  for  many  be  called,  but 
few  chosen. "e 

The  parable  was  plainly  intended  for  the  edification  of 
the  Twelve.  It  was  called  out  by  Peter's  question,  "What 
shall  we  have  therefore?"  It  stands  as  truly  in  force  today 
as  when  it  was  delivered  by  the  Master,  as  a  rebuke  of  the 
bargaining  spirit  in  the  Lord's  work.  God  needs  workers, 


dDeut.  24:15. 

e  The    concluding    clause,    "for    many    be    called    but    few    chosen,"    is 
Omitted  from  the  revised  version. 

16 


482  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

md  such  as  will  labor  faithfully  and  effectively  are  welcomed 
into  the  vineyard.  If,  before  beginning  they  insist  on  the 
stipulation  of  a  wage,  and  this  be  agreed  to,  each  shall  re- 
ceive his  penny  provided  he  has  not  lost  his  place  through 
idleness  or  transgression.  But  those  who  diligently  labor, 
knowing  that  the  Master  will  give  to  them  whatever  is  right, 
and  with  thought  for  the  work  rather  than  for  the  wage, 
shall  find  themselves  more  bountifully  enriched.  A  man 
may  work  for  wages  and  yet  not  be  a  hireling.  Between 
the  worthy  hired  servant  and  the  hireling  there  is  the  differ- 
ence that  distinguishes  the  shepherd  from  the  sheep  herder/ 
Was  there  not  a  suggestion  of  the  hireling's  spirit  in  the 
query  of  even  the  first  of  the  apostles,  "What  .shall  we  have 
therefore?"  The  Twelve  had  been  called  into  service  early 
in  the  Savior's  ministry;  they  had  responded  to  the  call, 
without  promise  of  even  a  penny ;  they  were  yet  to  feel  the 
burden  and  heat  of  the  day ;  but  they  were  solemnly  cau- 
tioned against  attempt  or  desire  to  fix  their  reward.  The 
Master  shall  judge  as  to  the  deserts  of  each  servant;  the 
wage  at  best  is  a  free  gift ;  for  on  the  basis  of  strict  account- 
ing who  of  us  is  not  in  debt  to  God?  The  last  called  is  as 
likely  as  the  first  to  prove  unworthy.  No  general  reversal 
is  implied  whereby  all  the  late  comers  shall  be  advanced  and 
all  the  early  workers  demoted.  "Many  that  are  first  shall 
be  last"  was  the  Lord's  statement,  and  by  implication  we 
may  understand  that  not  all  the  last,  though  some  of  them, 
may  be  counted  among  the  first.  Of  the  many  called  or  per- 
mitted to  labor  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  few  may  so  excel 
as  to  be  chosen  for  exaltation  above  their  fellows.  Even 
the  call  and  ordination  to  the  Holy  Apostleship  is  no  guar- 
antee of  eventual  exaltation  in  the  celestial  kingdom.  Iscariot 
was  so  called  and  placed  among  the  first ;  now,  verily  he  is 
far  below  the  last  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

/  Page  416. 


NOTES,  483 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  27. 

1.  Rich  Men  and  Their  Stewards. — "  A  certain  rich  man 
had    a    steward.'     We    learn    here,    incidentally,    how    evenly    bal- 
anced are  the  various  conditions  of  life  in  a  community,  and  how 
little  of  substantial  advantage  wealth  can  confer  on  its  possessor. 
As    your    property    increases,    your    personal    control    over    it    di- 
minishes ;   the   more   you   possess   the   more   you   must   entrust   tc 
others.     Those    who    do    their    own    work    are    not    troubled    with 
disobedient  servants;  those  who  look  after  their  own  affairs,  are 
not  troubled  with  unfaithful  overseers." — Arnot's  Parables  of  our 
Lord,  p.  454. 

2.  The  Mammon  of  Unrighteousness. — The  revised  version 
of   Luke    16  :g,   reads :     "And   I   say  unto  you,   Make   to   yourself 
friends  by  means  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  that,  when 
it   shall    fail,   they  may   receive   you   into   the   eternal   tabernacles." 
The  Lord's  counsel  to  the  disciples  was  to  so  use  worldly  wealth 
as   to   accomplish  good   thereby,   that   when   "it,"   i.   e.    all   earthly 
possessions,    fail,   they  would   have   friends   to   welcome   them   into 
"the   eternal    tabernacles"   or   heavenly   mansions.       In    studying   a 
parable    based   on   contrasts,    such    as    this    one    is,    care    must    be 
exercized  not  to  carry  too  far  any  one  point  of  analogy.      Thus, 
we   cannot    reasonably   gather    that   Jesus    intended    even    to    inti- 
mate that  the  prerogative  of  receiving  any  soul  into  the   "eternal 
tabernacles"    or    excluding    therefrom,    rests    with    those    who    on 
earth    had   been    benefited    or   injured    through    that   person's    acts, 
except  in  the  final  judgment.      The  whole  parable  is   full  of  wis- 
dom for  him  who  is  in  search  of  such ;  to  the  hypercritical  mind 
it  may  appear   inconsistent,  as   so   it   did   appear  to   the   Pharisees 
who  derided  Jesus  for  the  story  He  had  told.     Luke  16:14  is  ren- 
dered in  the  revised  version,  "And  the  Pharisees,  who  were  lovers 
of  money,  heard  all  these  things ;  and  they  scoffed  at  him." 

3.  Lazarus  and  Dives. — Of  all  our  Lord's  recorded  parables 
this  is  the  only  one  in  which  a  personal  name  is  applied  to  any 
of  the  characters.     The  name   "Lazarus"   used  in   the   parable   was 
also  the  true  name  of  a  man  whom  Jesus  loved,  and  'who,  subse- 
quent to  the   delivery  of  this   parable,   was   restored   to   life   after 
he  had  lain  for  days  in  the  tomb.      The  name,  a  Greek  variant  of 
Eleazar,   signifies    "God   is   my  help."      In   many  theological   writ- 
ings, the  rich  man  of  this  parable  is  called  Dives,  but  the  name 
is   not   of    scriptural   usage.      "Dives"   is    a   Latin   adjective   mean- 
ing "rich."      Lazarus  the  brother  of  Martha  and  Mary  (John  11:1, 
2,  5)   is  one  of  three  men  mentioned  by  name  as  subjects  of  our 
Lord's   beneficent  miracles;    the   other   two   are    Bartimeus    (Mark 
10:46)   and  Malchus   (John  18:10).      Commenting  on  the  fact  that 
our  Lord  gave  a  name  to  the  beggar  but  left  the  rich  man  name- 
less in  the  parable,  Augustine   (in  Sermon  xli)    suggestively  asks : 
"Seems    He    not    to    you    to    have   been    reading    from    that   book 
where  he   found   the  name  of   the  poor   man   written,  but    found 
not  the  name  of  the  rich;  for  that  book  is  the  Book  of  Life?" 


484  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

4.  Divergent  Views  Concerning  Divorce. — In  relation  to  the 
different  opinions  upon  this   subject  among  Jewish   authorities   in 
the  time  of  Christ,  Geikie    (vol.  ii,  p.  347-8)    says :     "Among  the 
questions    of    the    day    fiercely    debated    between    the    great    rival 
schools   of   Hillel   and    Schammai,   no   one   was   more   so  than  that 
of   divorce.      The   school   of   Hillel   contended   that   a  man    had   a 
right  to  divorce  his  wife  for  any  cause  he  might  assign,  if  it  were 
no  more   than  his   having  ceased  to   love  her,  or  his  having  seen 
one  he   liked  better,   or   her  having   cooked   a  dinner  badly.      The 
school  of   Schammai,  on  the  contrary,  held  that  divorce  could  be 
issued  only  for  the  crime  of  adultery,  and  offences  against  chas- 
tity.    If   it  were  possible   to   get  Jesus   to   pronounce   in    favor   of 
either   school,    the    hostility   of    the    other    would   be    roused,    and, 
hence,    it    seemed    a    favorable    chance    for    compromising    Him." 
The  following  from  Dummelow's  Commentary,  dealing  with  Matt. 
5:32,  is   further  illustrative:    "Rabbi  Akiba    (Hillelite)    said,  'If  a 
man  sees  a  woman  handsomer  than  his  own  wife  he  may  put  her 
[his  wife]    away,  because  it  is   said,   If   she  find  not   favor  in  his 
eyes.'      The  school  of  Hillel  said  'If  the  wife  cook  her  husband's 
food    ill,    by    over-salting    or    over-roasting    it,    she    is    to    be    put 
away.'      On  the  other  hand   Rabbi   Jochanan    (a   Shammaite)    said 
'The  putting  away  of  a  wife  is  odious.'      Both  schools  agreed  that 

".    divorced    wife    could    not    be    taken    back Rabbi 

Chananiah  said  'God  has  not  subscribed  His  name  to  divorces,  ex- 
cept   among    Israelites,    as    if    He    had    said :     I    have    conceded 
to  the   Israelites  the  right  of   dismissing  their  wives ;   but  to  the 
Gentiles  I  have  not  conceded  it.'      Jesus  retorts  that  it  is  not  the 
privilege  but  the  infamy  and  reproach  of  Israel,  that  Moses  found 
it  necessary  to  tolerate  divorce." 

5.  Jesus  the  Ennobler  of  Woman. — Geikie  thus  paraphrases 
part   of    Christ's    reply   to   the    Pharisee's   question   concerning   di- 
vorce,   and    comments    thereon.     "  'I    say,    therefore,    that    whoever 
puts    away   his    wife,   except    for    fornication,    which    destroys    the 
very  essence  of  marriage  by  dissolving  the  oneness  it  had  formed, 
and    shall    marry    another,    commits    adultery;    and    whoever    mar- 
ries her  who  is  put  away   for  any  other  cause  commits  adultery, 
because  the  woman  is  still,  in   God's  sight,  wife  of  him  who  had 
divorced   her.'      This    statement   was   of    far   deeper   moment   than 
the   mere    silencing   of   malignant   spies.       It    was    designed    to    set 
forth  for  all  ages  the  law  of  His  New  Kingdom  in  the  supreme 
matter  of  family  life.     It  swept  away  for  ever  from  His  Society 
the  conception   of   woman   as   a  mere   toy  or   slave   of   man,   and 
based   true   relations   of   the   sexes   on   the   eternal    foundation   of 
truth,    right,    honor,    and    love.     To    ennoble    the    House    and    the 
Family  by   raising   woman   to  her  true   position   was   essential   to 
the  future  stability  of  His   Kingdom,  as  one  of  purity  and  spir- 
itual   worth.      By    making    marriage    indissoluble,    He    proclaimed 
the    equal    rights    of    woman    and    man    within    the    limits    of    the 
family,  and,  in  this,  gave  their  charter  of  nobility  to  the  mothers 
of  the  world.     For  her  nobler  position  in  the  Christian  era,  com- 
pared  with   that  granted  her  in   antiquity,   woman  is  indebted   to 
Jesus  Christ." — Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  vol.  ii,  p.  349. 


NOTES.  485 

6.  The  Blessing  of  Children. — When  Christ,  a  resurrected 
Being,  appeared  among  the  Nephites  on  the  western  continent,  He 
took  the  children,  one  by  one,  and  blessed  them ;  and  the  assem- 
bled  multitude   saw   the    little   ones   encircled    as    with    fire,    while 
angels    ministered    unto    them.       (3    Nephi    17:11-25.)       Through 
modern    revelation   the   Lord   has    directed   that   all   children    born 
in  the  Church  be  brought  for  blessing  to  those  who  are  author- 
ized to  administer  this  ordinance  of  the  Holy  Priesthood.      The 
commandment   is   as    follows :      "Every  member   of   the   church   of 
Christ  having  children,  is   to  bring  them   unto   the   elders   before 
the  church,   who  are  to  lay  their  hands   upon  them  in  the  name 
of  Jesus   Christ,  and  bless   them  in  His  name."      (Doc.   and   Cov. 
20:70.)      Accordingly,  it  is  now  the  custom  in  the  Church  to  bring 
the   little   ones   to   the   Fast-day   service   in   the   several   wards,   at 
which  they  are  received  one  by  one  into  the  arms  of  the  elders, 
and  blessed,  names  being  given  them  at  the  same  time.     The  father 
of  the  child,  if  he  be  an  elder,  is  expected  to  participate  in  the 
ordinance. 

The  .blessing  of  children  is  in  no  sense  analogous  to,  far 
less  is  it  a  substitution  for,  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  which  is 
to  be  administered  only  to  those  who  have  come  to  years  of 
understanding,  and  who  are  capable  of  repentance.  As  .  the 
author  has  written  elsewhere,  "Some  point  to  the  incident  of 
Christ  blessing  little  children,  and  rebuking  those  who  would 
forbid  the  little  ones  coming  unto  Him,  (Matt.  19:13;  Mark  10:13; 
Luke  18:15)  as  an  evidence  in  favor  of  infant  baptism;  but,  as 
has  been  tersely  said : — 'From  the  action  of  Christ's  blessing  in- 
fants, to  infer^  they  are  to  be  baptized,  proves  nothing  so  much 
as  that  there  is  a  want  of  better  argument;  for  the  conclusion 
would  with  more  probability  be  derived  thus :  Christ  blessed 
infants,  and  so  dismissed  them,  but  baptized  them  not;  therefore 
infants  are  not  to  be  baptized.'" — The  author,  Articles  of  Faith, 
vi:i4.  See  paragraphs  11-17  in  same  lecture. 

7.  The  Camel  and  the  Needle's  Eye. — In  comparing  the  dif- 
ficulty of  a  rich  man  entering  the  kingdom  with  that  of  a  camel 
passing    through    the    eye    of    a    needle,    Jesus    used    a    rhetorical 
figure,  which,  strong  and  prohibitory  as  it  appears  in  our  transla- 
tion,   was    of    a   type    familiar   to    those    who    heard    the    remark. 
There  was  a  "common  Jewish  proverb,  that  a  man  did  not  even 
in  his  dreams  see  an  elephant  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  needle" 
(Edersheim).        Some  interpreters  insist  that  a  rope,  not  a  camel, 
was   mentioned  by  Jesus,   and  these   base  their   contention   on   the 
fact  that  the  Greek  word  kamelos  (camel)   differs  in  but  a  single 
letter  from  kamilos   (rope),  and  that  the  alleged  error  of  substi- 
tuting "earner^  for  "rope"  in  the  scriptural  text  is  chargeable  to 
the  early  copyists.     Farrar   (p.  476)    rejects  this  possible  interpre- 
tation  on   the   ground    that   proverbs    involving   comparisons    of    a 
kind  with  that  of  a  camel  passing  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  are 
common  in  the  Talmud. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  term  "needle's  eye"  was  applied 
to  a  small  door  or  wicket  set  in  or  alongside  the  great  gates  in 
the  walls  of  cities;  and  the  assumption  has  been  raised  that  Jesus 


486  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    27. 

had  such  a  wicket  in  mind  when  He  spoke  of  the  seeming  im- 
possibility of  a  camel  passing  through  a  needle's  eye.  It  would 
be  possible  though  very  difficult  for  a  camel  to  squeeze  its  way 
through  the  little  gate,  and  it  could  in  no  wise  do  so  except  when 
relieved  of  its  load  and  stripped  of  all  its  harness.  If  this  con- 
ception be  correct,  we  may  find  additional  similitude  between 
the  fact  that  the  camel  must  first  be  unloaded  and  stripped,  how- 
ever costly  its  burden  or  rich  its  accoutrement,  and  the  necessity 
of  the  rich  young  ruler,  and  so  of  any  man,  divesting  himself  of 
the  burden  and  trappings  of  wealth,  if  he  would  enter  by  the 
narrow  way  that  leadeth  into  the  kingdom.  The  Lord's  expo- 
sition of  His  saying  is  all-sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  the  les- 
son: "With  men  this  is  impossible,  but  with  God  all  things  are 
possible."  (Matt.  10:26.) 


INTERVIEW  IN   SOLOMON'S   PORCH.  487 

CHAPTER  28. 
THE  LAST  WINTER. 

AT  THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.0 

Jesus  returned  to  Jerusalem  in  time  to  attend  the  Feast 
of  Dedication  during  the  last  winter  of  His  earthly  life.  This 
feast,  like  that  of  Tabernacles,  was  one  of  national  rejoicing, 
and  was  celebrated  annually  for  a  period  of  eight  days  be- 
ginning "on  the  25th  of  Chislev,&  which  corresponds  in  part 
to  our  December.  It  was  not  one  of  the  great  feasts  pre- 
scribed by  Mosaic  statute,  but  had  been  established  in  164  or 
163  B.  C.  at  the  time  of  the  rededication  of  the  Temple  of 
Zerubbabel  following  the  rehabilitation-  of  the  sacred  struc- 
ture after  its  profane  desecration  by  Antiochus  Kpiphanes, 
the  pagan  king  of  Syria/  While  the  festival  was  in  progress, 
Jesus  went  to  the  temple  and  was  seen  walking  in  the  part  of 
the  enclosure  known  as  Solomon's  Porch.**  His  presence 
soon  became  known  to  the  Jews,  who  came  crowding  about 
Him  in  unfriendly  spirit,  ostensibly  to  ask  questions.  Their 
inquiry  was:  "How  long  dost  thou  make  us  to  doubt?  If 
thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly."  The  mere  asking  of 
such  a  question  evidences  the  deep  and  disturbing  impression 
which  the  ministry  of  Christ  had  produced  among  the  official 
classes  and  the  people  generally ;  in  their  estimation,  the 
works  he  had  wrought  appeared  as  worthy  of  the  Messiah. 

The  Lord's  reply  was  indirect  in  form,  though  in  sub- 
stance and  effect  incisive  and  unmistakable.  He  referred 
them  to  His  former  utterances  and  to  His  continued  works. 
"I  told  you,"  He  said,  "and  ye  believed  not :  the  works  that 


a  John   10:22-39. 

b  Also   rendered   Kislev,    Chisleu,   and    Cisleu.     See   Zech.    7:1. 
c  Josephus,  Antiquities,  xii,  5:3-5.    See  Ezra  6:17,  18;  also  Note  1,  end  of 
chapter. 

d  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


488  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

I  do  in  my  Father's  name,  they  bear  witness  of  me.  But  ye 
believe 'not,  because  ye  are  not  of  my  sheep,  as  I  said  unto 
you.  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they 
follow  me :  And  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life ;  and  they  shall 
never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck  them  out  of  my 
hand.  My  Father,  which  gave  them  me,  is  greater  than  all ; 
and  no  man  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  my  Father's  hand. 
I  and  my  Father  are  one."  The  reference  to  what  had  been 
before  told  was  a  reminder  of  His  teachings  on  the  occasion 
of  an  earlier  sojourn  among  them,  when  He  had  proclaimed 
Himself  as  the  I  AM,  who  was  older  and  greater  than  Abra- 
ham, and  of  His  other  proclamation  of  Himself  as  the  Good 
Shepherd/ 

He  could  not  well  answer  their  inquiry  by  a  simple  un- 
qualified affirmation,  for  by  such  He  would  have  been  under- 
stood as  meaning  that  He  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah  accord- 
ing to  their  conception,  the  earthly  king  and  conqueror  for 
whom  they  professed  to  be  looking.  He  was  no  such  Christ 
as  they  had  in  mind ;  yet  was  He  verily  Shepherd  and  King 
to  all  who  would  hear  His  words  and  do  His  works ;  and  to 
such  He  renewed  the  promise  of  eternal  life  and  the  assur- 
ance that  no  man  could  pluck  them  out  of  His  own  or  the 
Father's  hand.  To  this  doctrine,  both  exalted  and  profound 
in  scope,  the  casuistical  Jews  could  offer  no  refutation,  nor 
could  they  find  therein  the  much  desired  excuse  for  open 
accusation ;  our  Lord's  concluding  sentence,  however,  stirred 
the  hostile  throng  to  frenzy.  "I  and  my  Father  are  one" 
was  His  solemn  declaration/  In  their  rage  they  scrambled 
for  stones  wherewith  to  crush  Him.  Owing  to  the  unfin- 
ished state  of  the  temple  buildings,  there  were  probably  many 
blocks  and  broken  fragments  of  rock  at  hand ;  and  this  was 
the  second  murderous  attempt  upon  our  Lord's  life  within 
the  purlieus  of  His  Father's  Housed 

e  John  8:58;  and  10:11;  see  also  pages  411  and  416  herein. 

/  Revised  version  gives  "I  and  the  Father."    See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

0John  8:59.    Page  412. 


CHRIST  AGAIN   CHARGED  WITH   BLASPHEMY.  489 

Fearless,  and  with  the  compelling  calmness  of  more  than 
human  majesty,  Jesus  said:  "Many  good  works  have  I 
shewed  you  from  my  Father ;  for  which  of  those  works  do 
ye  stone  me?"  They  angrily  retorted:  "For  a  good  work 
we  stone  thee  not ;  but  for  blasphemy ;  and  because  that 
thou,  being  a  man,  makest  thyself  God."*1  Plainly  they  had 
found  no  ambiguity  in  His  words.  He  then  cited  to  them 
the  scriptures,  wherein  even  judges  empowered  by  divine 
authority  are  called  gods,1'  and  asked:  "Is  it  not  written  in 
your  law,  I  said,  Ye  are  gods?  If  he  called  them  gods, 
unto  whom  the  word  of  God  came,  and  the  scripture 
cannot  be  broken :  say  ye  of  him,  whom  the  Father  hath 
sanctified,  and  sent  into  the  world,  Thou  blasphemest;  be- 
cause I  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God?"  Then,  reverting  to  the 
first  avouchment  that  His  own  commission  was  of  the  Father 
wno  is  greater  than  all,  He  added :  "If  I  do  not  the  works 
of  my  Father,  believe  me  not.  But  if  I  do,  though  ye  believe 
not  me,  believe  the  works :  that  ye  may  know,  and  believe, 
that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  him."''  Again  the  Jews 
sought  to  take  Him,  but  were  foiled  by  means  not  stated; 
He  passed  from  their  reach  and  departed  from  the  temple. 

OUR  LORD'S  RETIREMENT  IN  PEREA.* 

The  violent  hostility  of  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  theocracy,  was  such  that  Jesus  withdrew  from 
the  city  and  its  neighborhood.  The  day  for  His  sacrifice  had 
not  yet  come,  and  while  His  enemies  could  not  kill  Him  until 
He  allowed  Himself  to  be  taken  into  their  hands,  His  work 
would  be  retarded  by  further  hostile  disturbances.  He  re- 
tired to  the  place  at  which  John  the  Baptist  had  begun  his 

h  Concerning  blasphemy  see  pages  191  and  269,  also  page  629. 

t  Psa.   82,   particularly   verses   1   and  6. 

/A  better  rendering  of  the  last  verse  is:  "But  if  I  do  them  [i.  e.  the 
Father's  works],  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the  works;  that  ye  may 
know  and  understand  that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  the  Father.  — (Re- 
vised version.) 

fcjohn  10:40-42, 


490  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

public  ministry,  which  is  probably  also  the  place  of  our 
Lord's  baptism.  The  exact  location  is  not  specified;  it  was 
certainly  beyond  Jordan  and  therefore  in  Perea*  We  read 
that  Jesus  abode  there,  and  from  this  we  gather  that  He  re- 
mained in  one  general  locality  instead  of  traveling  from  town 
to  town  as  had  been  His  custom.  People  resorted  to  Him 
even  there,  however,  and  many  believed  on  Him.  The  place 
was  endeared  to  those  who  had  gone  to  hear  John  and  to  be 
baptized  by  him  ;l  and  as  these  recalled  the  impassioned  call 
to  repentance,  the  stirring  proclamation  of  the  kingdom  by 
the  now  murdered  and  lamented  Baptist,  they  remembered 
his  affirmation  of  One  mightier  than  himself,  and  saw  in 
Jesus  the  realization  of  that  testimony.  "John,"  they  said, 
"did  no  miracle :  but  all  things  that  John  spake  of  this  man 
were  true." 

The  duration  of  this  sojourn  in  Perea  is  nowhere  record- 
ed in  our  scriptures.  It  could  not  have  lasted  more  than  a 
few  weeks  at  most.  Possibly  some  of  the  discourses,  in- 
structions, and  parables  already  treated  as  following  the 
Lord's  departure  from  Jerusalem  after  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles in  the  preceding  autumn,  may  chronologically  belong 
to  this  interval.  From  this  retreat  of  comparative  quiet, 
Jesus  returned  to  Judea  in  response  to  an  earnest  appeal  from 
some  whom  He  loved.  He  left  the  Bethany  of  Perea  for  the 
Judean  Bethany,  where  dwelt  Martha  and  Mary.™ 

LAZARUS  RESTORED  TO  UFE.n 

Lazarus,  the  brother  of  Mary  and  Martha,  lay  ill  in  the 
family  home  at  Bethany  of  Judea.  His  devoted  sisters  sent 
a  messenger  to  Jesus,  with  the  simple  announcement,  in 
which,  however,  we  cannot  fail  to  recognize  a  pitiful  appeal : 
"Lord,  behold,  he  whom  thou  lovest  is  sick."  When  Jesus 

/Pages  121-124. 

m  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 

Wjohn   11:1-46. 


THE  DEATH   OF  LAZARUS.  491 

received  the  message,  He  remarked:  "This  sickness  is  not 
unto  death,  but  for  the  glory  of  God,  that  the  Son  of  God 
might  be  glorified  thereby/'  This  was  probably  the  word 
carried  back  to  the  sisters,  whom  Jesus  loved.  Lazarus  had 
died  in  the  interval ;  indeed  he  must  have  expired  soon  after 
the  messenger  had  started  with  the  tidings  of  the  young 
man's  illness.  The  Lord  knew  that  Lazarus  was  dead;  yet 
He  tarried  where  He  was  for  two  days  after  receiving  the 
word ;  then  He  surprized  the  disciples  by  saying :  "Let  us 
go  into  Judea  again."  They  sought  to  dissuade  the  Master  by 
reminding  Him  of  the  recent  attempt  upon  His  life  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  asked  wonderingly,  "Goest  thou  thither  again?" 
Jesus  made  clear  to  them  that  He  was  not  to  be  deterred 
from  duty  in  the  time  thereof,  nor  should  others  be ;  for  as 
He  illustrated,  the  working  day  is  twelve  hours  long ;  and 
during  that  period  a  man  may  walk  without  stumbling,  for 
he  walks  in  the  light,  but  if  he  let  the  hours  pass  and  then 
try  to  walk  or  work  in  darkness,  he  stumbles.  It  was  then 
His  day  to  work,  and  He  was  making  no  mistake  in  return- 
ing to  Judea. 

He  added :  "Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepeth ;  but  I  go,  that 
I  may  awake  him  out  of  sleep."  The  simile  between  death 
and  sleep  was  as  common  among  the  Jews  as  with  us  \°  but 
the  disciples  construed  the  saying  literally,  and  remarked 
that  if  the  sick  man  was  sleeping  it  would  be  well  with  him. 
Jesus  set  them  right.  "Lazarus  is  dead,"  He  said,  and 
added,  "And  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I  was  not  there, 
to  the  intent  ye  may  believe;  nevertheless  let  us  go  unto 
him."  It  is  evident  that  Jesus  had  already  decided  to  re- 
store Lazarus  to  life ;  and,  as  we  shall  see,  the  miracle  was 
to  be  a  testimony  of  our  Lord's  Messiahship,  convincing  to 
all  who  would  accept  it.  A  return  to  Judea  at  that  time  was 
viewed  by  at  least  some  of  the  apostles  with  serious  appre- 
hension ;  they  feared  for  their  Master's  safety,  and  thought 

e  Compare  Matt.  9:24;   Mark  5:39;   Luke  8:52;  Job.   14:12;   1   Thess.   4:11 


492  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

that  their  own  lives  would  be  in  peril ;  nevertheless  they 
did  not  hesitate  to  go.  Thomas  boldly  said  to  the  others: 
"Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with  him." 

Arriving  on  the  outskirts  of  Bethany,  Jesus  found  that 
Lazarus  "had  lain  in  the  grave  four  days  already."^7  The 
bereaved  sisters  were  at  home,  where  had  gathered,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  friends  to  console  them  in  their  grief.  Among 
these  were  many  prominent  people,  some  of  whom  had  come 
from  Jerusalem.  Word  of  the  Master's  approach  reached 
Martha  first,  and  she  hastened  to  meet  Him.  Her  first 
words  were:  "Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother 
had  not  died."  It  was  an  expression  of  anguish  combined 
with  faith ;  but,  lest  it  appear  as  lacking  in  trust,  she  has- 
tened to  add :  "But  I  know,  that  even  now,  whatsoever 
thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it  thee."  Then  said 
Jesus  in  words  of  assuring  tenderness :  "Thy  brother  shall 
rise  again."  Perhaps  some  of  the  Jews  who  had  come  to 
comfort  her  had  said  as  much,  for  they,  the  Sadducees  ex- 
cepted,  believed  in  a  resurrection ;  and  Martha  failed  to  find 
in  the  Lord's  promise  anything  more  than  a  general  assur- 
ance that  her  departed  brother  should  be  raised  with  the  rest 
of  the  dead.  In  natural  and  seemingly  casual  assent  she 
remarked :  "I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resurrec- 
tion at  the  last  day."  Then  said  Jesus :  "I  am  the  resur- 
rection, and  the  life :  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were 
dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  me  shall  never  die.  Believest  thou  this  ?" 

The  sorrowing  woman's  faith  had  to  be  lifted  and  cen- 
tered in  the  Lord  of  Life  with  whom  she  was  speaking. 
She  had  before  confessed  her  conviction  that  whatever  Jesus 
asked  of  God  would  be  granted ;  she  had  to  learn  that  unto 
Jesus  had  already  been  committed  power  over  life  and  death. 
She  was  hopefully  expectant  of  some  superhuman  inter- 
position by  the  Lord  Jesus  in  her  behalf,  yet  she  knew  not 


p  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


JESUS  AND  THE  SORROWING  SISTERS.  493 

what  that  might  be.  Apparently  at  this  time  she  had  no 
well-defined  thought  or  even  hope  that  He  would  call  her 
brother  from  the  tomb.  To  the  Lord's  question  as  to 
whether  she  believed  what  He  had  just  said,  she  answered 
with  simple  frankness ;  all  of  it  she  was  not  able  to  under- 
stand;  but  she  believed  in  the  Speaker  even  while  unable 
to  fully  comprehend  His  words.  "Yea,  Lord,"  she  said,  "I 
believe  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  which 
should  come  into  the  world." 

Then  she  returned  to  the  home,  and  with  precaution  of 
secrecy  on  account  of  the  presence  of  some  whom  she  knew 
to  be  unfriendly  to  Jesus,  said  to  Mary:  "The  Master  is 
come,  and  calleth  for  thee."  Mary  left  the  house  in  haste. 
The  Jews  who  had  been  with  her  thought  that  she  had  been 
impelled  by  a  fresh  resurgence  of  grief  to  go  again  to  the 
grave,  and  they  followed  her.  When  she  reached  the  Mas- 
ter, she  knelt  at  His  feet,  and  gave  expression  to  her  'con- 
suming sorrow  in  the  very  words  Martha  had  used :  "Lord, 
if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died."  We 
cannot  doubt  that  the  conviction  so  voiced  had  been  the  bur- 
den of  comment  and  lamentation  between  the  two  sisters — 
if  only  Jesus  had  been  with  them  they  would  not  have  been 
bereft  of  their  brother. 

The  sight  of  the  two  women  so  overcome  by  grief,  and 
of  the  people  wailing  with  them,  caused  Jesus  to  sorrow, 
so  that  He  groaned  in  spirit  and  was  deeply  troubled. 
"Where  have  ye  laid  him  ?"  He  asked ;  and  Jesus  wept.  As 
the  sorrowing  company  went  toward  the  tomb,  some  of  the 
Jews,  observing  the  Lord's  emotion  and  tears,  said :  "Be- 
hold how  he  loved  him !"  but  others,  less  sympathetic  be- 
cause of  their  prejudice  against  Christ,  asked  critically  and 
reproachfully :  "Could  not  this  man,  which  opened  the  eyes 
of  the  blind,  have  caused  that  even  this  man  should  not  have 
died?"  The  miracle  by  which  a  man  blind  from  birth  had 
been  made  to  see  was  very  generally  known,  largely  because 


494  .  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

of  the  official  investigation  that  had  followed  the  healing.^ 
The  Jews  had  been  compelled  to  admit  the  actuality  of  the 
astounding  occurrence ;  and  the  question  now  raised  as  to 
whether  or  why  One  who  could  accomplish  such  a  wonder 
could  not  have  preserved  from  death  a  man  stricken  with 
an  ordinary  illness,  and  that  man  one  whom  He  seemed  to 
have  dearly  loved,  was  an  innuendo  that  the  power  pos- 
sessed by  Jesus  was  after  all  limited,  and  of  uncertain  or 
capricious  operation.  This  manifestation  of  malignant  un- 
belief caused  Jesus  again  to  groan  with  sorrow  if  not  in- 
dignation/ 

The  body  of  Lazarus  had  been  interred  in  a  cave,  the 
entrance  to  which  was  closed  by  a  great  block  of  stone. 
Such  burial-places  were  common  in  that  country,  natural 
caves  or  vaults  hewn  in  the  solid  rock  being  used  as  sepul- 
chres by  the  better  classes  of  people.  Jesus  directed  that 
the  tomb  be  opened.  Martha,  still  unprepared  for  what  was 
to  follow,  ventured  to  remonstrate,  reminding  Jesus  that  the 
corpse  had  been  four  days  immured,  and  that  decomposition 
must  have  already  set  in/  Jesus  thus  met  her  objection : 
"Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that,  if  thou  wouldest  believe,  thou 
shouldest  see  the  glory  of  God  ?"  This  may  have  had  refer- 
ence both  to  His  promise  spoken  to  Martha  in  person — that 
her  brother  should  rise  again — and  to  the  message  sent  from 
Perea — that  the  illness  of  Lazarus  was  not  unto  final  death 
at  that  time,  but  'for  the  glory  of  God  and  that  the  Son  of 
God  might  be  glorified  thereby. 

The  stone  was  removed.  Standing  before  the  open  por- 
tal of  the  tomb,  Jesus  looked  upward  and  prayed :  "Father, 
I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me.  And  I  knew  that 
thou  hearest  me  always :  but  because  of  the  people  which 
stand  by  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent 
me."  He  did  not  ask  the  Father  for  power  or  authority; 


q  John  9;  see  page  412  herein. 
r  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 
j  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


"LAZARUS,  COME  FORTH/'  495 

such  had  already  been  given  Him ;  but  He  gave  thanks,  and 
in  the  hearing  of  all  who  stood  by  acknowledged  the  Father 
and  expressed  the  oneness  of  His  own  and  the  Father's  pur- 
poses. Then,  with  a  loud  voice  He  cried :  "Lazarus,  come 
forth."  'The  dead  man  heard  that  voice  of  authoritative 
command;  the  spirit  straightway  reentered  the  tabernacle 
of  flesh,  the  physical  processes  of  life  were  resumed ;  and 
Lazarus,  again  alive,  came  forth.  His  freedom  of  motion 
was  limited,  for  the  grave  clothes  hampered  his  movements, 
and  his  face  was  still  bound  by  the  napkin  by  which  the 
lifeless  jaw  had  been  held  in  .place.  To  those  who  stood 
near,  Jesus  said :  "Loose  him,  and  let  him  go." 

The  procedure  throughout  was  characterized  by  deep 
solemnity  and  by  the  entire  absence  of  every  element  of  un- 
necessary display.  Jesus,  who  when  miles  away  and  with- 
out any  ordinary  means  of  receiving  the  information  knew 
that  Lazarus  was  dead,  doubtless  could  have  found  the  tomb ; 
yet  He  inquired :  "Where  have  ye  laid  him  ?"  He  who 
could  still  the  waves  of  the  sea  by  a  word,  could  have  mirac- 
ulously effected  the  removal  of  the  stone  that  sealed  the 
mouth  of  the  sepulchre;  yet  He  said:  "Take  ye  away  the 
stone."  He  who  could  reunite  spirit  and  body  could  have 
loosened  without  hands  the  cerements  by  which  the  reani- 
mated Lazarus  was  bound ;  yet  He  said :  "Loose  him,  and 
let  him  go."  All  that  human  agency  could  do  was  left  to 
man.  In  no  instance  do  we  find  that  Christ  used  unneces- 
sarily the  superhuman  powers  of  His  Godship ;  the  divine 
energy  was  never  wasted ;  even  the  material  creation  result- 
ing from  its  exercize  was  conserved,  as  witness  His  instruc- 
tions regarding  the  gathering  up  of  the  fragments  of  bread 
and  fish  after  the  multitudes  had  been  miraculously  fed/ 

The  raising  of  Lazarus  stands  as  the  third  recorded  in- 
stance of  restoration  to  life  by  Jesus/*  In  each  the  miracle 

/John  6:12;  Matt.   15:37;   see  pages  334  and  358  herein. 
«Matt.  9:23-25;  Luke  7:11-17;  pages  251  and  313  herein. 


496  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

resulted  in  a  resumption  of  mortal  existence,  and  was  in  no 
sense  a  resurrection  from  death  to  immortality.  In  the 
raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  the  spirit  was  recalled  to 
its  tenement  within  the  hour  of  its  quitting;  the  raising  of 
the  widow's  son  is  an  instance  of  restoration  when  the  corpse 
was  ready  for  the  grave ;  the  crowning  miracle  of  the  three 
was  the  calling  of  a  spirit  to  reenter  its  body  days  after 
death,  and  when,  by  natural  processes  the  corpse  would  be 
already  in  the  early  stages  of  decomposition.  Lazarus  was 
raised  from  the  dead,  not  simply  to  assuage  the  grief  of 
mourning  relatives ;  myriads  have  had  to  mourn  over  death, 
and  so  myriads  more  shall  have  to  do.  One  of  the  Lord's 
purposes  was  that  of  demonstrating  the  actuality  of  the 
power  of  God  as  shown  forth  in  the  works  of  Jesus  the 
Christ,  and  Lazarus  was  the  accepted  subject  of  the  mani- 
festation; just  as  the  man  afflicted  with  congenital  blindness 
had  been  chosen  to  be  the  one  through  whom  "the  works  of 
God  should  be  made  manifest."1' 

That  the  Lord's  act  of  restoring  Lazarus  to  life  was  of 
effect  in  testifying  to  His  Messiahship  is  explicitly  stated.™ 
All  the  circumstances  leading  up  to  final  culmination  in  the 
miracle  contributed  to  its  attestation.  No  question  as  to 
the  actual  death  of  Lazarus  could  be  raised,  for  his  demise 
had  been  witnessed,  his  body  had  been  prepared  and  buried 
in  the  usual  way,  and  he  had  lain"  in  the  grave  four  days. 
At  the  tomb,  when  he  was  called  forth,  there  were  many 
witnesses,  some  of  them  prominent  Jews,  many  of  whom 
were  unfriendly  to  Jesus  and  who  would  have  readily  denied 
the  miracle  had  they  been  able.  God  was  glorified  and  the 
divinity  of  the  Son  of  Man  was  vindicated  in  the  result. 

THE  HIERARCHY  GREATLY  AGITATED  OVER  THE  MIRACLE.* 

As  in  connection  with  most  of  our  Lord's  public  acts — 
while  some  of  those  who  heard  and  saw  were  brought  to 

•v  John  9:3. 
wjohn   12:9-11,    17. 
rjohn  11:46-54. 


THE   RULERS   AGAIN    IN    CONSPIRACY.  497 

believe  in  Him,  others  rejected  the  proffered  lesson  and 
reviled  the  Master — so  with  this  mighty  work — some  were 
stirred  to  faith  and  others  went  their  ways  each  with  mind 
darkened  and  spirit  more  malignant  than  ever.  Some  of 
those  who  had  seen  the  dead  man  raised  to  life  went  imme- 
diately and  reported  the  matter  to  .the  rulers,  whom  they 
knew  to  be  intensely  hostile  toward  Jesus.  In  the  parable 
we  have  recently  studied,  the  spirit  of  the  rich  man  pleaded 
from  his  place  of  anguish  that  Lazarus,  the  once  pitiable 
beggar,  be  sent  from  paradise  to  earth,  to  warn  others  of 
the  fate  awaiting  the  wicked,  to  which  appeal  Abraham 
replied :  "If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither 
will  they  be  persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the  dead."^ 
Now  a  Lazarus  had  been  in  reality  raised  from  the  dead, 
and  many  of  the  Jews  rejected  the  testimony  of  his  return 
and  refused  to  believe  in  Christ  through  whom  alone  death 
is  overcome.  The  Jews  tried  to  get  Lazarus  into  their 
power  that  they  might  kill  him  and,  as  they  hoped,  silence 
forever  his  testimony  of  the  Lord's  power  over  death/ 

The  chief  priests,  who  were  mostly  Sadducees,  and  the 
Pharisees  with  them  assembled  in  council,  to  consider  the 
situation  created  by  this  latest  of  our  Lord's  great  works. 
The  question  they  discussed  was :  "What  do  we  ?  for  this 
man  doeth  many  miracles.  If  we  let  him  thus  alone, 'all 
men  will  believe  on  him :  and  the  Romans  shall  come  and 
take  away  both  our  place  and  nation."  As  stated  by  them- 
selves, there  was  no  denying  the  fact  of  the  many  miracles 
wrought  by  Jesus ;  but  instead  of  earnestly  and  prayerfully 
investigating  as  to  whether  these  mighty  works  were  not 
among  the  predicted  characteristics  of  the  Messiah,  they 
thought  only  of  the  possible  effect  of  Christ's  influence  in 
alienating  the  people  from  the  established  theocracy,  and  of 
the  fear  that  the  Romans,  taking  advantage  of  the  situation, 


y  Luke  16:31;  page  466  herein. 
s  John    12:10. 


498  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

would  deprive  the  hierarchs  of  their  "place"  and  take  from 
the  nation  what  little  semblance  of  distinct  autonomy  it 
still  possessed.  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest,0  cut  short  the 
discussion  by  saying :  "Ye  know  nothing  at  all."  This  sweep- 
ing assertion  of  ignorance  was  most  likely  addressed  to  the 
Pharisees  of  the  Sanhedrin ;  Caiaphas  was  a  Sadducee.  His 
next  utterance  was  of  greater  significance  than  he  realized : 
"Nor  consider  that  it  is  expedient  for  us,  that  one  man 
should  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish 
not."  John  solemnly  avers  that  Caiaphas  spake  not  of  him- 
self, but  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  which,  in  spite  of  his 
implied  unworthiness,  came  upon  him  by  virtue  of  his  office, 
and  that  thus:  "He  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for 
that  nation ;  and  not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that  also  he 
should  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that  were 
scattered  abroad."  But  a  few  years  after  Christ  had  been 
put  to  death,  for  the  salvation  of  the  Jews  and  of  all  other 
nations,  the  very  calamities  which  Caiaphas  and  the  San- 
hedrin had  hoped  to  avert  befell  in  full  measure ;  the  hier- 
archy was  overthrown,  the  temple  destroyed,  Jerusalem  de- 
molished and  the  nation  disrupted.  From  the  day  of  that 
memorable  session  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the  rulers  increased 
their  efforts  to  bring  about  the  death  of  Jesus,  by  whatever 
means  they  might  find  available.  They  issued  a  mandate 
that  whosoever  knew  of  His  whereabouts  should  give  the 
information  to  the  officials,  that  they  might  promptly  take 
Him  into  custody.6 

JESUS   IN   RETIREMENT  AT  EPHRAIM.C 

The  hostility  of  the  ecclesiastical  rulers  became  so  great 
tnat  Jesus  once  more  sought  retirement  in  a  region  suf- 
ficiently far  from  Jerusalem  to  afford  Him  security  from  the 


a  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 
6  John    11:57. 
cjohn    11:54. 


JESUS   AT   EPHRAIM.  499 

watchful  and  malignant  eyes  of  His  powerful  and  openly 
avowed  enemies.  But  a  few  weeks  of  mortal  life  remained 
to  Him,  and  the  greater  part  of  this  brief  period  had  to  be 
devoted  to  the  further  instruction  of  the  apostles.  He  pru- 
dently withdrew  from  the  vicinity  of  Bethany  and  "went 
thence  unto  a  country  near  to  the  wilderness,  into  a  city 
called  Ephraim,  and  there  continued  with  his  disciples." 
Thus  did  our  Lord  spend  the  rest  of  the  winter  and  prob- 
ably the  early  days  of  the  succeeding  spring.  That  His  re- 
treat was  private  if  not  practically  secret  is  suggested  by 
John's  statement  that  "Jesus  therefore  walked  no  more 
openly  among  the  Jews" ;  and  further  indication  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  although  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  had 
virtually  set  a  price  upon  His  head,  no  man  gave  informa- 
tion as  to  His  whereabouts.  The  place  of  this  last  retire- 
ment is  not  definitely  known ;  it  is  generally  thought  to  be 
the  locality  elsewhere  called  Ephrain  and  Ephron/*  which 
lay  a  little  less  than  twenty  miles  northerly  from  Jerusalem. 
Equally  uncertain  is  the  duration  of  our  Lord's  abode  there. 
When  He  emerged  again  into  public  notice,  it  was  to  enter 
upon  His  solemn  march  toward  Jerusalem  and  the  cross. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  28. 

i.  Origin  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication.— Concerning  the  sec- 
ond temple,  known  as  the  Temple  of  Zerubbabel,  the  author  has 
written  elsewhere :  "Of  the  later  history  of  this  temple  the 
biblical  record  gives  but  few  details ;  but  from  other  sources  we 
learn  of  its  vicissitudes.  In  connection  with  the  Maccabean  per- 
secution the  House  of  the  Lord  was  profaned.  A  Syrian  king, 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  captured  Jerusalem  (168  to  165  B.  C.)  and 
perpetrated  blasphemous  outrage  against  the  religion  of  the  peo- 
ple. He  plundered  the  temple  and  carried  away  its  golden  can- 
dlestick, its  golden  altar  of  incense,  its  table  of  shewbread,  and 
even  tore  down  the  sacred  veils,  which  were  of  fine  linen  and 
scarlet.  His  malignity  was  carried  SG  far  that  he  purposely  dese- 
crated the  altar  of  sacrifice  by  offering  swine  thereon,  and  erected 
a  heathen  altar  within  the  sacred  enclosure.  Not  content  with 
the  violation  of  the  temple,  this  wicked  monarch  had  altars  erected 
in  the  towns,  and  ordered  the  offering  of  unclean  beasts  upon 


Chron.    13:19;   Josh.    15:9. 


500  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    28. 

them.  The  rite  of  circumcision  was  forbidden  on  pain  of 
death,  and  the  worship  of  Jehovah  was  declared  a  crime.  As  a 
result  of  this  persecution  many  of  the  Jews  apostatized,  and 
declared  that  they  belonged  to  the  Medes  and  Persians — the 
nations  from  whose  dominion  they  had  been  delivered  by  the 
power  of  God.  ....  Then  in  the  year  163  B.  C.  the  House 
was  rededicated;  and  the  occasion  was  remembered  in  annual 
festival  thereafter  under  the  name  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication. "- 
The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  51-53.  According  to  Josephus  (Ant. 
xii,  7:7)  the  festival  came  to  be  known  as  The  Lights;  and  bril- 
liant illumination  both  of  the  temple  and  of  dwellings,  was  a 
feature  of  the  celebration.  Traditional  accounts  say^  that  eight 
days  had  been  set  as  the  duration  of  the  feast,  in  commemoration 
of  a  legendary  miracle  by  which  the  consecrated  oil  in  the  only 
jar  found  intact,  and  bearing  the  unbroken  seal  o'f  the  high  priest, 
had  been  made  to  serve  for  temple  purposes  through  eight  days, 
which  time  was  required  for  the  ceremonial  preparation  of  a 
new  supply. 

2.  Solomon's  Porch. — This  name  had  been  applied  to  the 
eastern    colonnade    or    row    of    porticoes    within    the    temple    en- 
closure, in  recognition  of  a  tradition  that  the  porch  covered   and 
included  a  portion  of  the  original  wall  belonging  to  the  Temple 
of  Solomon.     See  The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  55-57. 

3.  The  Oneness  of  Christ  and  the  Father. — The  revised  ver- 
sion gives  for  John  10  130 :      "I  and  the  Father  are  one"  instead  of 
"I   and   my   Father   are  one."      By   "the   Father"   the   Jews   rightly 
understood  the  Eternal  Father,  God.     In  the  original  Greek  "one" 
appears  in  the  neuter  gender,  and  therefore  expresses  oneness  in 
attributes,   power,    or   purpose,    and    not    a   oneness    of    personality 
which    would   have   required    the    masculine    form.      For    treatment 
of  the  unity  of  the  Godhead,  and  the  separate  personality  of  each 
Member,  see  Articles  of  Faith,  ii,  20-24. 

4.  The  Place  of  our  Lord's  Retirement. — Jesus  went  "be- 
yond Jordan  into  the  place  where  John   at  first  baptized"    (John 
io:4o).      This    was    probably    Bethabara    (1:28),    which  ^  is    called 
Bethany  in  some  of  the  earliest  manuscripts  and  is  so  designated 
in  the  latest  revised  version.     Care  must  be  taken  not  te  confuse 
this    Perean    Bethany   with    the    Bethany    in    Judea,    the    home    of 
Martha  and  Mary,  which  was  within  two  miles  of  Jerusalem. 

5.  Lazarus  in  the  Tomb  Four  Days. — On  the  very  probable 
assumption  that  the  journey  from   Bethany  in  Judea  to  the  place 
where  Jesus  was,  in   Perea,  would  require  one  day,   Lazarus  must 
have  died  on  the  day  of  the  messenger's  departure ;   for  this  day 
and  the  two  days  that  elapsed  before  Jesus  started  toward  Judea, 
and  the  day  required   for  the   return,   would   no  more   than   cover 
the   four  days  specified.     It  was  and  still  is  the  custom  in   Pales- 
tine as  in  other  oriental  countries  to  bury  on  the  day  of  death. 

It  was  the  popular  belief  that  on  the  fourth  day  after  death 
the  spirit  had  finally  departed  from  the  vicinity  of  the  corpse, 
and  that  thereafter  decomposition  proceeded  unhindered.  This 
may  explain  Martha's  impulsive  though  gentle  objection  to  hav- 
ing the  tomb  of  her  brother  opened  four  days  after  his  death 


NOTES.  501 

(John  11:39).  It  is  possible  that  the  consent  of  the  next  of  kin 
was  required  for  the  lawful  opening  of  a  grave.  Both  Martha 
and  Mary  were  present,  and  in  the  presence  of  many  witnesses 
assented  to  the  opening  of  the  tomb  in  which  their  brother  lay. 

6.  Jesus  Groaned  in  Spirit. — The  marginal  readings  for  "he 
groaned  in  the  spirit"    (John   11:33)    and  "again  groaning  in  him- 
self" (v.  38),  as  given  in  the  revised  version,  are  "was  moved  with 
indignation   in   the   spirit"   and   "being   moved   with   indignation   in 
himself."     All    philological    authorities    agree    that    the    words    in 
the    original    Greek    express    sorrowful    indignation,    or    as    some 
aver,  anger,  and  not  alone  a  sympathetic  emotion  of  grief.     Any 
indignation   the    Lord   may   have    felt,    as    intimated    in    verse    33, 
may  be   attributed   to   disapproval   of   the   customary   wailing  over 
death,   which   as  vented   by  the   Jews   on   this   occasion,   profaned 
the  real  and  soulful  grief  of  Martha  and  Mary;  and  His  indigna- 
tion, expressed  by  groaning  as   mentioned  in  verse  38,  may  have 
been  due  to  the  carping  criticism  uttered  by  some  of  the  Jews  as 
recorded  in  verse  37. 

7.  Caiaphas,  High  Priest  that  Year. — John's  statement  that 
Caiaphas  was  high  priest  "that  same  year"  must  not  be  construed 
as  meaning  that  the  office  of  high  priest  was   of   a  single  year's 
tenure.     Under  Jewish   law   the  presiding  priest,   who   was   known 
as   the   high   priest,    would   remain   in   office   indefinitely;    but   the 
Roman  government  had  arrogated   to   itself   the  appointive  power 
as  applying  to  this  office ;  and  frequent  changes  were  made.     This 
Caiaphas,    whose    full    name    was    Josephus    Caiaphas,    was    high 
priest  under  Roman  appointment  during  a  period  of  eleven  years. 
To  such  appointments  the  Jews  had  to  submit,  though  they  often 
recognized    as   the   high   priest   under   their   law,    some   other   than 
the   "civil  high  priest"   appointed   by   Roman   authority.     Thus   we 
find    both    Annas    and    Caiaphas    exercizing    the    authority    of    the 
office  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's   arrest  and  later.      .(John   18:13, 
24;  Acts  4:6;  compare  Luke  3:2.)       Farrar    (p.  484,  note)    says: 
"Some   have   seen    an   open    irony   in    the   expression    of    St.    John 
(11:49)   that  Caiaphas  was  high  priest  'that  same  year/  as  though 
the   Jews   had  got   into   this    contemptuous    way   of    speaking   dur- 
ing  the    rapid    succession    of   priests — mere    phantoms    set    up    and 
displaced  by  the  Roman  fiat — who  had  in  recent  years  succeeded 
each  other.     There  must  have  been  at  least  five  living  high  priests, 
and    ex-high    priests    at    this    council — Annas,    Ismael    Ben    Phabi, 
Eleazar    Ben    Haman,    Simon    Ben    Kamhith,    and    Caiaphas,    who 
had  gained  his  elevation  by  bribery." 


502  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 


CHAPTER  29. 
ON  TO  JERUSALEM. 

JESUS  AGAIN  FORETELLS  HIS  DEATH  AND  RESURRECTION.0 

Each  of  the  three  synoptic  writers  has  made  record  of 
this  last  journey  to  Jerusalem  and  of  occurrences  connected 
therewith.  The  deep  solemnity  of  the  developments  now  so 
near  at  hand,  and  of  the  fate  He  was  setting  out  to  meet  so 
affected  Jesus  that  even  the  apostles  were  amazed  at  His 
absorption  and  evident  sadness ;  they  fell  behind  in  amaze- 
ment and  fear.  Then  He  paused,  called  the  Twelve  about 
Him,  and  in  language  of  absolute  plainness,  without  meta- 
phor or  simile,  He  said :  "Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem, 
and  all  things  that  are  written  by  the  prophets  concerning 
the  Son  of  man  shall  be  accomplished.  For  he  shall  be  de- 
livered unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  be  mocked,  and  spitefully 
entreated,  and  spitted  on :  And  they  shall  scourge  him,  and 
put  him  to  death :  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again." 

It  is  to  us  an  astounding  fact  that  the  Twelve  failed  to 
comprehend  His  meaning ;  yet  Luke  unqualifiedly  affirms : 
"And  they  understood  none  of  these  things :  and  this  saying 
was  hid  from  them,  neither  knew  they  the  things  which  were 
spoken."  This  avouchment  of  the  Savior's  approaching 
death  and  resurrection  spoken  in  confidential  certainty  to  the 
Twelve  was  the  third  of  its  kind ;  and  still  they  could  not 
bring  themselves  to  accept  the  awful  truth. b  According  to 
Matthew's  account,  they  were  told  of  the  very  manner  by 
which  the  Lord  should  die — that  the  Gentiles  should  crucify 
Him;  yet  they  understood  not.  To  them  there  was  some 

oMatt.  20:17-19;  Mark  10:32-34;  Luke  18:31-34. 

b  The  earlier  predictions  were:  (1)  that  spoken  shortly  before  the  Trans- 
figuration (Matt.  16:21;  Mark  8:31),  and  (2)  that  which  followed,  in  Galilee 
(Matt.  17:22,  23;  Mark  9:31;  compare  Luke  9:44). 


THE  APOSTLES  FAIL  TO  UNDERSTAND.  503 

dreadful  incongruity,  some  dire  inconsistency  or  inexplicable 
contradiction  in  the  sayings  of  their  beloved  Master.  They 
knew  Him  to  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God ;  and 
how  could  such  a  One  be  brought  into  subjection  and  be 
slain?  They  could  not  fail  to  realize  that  some  unprece- 
dented development  in  His  life  was  impending;  this  they 
may  have  vaguely  conceived  to  be  the  crisis  for  which  they 
had  been  waiting,  the  open  proclamation  of  His  Messianic 
dignity,  His  enthronement  as  Lord  and  King.  And  such 
indeed  was  to  be,  though  in  a  manner  far  different  from 
their  anticipations.  The  culminating  prediction — that  on  the 
third  day  He  would  rise  again — seems  to  have  puzzled  them 
the  most;  and,  at  the 'same  time,  this  assurance  of  ultimate 
triumph  may  have  made  all  intermediate  occurrences  appear 
as  of  but  secondary  and  transitory  import.  They  persistently 
repelled  the  thought  that  they  were  following  their  Lord  to 
the  cross  and  the  sepulchre. 

THE;  QUESTION  OF  PRECEDENCE  AGAIN.C 

Notwithstanding  all  the  instructions  the  apostles  had  re- 
ceived concerning  humility,  and  though  they  had  before  them 
the  supreme  example  of  the  Master's  life  and  conduct,  in 
which  the  fact  that  service  was  the  only  measure  of  true 
greatness  was  abundantly  demonstrated,  they  continued  to 
dream  of  rank  and  honor  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah. 
Perhaps  because  of  the  imminence  of  the  Master's  triumph, 
with  which  they  all  were  particularly  impressed  at  this  time 
though  ignorant  of  its  real  significance,  certain  of  the  Twelve 
appealed  to  the  Lord  in  the  course  of  this  journey  with  a 
most  ambitious  request.  The  petitioners  were  James  and 
John,  though  according  to  Matthew's  record  their  mother^ 
was  the  first  to  ask.  The  request  was  that  when  Jesus  came 
into  possession  of  His  kingdom,  He  would  so  signally  honor 


cMatt.   20:20-28;   Mark   10:35-45. 
d  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


504  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

the  aspiring  pair  as  to  install  them  in  seats  of  eminence,  one 
on  His  right  hand,  the  other  on  His  left.  Instead  of  sharply 
rebuking  such  presumption,  Jesus  gently  but  impressively 
asked :  "Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  shall  drink  of, 
and  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized 
with?"  The  answer  was  full  of  self-confidence  inspired  by 
ignorant  misapprehension.  "We  are  able,"  they  replied. 
Then  said  Jesus :  "Ye  shall  drink  indeed  of  my  cup,  and  be 
baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  with :  but  to 
sit  on  my  right  hand,  and  on  my  left,  is  not  mine  to  give, 
but  it  shall  be  given  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared  of  my 
Father." 

The  ten  apostles  were  indignant  at  the  two  brothers,  pos- 
sibly less  through  disapproval  of  the  spirit  that  had  prompted 
the  petition  than  because  the  two  had  forestalled  the  others 
in  applying  for  the  chief  posts  of  distinction.  But  Jesus, 
patiently  tolerant  of  their  human  weaknesses,  drew  the 
Twelve  around  Him,  and  taught  them  as  a  loving  father 
might  instruct  and  admonish  his  contentious  children.  He 
showed  them  how  earthly  rulers,  such  as  princes  among  the 
Gentiles,  domineer  over  their  subjects,  manifesting  lordship 
and  arbitrarily  exercizing  the  authority  of  office.  But  it  was 
not  to  be  so  among  the  Master's  servants ;  whoever  of  them 
would  be  great  must  be  a  servant  indeed,  willingly  minister- 
ing unto  his  fellows ;  the  humblest  and  most  willing  servant 
would  be  the  chief  of  the  servants.  "For  even  the  Son  of 
man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and 
to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many."* 

SIGHT  RESTORED  TO  THE  BLIND  NEAR  JERICHO/ 

In  the  course  of  His  journey  Jesus  came  to  Jericho,  at 
or  near  which  city  He  again  exerted  His  wondrous  power 
in  opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind.  Matthew  states  that  two 

e  For   earlier   lessons   on   the    greatness   of  humility   see   pages   386   and 
471;   Tor  the  significance  of  the  title,  Son  of  Man,  see  pages  142-144. 
/Matt.   20:30-34;    Mark.   10:4&-52;    Luke   18:35-43. 


"JESUS  OF  NAZARETH   PASSETH   BY."  505 

sightless  men  were  made  to  see,  and  that  the  miracle  was 
enacted  as  Jesus  was  leaving  Jericho;  Mark  mentions  but 
one  blind  man,  whom  he  names  Bartimeus  or  the  son  of 
Timeus,  and  agrees  with  Matthew  in  saying  that  the  healing 
was  effected  when  Jesus  was  departing  from  the  city;  Luke 
specifies  but  one  subject  of  the  Lord's  healing  mercy,  "a 
certain  blind  man,"  and  chronicles  the  miracle  as  an  inci- 
dent of  Christ's  approach  to  Jericho.  These  slight  varia- 
tions attest  the  independent  authorship  of  each  of  the 
records,  and  the  apparent  discrepancies  have  no  direct  bear- 
ing upon  the  main  facts,  nor  do  they  detract  from  the  in- 
structional value  of  the  Lord's  work.  As  we  have  found 
to  be  the  case  on  an  earlier  occasion,  two  men  were  men- 
tioned though  but  one  figures  in  the  circumstantial  account.? 
The  man  who  is  more  particularly  mentioned,  Bartimeus, 
sat  by  the  wayside,  asking  alms.  Jesus  approached,  accom- 
panied by  the'  apostles,  many  other  disciples,  and  a  great 
multitude  of  people,  probably  made  up  largely  of  travelers 
on  their  way  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  the  Passover  festival, 
the  time  for  which  was  about  a  week  ahead.  Hearing  the 
tramp  of  so  great  a  company  the  sightless  beggar  inquired 
what  it  all  meant,  and  was  answered,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth 
passeth  by."  Eager  lest  the  opportunity  of  gaining  the 
Master's  attention  be  lost,  he  immediately  cried  in  a  loud 
voice:  "Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me." 
His  appeal,  and  particularly  his  use  of  the  title,  Son  of 
David,  show  that  he  knew  of  the  great  Teacher,  had  confi- 
dence in  His  power  to  heal  and  faith  in  Him  as  the  promised 
King  and  Deliverer  of  Israel.7*  Those  who  were  in  advance 
of  Jesus  in  the  company  tried  to  silence  the  man,  but  the 
more  they  rebuked  him  the  louder  and  more  persistently  did 
he  cry :  "Thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me."  Jesus 
halted  in  His  course  and  directed  that  the  man  be  brought 

g  See    account    of    the    two   demoniacs,    Matt.    8:28,    compare    Mark   5:1, 
Luke  8:27.    See  also  page  310  herein. 

h  Compare  Matt.  9:27;  15:22;  page  85  herein. 


506  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

to  Him.  Those  who  but  a  moment  before  would  have 
stopped  the  blind  man's  yearning  appeal,  now  that  the  Mas- 
ter had  noticed  him  were  eager  to  be  of  service.  To  the 
sightless  one  they  brought  the  glad  word:  "Be  of  good 
comfort,  rise;  he  calleth  thee";  and  he,  casting  aside  his 
outer  garment  lest  it  hinder,  came  in  haste  to  Christ.  To 
the  Lord's  question,  "What  wilt  thou  that  I  shall  do  unto 
thee?"  Bartimeus  answered:  "Lord,  that  I  may  receive 
my  sight."  Then  Jesus  spake  the  simple  words  of  power 
and  blessing :  "Receive  thy  sight :  thy  faith  hath  saved 
thee."  The  man,  full  of  gratitude  and  knowing  that  nothing 
short  of  divine  interposition  could  have  opened  his  eyes, 
followed  his  Benefactor,  glorifying  God  in  heartfelt  prayers 
of  thanksgiving,  in  which  many  of  those  who  had  witnessed 
the  miracle  fervently  joined. 

ZACCHEUS,  THE  CHIEF  AMONG  TH£  PUBLICANS.* 

Jericho  was  a  city  of  considerable  importance;  among  its 
resident  officials  was  a  staff  of  publicans,  or  collectors 
of  customs,  and  of  these  the  chief  was  Zaccheus/  who  had 
grown  rich  from  the  revenues  of  office.  He  had  doubtless 
heard  of  the  great  Galilean  who  hesitated  not  to  mingle  with 
publicans,  detested  though  they  were  by  the  Jews  in  gen- 
eral ;  he  may  have  known,  also,  that  Jesus  had  placed  one  of 
this  publican  class  among  the  most  prominent  of  the  disci- 
ples. That  Zaccheus  was  a  Jew  is  indicated  by  his  name, 
which  is  a  variant  of  "Zacharias,"  with  a  Greek  or  Latin 
termination ;  he  must  have  been  particularly  obnoxious  to 
his  people  on  account  of  his  advanced  status  among  the  pub- 
licans, all  of  whom  were  in  Roman  employ.  He  had  a  great 
desire  to  see  Jesus ;  the  feeling  was  not  one  of  mere  curi- 
osity ;  he  had  been  impressed  and  set  thinking  by  the  things 
he  had  heard  about  this  Teacher  from  Nazareth.  But 


t'Luke  19:1-10. 

j  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


ZACCHEUS  ENTERTAINS  CHRIST  AT  HIS  HOME.  507 

Zaccheus  was  a  little  man,  and  could  not  ordinarily  see  over 
the  heads  of  others;  so  he  ran  ahead  of  the  company  and 
climbed  a  tree  alongside  the  road.  When  Jesus  reached 
the  place,  to  the  great  surprize  of  the  man  in  the  tree  He 
looked  up  and  said :  "Zaccheus,  make  haste,  and  come 
down;  for  to  day  I  must  abide  at  thy  house."  Zaccheus 
came  down  with  haste,  and  joyfully  received  the  Lord  as  his 
guest.  The  multitude  by  whom  Jesus  had  been  accom- 
panied appear  to  have  been  generally  friendly  toward  Him ; 
but  at  this  turn  of  affairs  they  murmured  and  criticized,  say- 
ing that  the  Master  "was  gone  to  be  guest  with  a  man  that 
is  a  sinner" ;  for  all  publicans  were  sinners  in  Jewish  eyes, 
and  Zaccheus  admitted  that  the  opprobrium  in  his  case  was 
possibly  deserved.  But  having  seen  and  conversed  with 
Jesus,  this  chief  among  the  publicans  believed  and  was  con- 
verted. As  proof  of  his  change  of  heart  Zaccheus  then  and 
there  voluntarily  vowed  unto  the  Lord  to  make  amends  and 
restitution  if  it  were  found  that  he  owed  such.  "Behold, 
Lord,"  he  said,  "the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor; 
and  if  I  have  taken  anything  from  any  man  by  false  accusa- 
tion, I  restore  him  fourfold."  These  were  works  meet  for 
repentance.  The  man  realized  that  he  could  not  change  his 
past ;  but  he  knew  he  could  in  part  at  least  atone  for  some 
of  his  misdeeds.  His  pledge  to  restore  in  fourfold  measure 
whatever  he  had  wrongfully  acquired  was  in  line  with  the 
Mosaic  law  as  to  restitution,  but  far  in  excess  of  the  recom- 
pense required.*  Jesus  accepted  the  man's  profession  of 
repentance,  and  said :  "This  day  is  salvation  come  to  this 
house,  forsomuch  as  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abraham."  Another 
stray  sheep  had  been  returned  to  the  fold;  another  lost 
treasure  had  been  found ;  another  wayward  son  had  come 
back  to  the  Father's  house.'  "For  the  Son  of  man  is  come 
to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 


22:1-9. 
I  Compare  pages  389  and  454  to  461. 


508  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 


UNTO  EVERY  ONE  THAT  HATH   SHAIJ,  BE  GIVEN. m 

As  the  multitude  approached  Jerusalem,  Jesus  being  in 
their  midst,  expectation  ran  high  as  to  what  the  Lord  would 
do  when  He  reached  the  capital  of  the  nation.  Many  of 
those  with  Him  were  looking  for  a  proclamation  of  His  royal 
authority  and  "they  thought'that  the  kingdom  of  God  should 
immediately  appear."  Jesus  told  them  a  story;  we  call  it 
the  Parable  of  the  Pounds: 

"A  certain  nobleman  went  into  a  far  country  to  receive 
for  himself  a  kingdom,  and  to  return.  And  he  called  his  ten 
servants,  and  delivered  them  ten  pounds,  and  said  unto  them, 
Occupy  till  I  come.  But  his  citizens  hated  him,  and  sent  a 
message  after  him,  saying,  We  will  not  have  this  man  to 
reign  over  us.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  he  was  re- 
turned, having  received  the  kingdom,  then  he  commanded 
these  servants  to  be  called  unto  him,  to  whom  he  had  given 
the  money,  that  he  might  know  how  much  every  man  had 
gained  by  trading.  Then  came  the  first,  saying,  Lord,  thy 
pound  hath  gained  ten  pounds.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Well, 
thou  good  servant :  because  thou  hast  been  faithful  in  a  very 
little,  have  thou  authority  over  ten  cities.  And  the  second 
came,  saying,  Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained  five  pounds. 
And  he  said  likewise  to  him,  Be  thou  also  over  five  cities. 
And  another  came,  saying,  Lord,  behold,  here  is  thy  pound, 
which  I  have  kept  laid  up  in  a  napkin :  For  I  feared  thee, 
because  thou  art  an  austere  man :  thou  takest  up  that  thou 
layest  not  down,  and  reapest  that  thou  didst  not  sow.  And 
he  saith  unto  him,  Out  of  thine  own  mouth  will  I  judge  thee, 
thou  wicked  servant.  Thou  knewest  that  I  was  an  austere 
man,  taking  up  that  I  laid  not  down,  and  reaping  that  I  did 
not  sow :  Wherefore  then  gavest  not  thou  my  money  into  the 
bank,  that  at  my  coming  I  might  have  required  mine  own 
with  usury?  And  he  said  unto  them  that  stood  by,  Take 
from  him  the  pound,  and  give  it  to  him  that  hath  ten  pounds. 
(And  they  said  unto  him,  Lord,  he  hath  ten  pounds.)  For 
I  say  unto  you,  That  unto  every  one  which  hath  shall  be 

wLuke   19:11-27. 


PARABLE  OF  THE  POUNDS.  509 

given ;  and  from  him  that  hath  not,  even  that  he  hath  shall 
be  taken  away  from  him.  But  those  mine  enemies,  which 
would  not  that  I  should  reign  over  them,  bring  hither,  and 
slay  them  before  me." 

Both  the  circumstances  of  the  story  and  the  application 
of  the  parable  were  more  readily  apparent  to  the  Jewish 
multitude  than  they  are  to  us.  The  departure  of  a  certain 
nobleman  from  a  vassal  province  to  the  court  of  the  suzerain 
to  seek  investiture  of  kingly  authority,  and  the  protest  of  the 
citizens  over  whom  he  asserted  the  right  to  reign,  were  in- 
cidents of  Jewish  history  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  peo- 
ple to  whom  Christ  spoke.**  The  explication  of  the  parable 
is  this :  The  people  were  not  to  look  for  an  immediate  estab- 
lishment of  the  kingdom  in  temporal  power.  He  who  would 
be  king  was  pictured  as  having  departed  for  a  far  country 
from  which  he  would  assuredly  return.  Before  leaving  he 
had  given  to  each  of  his  servants  a  definite  sum  of  money ; 
and  by  their  success  in  using  this  he  would  judge  of  their 
fitness  to  serve  in  offices  of  trust.  When  he  returned  he 
called  for  an  accounting,  in  the  course  of  which  the  cases  of 
three  servants  are  specified  as  types.  One  had  so  used  the 
pound  as  to  gain  ten  pounds ;  he  was  commended  and  re- 
ceived a  reward  such  as  only  a  sovereign  could  give,  the 
governorship  of  ten  cities.  The  second  servant,  with  equal 
capital  had  increased  it  only  five  fold ;  he  was  properly  re- 
warded in  proportion  by  appointment  as  governor  over  five 
cities.  The  third  gave  back  what  he  had  received,  without 
increase,  for  he  had  failed  to  use  it.  He  had  no  reason  and 
only  a  very  poor  excuse  to  offer  for  his  dereliction.  In  jus- 
tice he  was  severely  reprimanded,  and  the  money  was  taken 
from  him.  When  the  king  directed  that  the  pound  so  for- 
feited by  the  unfaithful  servant  be  given  to  him  who  already 
had  ten,  some  surprize  was  manifest  amongst  those  who 
stood  by ;  but  the  king  explained,  ttvat  "unto  every  one  that 


n  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


510  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

hath  shall  be  given,"  for  such  a  one  uses  to  advantage  the 
means  entrusted  to  his  care,  while  "from  him  that  hath  not, 
even  that  he  hath  shall  be  taken  away  from  him";  for  he 
has  demonstrated  his  utter  unfitness  to  possess  and  use 
aright.  This  part  of  the  parable,  while  of  general  applica- 
tion, must  have  appealed  to  the  apostles  as  particularly  apt ; 
for  each  of  them  had  received  in  trust  an  equal  endowment 
through  ordination,  and  each  would  be  required  to  account 
for  his  administration. 

The  fact  is  apparent  that  Christ  was  the  nobleman  who 
was  to  be  invested  with  the  authority  of  kingship,  and  who 
would  return  to  require  the  accounting  at  the  hands  of  His 
trusted  servants.0  But  many  of  the  citizens  hated  Him  and 
wrould  protest  His  investiture,  saying  they  would  not  have 
Him  to  reign  over  them/  When  He  does  return  in  power 
and  authority,  these  rebellious  citizens  shall  surely  receive 
the  punishment  they  deserve.? 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  SIMON  THE  LEPER/ 

Six  days  before  the  Feast  of  the  Passover,  that  is  to  say 
before  the  day  on  which  the  paschal  lamb  was  to  be  eaten/ 
Jesus  arrived  at  Bethany,  the  home  town  of  Martha  and 
Mary,  and  of  Lazarus  who  had  recently  died  and  been  re- 
stored to  life.  The  chronology  of  events  during  the  last 
week  of  our  L,ord's  life  supports  the  generally  accepted  belief 
that  in  this  year,  the  fourteenth  day  of  Nisan.  on  which  the 
Passover  festival  began,  fell  on  Thursday ;  and  this  being  so, 
the  day  on  which  Jesus  reached  Bethany  was  the  preceding 
Friday,  the  eve  of  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  Jesus  fully  realized 
that  this  Sabbath  was  the  last  He  would  live  to  see  in  mor- 

o  Compare  Mark   13:34. 
p  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 

q  Comparison    of    similarities    and    differences   between    this    parable    and 
that  of  the  Talents  (Matt.  25--J4-30)  will  be  made  in  chapter  32,  pages  580-584. 
r  John  12:1-8;  Matt.  2M>-13;  Mark  14:3-9. 
jSee  Exo.   12:1-10;  *lso  page   112  herein. 


A   MEMORABLE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.  511 


tality.  The  Gospel- writers  have  drawn  a  veil  of  reverent 
silence  over  the  events  of  that  day.  It  appears  that  Jesus 
passed  His  last  Sabbath  in  retirement  at  Bethany.  The 
journey  afoot  from  Jericho  had  been  no  easy  walk,  for  the 
road  ascended  to  an  altitude  of  nearly  three  thousand  feet, 
and  was  withal  otherwise  a  toilsome  way. 

On  Saturday/  probably  in  the  evening  after  the  Sabbath 
had  passed,  a  supper  was  spread  for  Jesus  and  the  Twelve 
in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper.  No  other  mention  of  this 
man,  Simon,  appears  in  scripture.  If  he  was  living  at  the 
time  our  Lord  was  entertained  in  the  house  known  by  his 
name,  and  if  he  was  present,  he  must  have  been  previously 
healed  of  his  leprosy,  as  otherwise  he  could  not  have  been 
allowed  within  the  town,  far  less  to  be  one  of  a  festal  com- 
pany. It  is  reasonable  to  think  that  the  man  had  once  been 
a  victim  of  leprosy  and  had  come  to  be  currently  known  as 
Simon  the  leper,  and  that  he  was  one  among  the  many  suf- 
ferers from  this  dread  disease  who  had  been  healed  through 
the  Lord's  ministrations. 

Martha  was  in  charge  of  the  supper  arrangements  on  this 
memorable  occasion,  and  her  sister  Mary  was  with  her,  while 
Lazarus  sat  at  table  with  Jesus.  Many  have  assumed  that 
the  house  of  Simon  the  leper  was  the  family  home  of  the 
two  sisters  and  Lazarus,  in  which  case  it  is  possible  that 
Simon  was  the  father  of  the  three ;  but  of  such  relationship 
we  have  no  proof."  There  was  no  attempt  to  secure  unusual 
privacy  at  this  supper.  Such  occasions  were  customarily 
marked  by  the  presence  of  many  uninvited  lookers-on  in  that 
time;  and  we  are  not  surprized  to  learn,  therefore,  that 
many  people  were  there  and  that  they  had  come  "not  for 
Jesus'  sake  only,  but  that  they  might  see  Lazarus  also,  whom 
he  had  raised  from  the  dead"  Lazarus  was  a  subject  of 
much  interest  and  doubtless  of  curiosity  among  the  people; 


t  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 
u  Note  6,   end  of  chapter. 


512  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

and  at  the  time  of  his  privileged  and  intimate  association 
with  Jesus  in  Bethany,  the  chief  priests  were  plotting  to  put 
him  to  death,  on  account  of  the  effect  his  restoration  had  had 
upon  the  people,  many  of  whom  believed  on  Jesus  because 
of  the  miracle. 

That  supper  in  Bethany  was  an  event  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten. Mary,  the  more  contemplative  and  spiritually  minded 
of  the  two  sisters,  she  who  loved  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  Jesus 
and  listen  to  His  words,  and  who  had  been  commended  for 
having  so  chosen  the  one  needful  thing,  which  her  more 
practical  sister  lacked,*7  brought  from  among  her  treasures 
an  alabaster  cruse  containing  a  pound  of  costly  spikenard 
ointment ;  she  broke  the  sealed  flask™  and  poured  its  fra- 
grant contents  upon  the  head  and  feet  of  her  Lord,  and 
wiped  His  feet  with  her  loosened  tresses.*  To  anoint  the 
head  of  a  guest  with  ordinary  oil  was  to  do  him  honor;  to 
anoint  his  feet  also  was  to  show  unusual  and  signal  regard ; 
but  the  anointing  of  head  and  feet  with  spikenard,  and  in 
such  abundance,  was  an  act  of  reverential  homage  rarely 
rendered  even  to  kings.^  Mary's  act  was  an  expression  of 
adoration ;  it  was  the  fragrant  outwelling  of  a  heart  over- 
flowing with  worship  and  affection. 

But  this  splendid  tribute  of  a  devout  woman's  love  was 
made  the  cause  of  disagreeable  protest.  Judas  Iscariot, 
treasurer  of  the  Twelve,  but  dishonest,  avaricious,  and  small- 
souled  in  character,  vented  his  grumbling  complaint,  saying : 
"Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred  pence, 
and  given  to  the  poor?"*  His  seeming  solicitude  for  the 
poor  was  all  hypocrisy.  He  was  a  thief  and  lamented  that 
he  had  not  been  given  the  precious  ointment  to  sell,  or  that 

v  Luke  10:40-42;  page  432  herein 

w;The  better  rendering  is  "cruse"  or  "flask"  instead  of  box.  See  re- 
vised version. 

x  This  occurrence  must  not  be  confused  with  that  of  an  earlier  anointing 
of  Jesus  bj"  a  penitent  sinner  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  (Luke  7:36- 
0)  in  Galilee.  See  page  262  herein. 

y  Note  7,  end  of  chapter- 

z  Three  hundred  per-e  or  Roman  denarii  would  be  approximately  equal 
in  value  to  forty-five  dollars. 


MARY  OF  BETHANY   UNJUSTLY   CRITICIZED.  513 

the  price  had  not  been  turned  into  the  bag  of  which  he  was 
the  self-interested  custodian.  Mary's  use  of  the  costly 
unguent  had  been  so  lavish  that  others  beside  Judas  had  let 
their  surprize  grow  into  murmuring;  but  to  him  is  attrib- 
uted the  distinction  of  being  the  chief  complainer.  Mary's 
sensitive  nature  was  pained  by  the  ungracious  words  of  dis- 
approval; but  Jesus  interposed,  saying:  "Why  trouble  ye 
the  woman  ?  for  she  hath  wrought  a  good  work  upon  me." 
Then  in  further  rebuke  and  by  way  of  solemn  instruction  He 
continued :  "For  ye  have  the  poor  always  with  you ;  but  me 
ye  have  not  always.  For  in  that  she  hath  poured  this  oint- 
ment on  my  body,  she  did  it  for  my  burial.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  Wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  there  shall  also  this,  that  this  woman  hath  done, 
be  told  for  a  memorial  of  her." 

We  are  left  without  certain  information  as  to  whether 
Mary  knew  that  within  a  few  days  her  beloved  Lord  would 
be  in  the  tomb.  She  may  have  been  so  informed  in  view  of 
the  hallowed  intimacy  between  Jesus  and  the  family ;  or 
she  may  have  gathered  from  the  remarks  of  Christ  to  the 
apostles  that  the  sacrifice  of  His  life  was  impending;  or 
perhaps  by  inspired  intuition  she  was  impelled  to  render  the 
loving  tribute  by  which  her  memory  has  been  enshrined  in 
the  hearts  of  all  who  know  and  love  the  Christ.  John  has 
preserved  to  us  this  remark  of  Jesus  in  the  rebuke  called 
forth  by  the  grumbling  Iscariot:  "Let  her  alone;  against 
the  day  of  my  burying  hath  she  kept  this" ;  and  Mark's  ver- 
sion is  likewise  suggestive  of  definite  and  solemn  purpose  on 
Mary's  part :  "She  is  come  aforehand  to  anoint  my  body  to 
the  burying." 

CHRIST'S  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY  INTO  JERUSALEM. a 

While  still  in  Bethany  or  in  the  neighboring  village  of 
Bethphage,  and  according  to  John's  account  on  the  next  day 

a  Matt.  21:1-11;  Mark  11:1-11;  Luke  19:29-44;  John  12:12-19, 


514  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

after  the  supper  at  Simon's  house,  Jesus  directed  two  of  His 
disciples  to  go  to  a  certain  place,  where,  He  told  them,  they 
would  find  an  ass  tied,  and  with  her  a  colt  on  which  no  man 
had  ever  sat.  These  they  were  to  bring  to  Him.  If  stopped 
or  questioned  they  were  to  say  the  L,ord  had  need  of  the 
animals.  Matthew  alone  mentions  both  ass  and  colt ;  the 
other  writers  specify  the  latter  only ;  most  likely  the  mother 
followed  as  the  foal  was  led  away,  and  the  presence  of  the 
dam  probably  served  to  keep  the  colt  tractable.  The  disci- 
ples found  all  to  be  as  the  Lord  had  said.  They  brought 
the  colt  to  Jesus,  spread  their  coats  on  the  gentle  creature's 
back,  and  set  the  Master  thereon.  The  company  started 
toward  Jerusalem,  Jesus  riding  in  their  midst. 

Now,  as  was  usual,  great  numbers  of  people  had  come 
up  to  the  city  many  days  before  the  beginning  of  the  Pass- 
over rites,  in  order  that  they  might  attend  to  matters  of 
personal  purification,  and  make  good  their  arrears  in  the 
offering  of  prescribed  sacrifices.  Though  the  great  day,  on 
which  the  festival  was  to  be  inaugurated,  was  yet  four  days 
ahead,  the  city  was  thronged  with  pilgrim  crowds ;  and 
among  these  much  questioning  had  arisen  as  to  whether 
Jesus  would  venture  to  appear  publicly  in  Jerusalem  during 
the  feast,  in  view  of  the  well-known  plans  of  the  hierarchy 
to  take  Him  into  custody.  The  common  people  were  inter- 
ested in  every  act  and  movement  of  the  Master;  and  word 
of  His  departure  from  Bethany  sped  ahead  of  Him ;  so  that 
by  the  time  He  began  the  descent  from  the  highest  part  of 
the  road  on  the  flank  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  great  crowds 
had  gathered  about  Him.  The  people  were  jubilant  over  the 
spectacle  of  Jesus  riding  toward  the  holy  city;  they  spread 
out  their  garments,  and  cast  palm  fronds  and  other  foliage 
in  His  path,  thus  carpeting  the  way  as  for  the  passing  of  a 
king.  For  the  time  being  He  was  their  king,  and  they  His 
adoring  subjects.  The  voices  of  the  multitude  sounded  in 
reverberating  harmony :  "Blessed  be  the  King  that  cometh 


THE  PRINCE  OF  PEACE  RIDES  INTO  JERUSALEM.  515 

in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  peace  in  heaven,  and  glory  in  the 
highest";  and  again:  "Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David: 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  Hosanna 
in  the  highest."6 

But  amidst  all  this  jubilation,  Jesus  was  sad  as  He  came 
in  sight  of  the  great  city  wherein  stood  the  House  of  the 
Lord ;  and  He  wept,  because  of  the  wickedness  of  His  peo- 
ple, and  of  their  refusal  to  accept  Him  as  the  Son  of  God ; 
moreover  He  foresaw  the  awful  scenes  of  destruction  before 
which  both  city  and  temple  were  soon  to  fall.  In  anguish 
and  tears,  He  thus  apostrophized  the  doomed  city  :  "If  thou 
hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things 
which  belong  unto  thy  peace !  but  now  they  are  hid  from 
thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee,  that  thine 
enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee 
round,  and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side,  And  shall  lay  thee 
even  with  the  ground,  and  thy  children  within  thee;  and 
they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone  upon  another;  be- 
cause thou  knewest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation."  The 
multitude  was  increased  by  tributary  crowds  who  fell  in  with 
the  imposing  procession  at  every  crossway;  and  the  shouts 
of  praise  and  homage  were  heard  inside  the  city  while  the 
advancing  company  was  yet  far  from  the  walls.  When  the 
Lord  rode  through  the  massive  portal  and  actually  entered 
the  capital  of  the  Great  King,  the  whole  city  was  thrilled. 
To  the  inquiry  of  the  uninformed,  "Who  is  this?"  the  multi- 
tude shouted:  "This  is  Jesus,  the  prophet  of  Nazareth  of 
Galilee."  It  may  be  that  the  Galilean  pilgrims  were  first  to 
answer  and  loudest  in  the  gladsome  proclamation ;  for  the 
proud  Judeans  held  Galilee  in  low  esteem,  and  on  this  day, 
Jesus  of  Galilee  was  the  most  prominent  personage  in  Jeru- 
salem. The  Pharisees,  resentful  of  the  honors  thus  shown 
to  One  whom  they  had  long  plotted  to  destroy,  impotently 
condoled  with  one  another  over  the  failure  of  all  their  nefar- 

b  Note  8,  end  of  chapter. 


516  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

ious  schemes,  saying:  "Perceive  ye  how  ye  prevail  noth- 
ing? behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  him."  Unable  to 
check  the  surging  enthusiasm  of  the  multitudes,  or  to  silence 
the  joyous  acclamations,  some  of  the  Pharisees  made  their 
way  through  the  throngs  until  they  reached  Jesus,  and  to 
Him  they  appealed,  saying :  "Master,  rebuke  thy  disciples." 
But  the  Lord  "answered  and  said  unto  them,  I  tell  you  that, 
if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would  immedi- 
ately cry  out."c 

Dismounting,  He  entered  afoot  the  temple  enclosure; 
shouts  of  adulation  greeted  Him  there.  Chief  priests,  scribes, 
and  Pharisees,  the  official  representatives  of  the  theocracy, 
the  hierarchy  of  Judaism,  were  incensed ;  there  was  no  deny- 
ing the  fact  that  the  people  were  rendering  Messianic  honors 
to  this  troublesome  Nazarene ;  and  that  too  within  the  very 
purlieus  of  the  temple  of  Jehovah. 

The  purpose  of  Christ  in  thus  yielding  Himself  for  the 
day  to  the  desires  of  the  people  and  accepting  their  homage 
with  kingly  grace  may  not  be  fully  comprehended  by  us  of 
finite  mind.  That  the  occasion  was  no  accidental  or  fortu- 
itous happening,  of  which  He  took  advantage  without  pre- 
conceived intention,  is  evident.  He  knew  beforehand  what 
would  be,  and  what  He  would  do.  It  was  no  meaningless 
pageantry ;  but  the  actual  advent  of  the  King  into  His  royal 
city,  and  His  entry  into  the  temple,  the  house  of  the  King  of 
kings.  He  came  riding  on  an  ass,  in  token  of  peace,  ac- 
claimed by  the  Hosanna  shouts  of  multitudes;  not  on  a 
caparisoned  steed  with  the  panoply  of  combat  and  the  accom- 
paniment of  bugle  blasts  and  fanfare  of  trumpets.  That  the 
joyous  occasion  was  in  no  sense  suggestive  of  physical  hos- 
tility or  of  seditious  disturbance  is  sufficiently  demonstrated 
by  the  indulgent  unconcern  with  which  it  was  viewed  by  the 
Roman  officials,  who  were  usually  prompt  to  send  their 
legionaries  swooping  down  from  the  fortress  of  Antonia  at 

c  Compare   Hab.   2:11. 


PROPHECY  FULFILLED  IN  CHRIST'S  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  517 

the  first  evidence  of  an  outbreak ;  and  they  were  particularly 
vigilant  in  suppressing  all  Messianic  pretenders,  for  false 
Messiahs  had  arisen  already,  and  much  blood  had  been  shed 
in  the  forcible  dispelling  of  their  delusive  claims.  But  the 
Romans  saw  nothing  to  fear,  perhaps  much  to  smile  at,  in 
the  spectacle  of  a  King  mounted  upon  an  ass,  and  attended 
by  subjects,  who,  though  numerous,  brandished  no  weapons 
but  waved  instead  palm  branches  and  myrtle  sprigs.  The 
ass  has  been  designated  in  literature  as  "the  ancient  symbol 
of  Jewish  royalty,"  and  one  riding  upon  an  ass  as  the  type 
of  peaceful  progress. 

Such  triumphal  entry  of  Jesus  into  the  chief  city  of  the 
Jews  would  have  been  strikingly  inconsistent  with  the  gen- 
eral tenor  of  His  ministry  in  its  early  stages.  Even  the  in- 
timation that  He  was  the  Christ  had  been  made  with  guarded 
care,  if  at  all ;  and  every  manifestation  of  popular  regard  in 
which  He  might  have  figured  as  a  national  leader  had  been 
suppressed.  Now,  however,  the  hour  of  the  great  consum- 
mation was  near  at  hand;  the  public  acceptance  of  the 
nation's  homage,  and  the  acknowledgment  of  both  kingly 
and  Messianic  titles,  constituted  an  open  and  official  procla- 
mation of  His  divine  investiture.  He  had  entered  city  and 
temple  in  such  royal  state  as  befitted  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
By  the  rulers  of  the  nation  He  had  been  rejected  and  His 
claims  derided.  The  manner  of  His  entry  should  have  ap- 
pealed to  the  learned  teachers  of  the  law  and  the  prophets ; 
for  Zechariah's  impressive  forecast,  the  fulfilment  of  which 
the  evangelist,  John,  finds  in  the  events  of  this  memorable 
Sunday/  was  frequently  cited  among  them:  "Rejoice 
greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jeru- 
salem; behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee :  he  is  just,  and 
having  salvation;  lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon 
a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass."* 


d  The  Sunday  before^  Easter  is  annually  celebrated  by  many  Christian 
sects  as  Palm  Sunday,  in  commemoration  of  our  Lord's  triumphal  entry 
into  Jerusalem. 

<?Zech.  9:9. 


518  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

CERTAIN  GREEKS  VISIT  CHRIST/ 

Among  the  multitudes  who  came  to  Jerusalem  at  the  time 
of  the  annual  Passover  were  people  of  many  nations.  Some 
of  these,  though  not  of  Jewish  descent,  had  been  converted 
to  Judaism ;  they  were  admitted  to  the  temple  precincts,  but 
were  not  allowed  to  pass  beyond  the  court  of  the  Gentiles^ 
Sometime  during  our  Lord's  last  week  of  mortal  life,  possi- 
bly on  the  day  of  His  royal  entry  into  the  city/1  certain 
Greeks,  who  were  evidently  numbered  among  the  proselytes 
since  they  had  come  "to  worship  at  the  feast,"  sought  an  in- 
terview with  Jesus.  Imbued  with  a  becoming  sense  of  de- 
corum they  hesitated  to  directly  approach  the  Master,  and 
applied  instead  to  Philip,  one  of  the  apostles,  saying :  "Sir, 
we  would  see  Jesus."  Philip  consulted  with  Andrew,  and 
the  two  then  informed  Jesus,  who,  as  we  may  reasonably 
infer  from  the  context  though  the  fact  is  not  explicitly  stated, 
graciously  received  the  foreign  visitors  and  imparted  to  them 
precepts  of  the  utmost  worth.  It  is  evident  that  the  desire 
of  these  Greeks  to  meet  the  Mastef  was  not  grounded  on 
curiosity  or  other  unworthy  impulse ;  they  earnestly  wished 
to  see  and  hear  the  Teacher  whose  fame  had  reached  their 
country,  and  whose  doctrines  had  impressed  them. 

To  them  Jesus  testified  that  the  hour  of  His  death  was 
near  at  hand,  the  hour  in  which  "the  Son  of  man  should  be 
glorified."  They  were  surprized  and  pained  by  the  Lord's 
words,  and  possibly  they  inquired  as  to  the  necessity  of  such 
a  sacrifice.  Jesus  explained  by  citing  a  striking  illustration 
drawn  from  nature :  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except 
a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone : 
but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."*  The  simile  is  an 

/John  12:20-26. 

g  See  "House  of  the  Lord,"  pages  56,  57. 

h  John  records  this  event  in  immediate  sequence  to  the  Lord's  triumphal 
entry,  though  without  any  specific  indication  of  the  time  of  its  occurrence. 
•  Compare  1  Cor.   J5:36. 


THE  SEED  AND  THE  RESULTING  CROP.  519 

apt  one,  and  at  once  impressively  simple  and  beautiful.  A 
farmer  who  neglects  or  refuses  to  cast  his  wheat  into  the 
earth,  because  he  wants  to  keep  it,  can  have  no  increase ;  but 
if  he  sow  the  wheat  in  good  rich  soil,  each  living  grain  may 
multiply  itself  many  fold,  though  of  necessity  the  seed  must 
be  sacrificed  in  the  process.  So,  said  the  Lord,  "He  that 
loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  hateth  his  life  in  this 
world  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal."  The  Master's  mean- 
ing is  clear;  he  that  loves  his  life  so  well  that  he  will  not 
imperil  it,  or,  if  need  be,  give  it  up,  in  the  service  of  God, 
shall  forfeit  his  opportunity  to  win  the  bounteous  increase  of 
eternal  life;  while  he  wrho  esteems  the  call  of  God  as  so 
greatly  superior  to  life  that  his  love  of  life  is  as  hatred  in 
comparison,  shall  find  the  life  he  freely  yields  or  is  willing 
to  yield,  though  for  the  time  being  it  disappear  like  the 
grain  buried  in  the  soil ;  and  he  shall  rejoice  in  the  bounty  of 
eternal  development.  If  such  be  true  of  every  man's  exist- 
ence, how  transcendently  so  was  it  of  the  life  of  Him  who 
came  to  die  that  men  may  live  ?  Therefore  was  it  necessary 
that  He  die,  as  He  had  said  He  was  about  to  do ;  but  His 
death,  far  from  being  life  lost,  was  to  be  life  glorified. 

THE  VOICE  FROM   HEAVEN.*' 

The  realization  of  the  harrowing  experiences  upon  which 
He  was  about  to  enter,  and  particularly  the  contemplation  of 
the  state  of  sin,  which  made  His  sacrifice  imperative,  so 
weighed  upon  the  Savior's  mind  that  He  sorrowed  deeply. 
"Now  is  my  soul  troubled,"  He  groaned ;  "and  what  shall  I 
say?"  He  exclaimed  in  anguish.  Should  He  say,  "Father, 
save  me  from  this  hour"  when  as  He  knew  "for  this  cause" 
had  He  come  "unto  this  hour  ?"  To  His  Father  alone  could 
He  turn  for  comforting  support,  not  to  ask  relief  from,  but 
strength  to  endure,  what  was  to  come;  and  He  prayed: 

/John   12:27-36. 


520  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

"Father,  glorify  thy  name."  It  was  the  rising  of  a  mighty 
Soul  to  meet  a  supreme  issue,  which  for  the  moment  had 
seemed  to  be  overwhelming.  To  that  prayer  of  renewed 
surrender  to  the  Father's  will,  "Then  came  there  a  voice 
from  heaven,  saying,  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify 
it  again." 

The  voice  was  real;  it  was  no  subjective  whisper  of  com- 
fort to  the  inner  consciousness  of  Jesus,  but  an  external, 
objective  reality.  People  who  were  standing  by  heard  the 
sound,  and  interpreted  it  variously ;  some  said  it  was  thun- 
der ;  others,  of  better  spiritual  discernment,  said  :  "An  angel 
spake  to  him" ;  and  some  may  have  understood  the  words  as 
had  Jesus.  Now  fully  emerged  from  the  passing  cloud  of 
enveloping  anguish,  the  Lord  turned  to  the  people,  saying: 
"This  voice  came  not  because  of  me,  but  for  your  sakes." 
And  then,  with  the  consciousness  of  assured  triumph  over 
sin  and  death,  He  exclaimed  in  accents  of  divine  jubilation, 
as  though  the  cross  and  the  sepulchre  were  already  of  the 
past :  "Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world :  now  shall  the 
prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out."  Satan,  the  prince  of  the 
world  was  doomed.*  "And  I,"  the  Lord  continued,  "if  I  be 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  John 
assures  us  that  this  last  utterance  signified  the  manner  of  the 
Lord's  death;  the  people  so  understood,  and  they  asked  an 
explanation  of  what  seemed  to  them  an  inconsistency,  in  that 
the  scriptures,  as  they  had  been  taught  to  interpret  the  same, 
declared  that  the  Christ  was  to  abide  forever,7  and  now  He 
who  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  Man,  averred  that 
He  must  be  lifted  up.  "Who  is  this  Son  of  man?"  they 
asked.  Mindful  as  ever  not  to  cast  pearls  where  they  would 
not  be  appreciated,  the  Lord  refrained  from  a  direct  avowal, 
but  admonished  them  to  walk  in  the  light  while  the  light  was 
with  them,  for  darkness  would  surely  follow;  and,  as  He 


k  Compare  John   14:30;   16:11. 

/See  e.  g.  Isa.  9:7;  Dan.  7:14,  27;  Ezek.  37:25, 


NOTES.  521 

reminded  them,  "he  that  walketh  in  darkness  knoweth  not 
whither  he  goeth."  In  conclusion  the  Lord  admonished 
them  thus :  "While  ye  have  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that 
ye  may  be  the  children  of  light. "m 

At  the  close  of  this  discourse  Jesus  departed  from  the 
people  "and  did  hide  himself  from  them."  The  record  of 
the  first  day  of  what  has  come  to  be  known  as  the  week  of 
our  Lord's  passion"  is  thus  concluded  by  Mark  :  "And  when 
he  had  looked  round  about  upon  all  things,  and  now  the 
eventide  was  come,  he  went  out  unto  Bethany  with  the 
twelve."0 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  29. 

1.  The  Mother  of  James  and  John. — The  mother  of  these 
two   sons   of   Zebedee    (Matt.   20:20;    compare   4:21)    is   generally 
understood   to   have   been   the    Salome   mentioned    as    one    of    the 
women   present   at   the   crucifixion    (Mark    15:40;    compare    Matt. 
27:56  in  which  "the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children"  is  mentioned, 
and  the  name  "Salome"  is  omitted),  and  one  of  those  who  arrived 
first  at  the  tomb  on  the  morning  of  the  resurrection   (Mark  16:1). 
From  the  fact  that  John  mentions  the  mother  of  Jesus  and  "his 
mother's   sister"    (19:25)    and  omits   mention  of   Salome  by  name, 
some   expositors    hold   that    Salome   was    the    sister    of    Mary   the 
mother   of   Jesus ;    and   therefore   the    Savior's    aunt.      This    rela- 
tionship   would   make    James    and    John    cousins    to    Jesus.     While 
the    scriptural    record    does    not    disprove   this    alleged    kinship,    it 
certainly  does  not  affirm  the  same. 

2.  Jericho. — This  was  an  .ancient  city,  lying  north-easterly 
from  Jerusalem,  a  little  less  than  fifteen  miles  in  a  straight  line. 
In  the   course  of   the  exodus   it   was   captured   by  the   people   of 
Israel  through  a  miraculous  interposition  of  divine  power.     (Josh. 
6).     The    productiveness    of    the    region    is    indicated    by    the    de- 
scriptive appellation  "city  of  palm  trees"   (Deut.  34:3;  Judg.  1:16; 
3:13;  2  Chron.  28:15).    The  name  Jericho  means  "place  of  fra- 
grance."     Its    climate    was    semi-tropical,    a    consequence    of    its 
low  altitude.      It  lay  in  a  valley  several  hundred   feet  below  the 
level  of  the  Mediterranean;   this  explains   Luke's    statement     (19: 
28)   that  after  Jesus  had  spoken  the  Parable  of  the  Pounds  when 
on    the    way    from    Jericho,    "he    went    before,    ascending    up    to 
Jerusalem."       In    the    time    of    Christ,    Jericho    was    an    important 
city;   and  the  abundance  of  its  commercial  products,  particularly 
balsam    and    spices,    led    to    the   maintenance    of    a   customs    office 
there,  over  which  Zaccheus  seems  to  have  presided. 

m  Compare  John  1:9;  3:19;  8:12;  9:5;  12:46;  see  page  407. 
nActs  1:3. 
o  Mark  11:11. 


522  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    29. 

3.  The  Nobleman  and  the  Kingdom. — The  local  setting  of 
the  part  of  the  Parable  of  the   Pounds  that  relates  to  a  certain 
nobleman  going  into  a  far  country  to  receive  for  himself  a  king- 
dom, had  its  parallel  in  history.      Archelaus,  who  by  the  will  of 
his   father,  Herod  the  Great,  had  been  named  king  of  the  Jews, 
set  out  for  Rome  to  ask  of  the  emperor  the  confirmation  of  his 
royal  status.     He  was  opposed  by  a  protest  from  the  people.     On 
the  utilization  of  this  circumstance  in  the  parable,  Farrar   (p.  493, 
note)   says :     "  'A  nobleman  going  into  a  far  country  to  receive  a 
kingdom'   would   be   utterly  unintelligible,   had   we   not    fortunately 
known    that    this    was    done    both    by    Archelaus    and    by    Antipas 
(Jos.  Ant.  xvii,  9:4).     And  in  the  case  of  Archelaus  the  Jews  had 
actually   sent   to   Augustus   a   deputation   of    fifty,   to   recount   his 
cruelties   and   oppose   his   claims,    which,   though    it    failed   at   the 
time,    was    subsequently    successful    (Josephus,    Ant.    xvii,    13:2). 
Philipus  defended  the  property  of  Archelaus,  during  his  absence, 
from     the     encroachments     of     the     Proconsul     Sabinus.       The 
magnificent    palace    which    Archelaus    had    built    at    Jericho    (Jos. 
Ant.  xvii,   13:1)    would  naturally  recall  these  circumstances  to  the 
mind   of    Jesus,   and   the   parable    is    another    striking   example    of 
the  manner  in  which  He  utilized  the  most  ordinary  circumstances 
around  Him,  and  made  them  the  bases  of  His  highest  teachings. 
It  is  also  another  unsuspected  indication  of  the   authenticity  and 
truthfulness  of  the  Gospels." 

4.  "We  Will  Not  Have  this  Man  to  Reign  Over  Us."— On 
this  phase   of  the  parable,   Trench    (Miracles,  p.   390)    very  aptly 
remarks :      "Twice  before  He  had  gone  to  receive  His  kingdom, 
this    very    declaration    found    formal    utterance    from    their    lips, — 
once  when  they  cried  to  Pilate,  'We  have  no  king  but  Caesar';  and 
again   when   they   remonstrated   with   him,   'Write   not,   The    King 
of    the   Jews'    (John    19:15,    21;    compare    Acts    177).       But    the 
stricter  fulfilment  of  these  words  is  to  be  found  in  the  demeanor 
of  the  Jews  after   His   ascension,  their   fierce   hostility  to   Christ 
in  His  infant  Church  (Acts  12:3;  13:45;  14:18;  17:5;  18:6;  22:22; 
23:12;  i  Thes.  2:15)." 

5.  The  Day  of  the  Supper  at  Bethany. — John  places  this 
event   as   having  occurred   on   the   day   following   Christ's   arrival 
in   Bethany,   for  as   we  see  from   12:12,  the  triumphal  entry  into 
Jerusalem  took  place  on  the  next  day  after  the  supper,   and,   as 
stated  in  the  text,  Jesus  most  probably  reached  Bethany  on  Fri- 
day.    The  joyous   processional   into   Jerusalem   did   not  occur   on 
the    day    following    Friday,    for    that    was    the    Jewish    Sabbath. 
Matthew  (26:2-13)  and  Mark  (14:1-9)  gives  place  to  the  incident 
of  the  supper  after  the  record  of  the  triumphal  entry  and  other 
events,    from    which    some   have    drawn    the    inference    that    these 
two  writers  place  the  supper  two  days  before  the  Passover.     This 
inference    lacks    confirmation.      In    this    matter    the    chronological 
order  given  by  John  appears  to  be  the  true  one. 

6.  The  Family  Home  at  Bethany. — The  home  of  Martha, 
Mary,  and  Lazarus  appears  to  have  been  the  usual  abiding  place 
of   Jesus   when   He   was    in    Bethany.      Undoubtedly   He    was   on 
terms   of   very   close   and   affectionate   acquaintanceship   with   all 


NOTES.  523 

members  of  the  family,  even  before  the  miraculous  raising  of 
Lazarus  from  the  dead,  and,  this  -supremely  blessed  occurrence 
must  have  intensified  into  worshipful  reverence  the  esteem  in 
which  our  Lord  has  been  held  in  that  household.  As  to  whether 
this  home  was  identical  with  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  the 
scriptural  record  does  not  state.  John,  who  gives  a  fairly  de- 
tailed account  of  the  supper  served  by  Martha,  makes  no  men- 
tion of  Simon  or  his  house.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  synoptic 
writers  say  very  little  about  this  home  in  Bethany.  Farrar  has 
aptly  remarked  (p.  483)  :  "We  seem  to  trace  in  the  Synoptists 
a  special  reticence  about  the  family  at  Bethany.  The  house  in 
which  they  take  a  prominent  position  is  called  'the  house  of 
Simon  the  leper';  Mary  is  called  simply  'a  woman'  by  St.  Matthew 
and  St.  Mark  (Matt.  26:6,  7;  Mark  14:3);  and  St.  Luke  contents 
himself  with  calling  Bethany  'a  certain  village'  (Luke  10:38), 
although  he  was  perfectly  aware  of  the  name  (Luke  19:29)." 

7.  Spikenard  Ointment. — This  was  among  the  most  highly 
prized    of    oriental    unguents.       That    with    which    Mary    anointed 
Jesus  is  described  by  Matthew  and  Mark  as  "very  precious,"  and 
by  John  as  "very  costly."      In  the  original  the  adjective  "pistic" 
appears;  this   is  translated ^ by  some   as  meaning   "liquid,"  but  by 
others   as   signifying   "genuine."      There   were   many   inferior   imi- 
tations of  the  real  spikenard,  or  nard ;  and  we  are  left  without  a 
doubt  that  Mary's  precious  gift  was  of  the  best.     The  plant  from 
which    the    fragrant   extract    is    obtained    is    a    species    of    bearded 
grass   indigenous   in   India.     Spikenard   is   mentioned   in   Song   of 
Solomon  1:12;  4:13,  14. 

8.  Hosanna! — "Hosanna"  is  a  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew 
expression  ^for  "Save  us  now,"  or  "Save,  we  pray,"  which  occurs 
in  the  original  of  Psalm  118:25.      It  occurs  nowhere  in  the  Eng- 
lish   Bible   except ^ in   the   acclamations    of   the   people    at   Christ's 
triumphal    entry    into    Jerusalem,    and    in    the    joyous    shouts    of 
children  in  the  temple    (Matt.  2*1:9,   15).      Note  the  rendering  of 
the  "Hosanna  Shout"  in  the  restored  Church  of  Christ  in  the  cur- 
rent dispensation  on  occasions  of  particular   rejoicing  before   the 
Lord    (see   the  House   of   the  Lord,  pp.    120,   150,  210).      "Halle- 
lujah,"  literally  rendered,  means   "Praise  ye  Jehovah."    It  occurs 
in  the  Greek  form  "Alleluia"  in  Rev.  19:1,  3,  4,  6. 


524  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 


CHAPTER   30. 
JESUS  RETURNS  TO  THE  TEMPLE  DAILY. 

AN    INSTRUCTIVE   INCIDENT   ON  THE   WAY.0 

On  the  morrow,  which,  as  we  reckon,  was  Monday,  the 
second  day  of  Passion  week,  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  returned 
to  Jerusalem  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  day  at  the 
temple.  The  start  from  Bethany  was  an  early  one,  and 
Jesus  hungered  by  the  way.  Booking  ahead  He  saw  a  fig 
tree,  that  differed  from  the  rest  of  the  many  fig  trees  of  the 
region  in  that  it  was  in  full  leaf  though  the  season  of  fruit 
had  not  yet  come.&  It  is  well  known  that  the  fruit-buds  of  a 
fig-tree  appear  earlier  than  do  the  leaves,  and  that  by  the 
time  the  tree  is  in  full  foliage  the  figs  are  well  advanced  to- 
ward maturity.  Moreover,  certain  species  of  figs  are  edible 
while  yet  green;  indeed  the  unripe  fruit  is  relished  in  the 
Orient  at  the  present  time.  It  would  be  reasonable,  there- 
fore, for  one  to  expect  to  find  edible  figs  even  in  early  April 
on  a  tree  that  was  already  covered  with  leaves.  When  Jesus 
and  His  party  reached  this  particular  tree,  which  had  rightly 
been  regarded  as  rich  in  promise  of  fruit,  they  found  on  it 
nothing  but  leaves ;  it  was  a  showy,  fruitless,  barren  tree.  It 
was  destitute  even  of  old  figs,  those  of  the  preceding  season, 
some  of  which  are  often  found  in  spring  on  fruitful  trees. 
Jesus  pronounced  upon  that  tree  the  sentence  of  perpetual 
barrenness.  "No  man  eat  fruit  of  thee  hereafter  forever" 
He  said  according  to  Mark's  account;  or,  as  Matthew  re- 
cords the  judgment,  "L,et  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  hencefor- 
ward for  ever."  The  latter  writer  tells  us  in  immediate 

a  Matt.   21:18-22;   Mark   11:12-14,  20-28. 
b  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  BLIGHTED  FIG  TREE.  525 

sequence  that  "presently  the  fig  tree  withered  away";  but 
the  former  makes  it  appear  that  the  effect  of  the  curse  was 
not  observed  until  the  following  morning,  when,  as  Jesus 
and  the  apostles  were  once  again  on  the  way  between  Beth- 
any and  Jerusalem,  they  saw  that  the  fig  tree  had  withered 
and  dried  from  the  roots  up.  Peter  called  attention  to  the 
blasted  tree,  and,  addressing  Jesus,  exclaimed :  "Master, 
behold,  the  fig  tree  which  thou  cursedst  is  withered  away." 

Applying  the  lesson  of  the  occasion,  Jesus  said,  "Have 
faith  in  God" ;  and  then  He  repeated  some  of  His  former 
assurances  as  to  the  power  of  faith,  by  which  even  moun- 
tains may  be  removed,  should  there  be  need  of  'such  miracu- 
lous accomplishment,  and  through  which,  indeed,  any  neces- 
sary thing  may  be  done.  The  blighting  of  a  tree  was  shown 
to  be  small  in  comparison  with  the  greater  possibilities  of 
achievement  through  faith  and  prayer.  But  to  so  achieve 
one  must  work  and  pray  without  reservation  or  doubt,  as 
the  I^ord  thus  made  plain :  "Therefore  I  say  unto  you, 
What  things  soever  ye  desire,  when  ye  pray,  believe  that 
ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them."  Prayer  must  be 
acceptable  unto  God  to  be  effective;  and  it  follows  that  he 
who  desires  to  accomplish  any  work  through  prayer  and 
faith  must  be  fit  to  present  himself  before  the  L,ord  in  sup- 
plication; therefore  Jesus  again  instructed  the  apostles  say- 
ing: "And  when  ye  stand  praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  ought 
against  any :  that  your  Father  also  which  is  in  heaven  may 
forgive  you  your  trespasses.  But  if  ye  do  not  forgive, 
neither  will  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  forgive  your 
trespasses. "c 

The  blighting  of  the  barren  fig  tree  is  regarded  by  many 
as  unique  among  the  recorded  miracles  of  Christ,  from  the 
fact  that  while  all  the  others  were  wrought  for  relief,  bless- 
ing, and  beneficent  purposes  generally,  this  one  appears  as 
an  act  of  judgment  and  destructive  execution.  Neverthe- 


cPage  240. 


526  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

Jess  in  this  miracle  the  Lord's  purpose  is  not  hidden ;  and  the 
result,  while  fatal  to  a  tree,  is  of  lasting  blessing  to  all  who 
[would  learn  and  profit  by  the  works  of  God.  If  no  more  has 
been  accomplished  by  the  miracle  than  the  presenting  of 
so  impressive  an  object  lesson  for  the  instructions  that  fol- 
lowed, that  smitten  tree  has  proved  of  greater  service  to  hu- 
manity than  have  all  the  fig  orchards  of  Bethphage.J  To 
the  apostles  the  act  was  another  and  an  indisputable  proof  of 
the  Lord's  power  over  nature,  His  control  of  natural  forces 
and  all  material  things,  His  jurisdiction  over  life  and  death. 
He  had  healed  multitudes ;  the  wind  and  the  waves  had 
obeyed  His  words ;  on  three  occasions  He  had  restored  the 
dead  to  life;  it  was  fitting  that  He  should  demonstrate  His 
power  to  smite  and  to  destroy.  In  manifesting  His  command 
over  death,  He  had  mercifully  raised  a  maiden  from  the 
.couch  on  which  she  had  died,  a  young  man  from  the  bier 
on  which  he  was  being  carried  to  the  grave,  another  from 
the  sepulchre  in  which  he  had  been  laid  away  a  corpse ;  but 
in  proof  of  His  power  to  destroy  by  a  word  He  chose  a  bar- 
ren and  worthless  tree  for  His  subject.  Could  any  of  the 
Twelve  doubt,  when,  a  few  days  later  they  saw  Him  in  the 
hands  of  vindictive  priests  and  heartless  pagans,  that  did  He 
so  will  He  could  smite  His  enemies  by  a  word,  even  unto 
death?  Yet  not  until  after  His  glorious  resurrection  did 
even  the  apostles  realize  how  truly  voluntary  His  sacrifice 
bad  been. 

But  the  fate  that  befell  the  barren  fig  tree  is  instructive 
from  another  point  of  view.  The  incident  is  as  much  para- 
ble as  miracle.  That  leafy  tree  was  distinguished  among 
fig  trees ;  the  others  offered  no  invitation,  gave  no  promise ; 
uthe  time  of  figs  was  not  yet" ;  they,  in  due  season  would 
bring  forth  fruit  and  leaves;  but  this  precocious  and  leafy 


d  "Bethphage,"  the  name  of  a  village  close  to  Bethany,  and  therefore 
near  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  means  "house  of  figs."  See  mention,  Matt. 
21:1;  Mark  11:1;  Luke  19:29.  "Bethany'  signifies  "house  of  dates."  For 
•"house"  in  the  literal  translation  we  may  read  "place." 


SYMBOLISM  OF  THE  WITHERED  TREE.  527 

pretender  waved  its  umbrageous  limbs  as  in  boastful  asser- 
tion of  superiority.  For  those  who  responded  to  its  osten- 
tatious invitation,  for  the  hungering  Christ  who  came  seek- 
ing fruit,  it  had  naught  but  leaves.  Even  for  the  purposes  of 
the  lesson  involved,  we  cannot  conceive  of  the  tree  being 
blighted  primarily  because  it  was  fruitless,  for  at  that  season 
the  other  fig  trees  were  bare  of  fruit  also ;  it  was  made  the 
object  of  the  curse  and  the  subject  of  the  Lord's  instructive 
discourse,  because,  having  leaves,  it  was  deceptively  barren. 
Were  it  reasonable  to  regard  the  tree  as  possessed  of  moral 
agency,  we  would  have  to  pronounce  it  a  hypocrite ;  its  utter 
barrenness  coupled  with  its  abundance  of  foliage  made  of 
it  a  type  of  human  hypocrisy. 

The  leafy,  fruitless  tree  was  a  symbol  of  Judaism,  which 
loudly  proclaimed  itself  as  the  only  true  religion  of  the  age, 
and  condescendingly  invited  all  the  world  to  come  and  par- 
take of  its  rich  ripe  fruit;  when  in  truth  it  was  but  an  un- 
natural growth  of  leaves,  with  no  fruit  of  the  season,  nor 
even  an  edible  bulb  held  over  from  earlier  years,  for  such 
as  it  had  of  former  fruitage  was  dried  to  worthlessness  and 
made  repulsive  in  its  worm-eaten  decay.  The  religion  of 
Israel  had  degenerated  into  an  artificial  religionism,  which  in 
pretentious  show  and  empty  profession  outclassed  the  abom- 
inations of  heathendom.  As  already  pointed  out  in  these 
pages,  the  fig  tree  was  a  favorite  type  in  rabbinical  represen- 
tation of  the  Jewish  race,  and  the  Lord  had  before  adopted 
the  symbolism  in  the  Parable  of  the  Barren  Fig  Tree,  that 
worthless  growth  which  did  but  cumber  the  ground/ 

THE  SECOND  CLEARING  OP  THE  TEMPLE/ 

Within  the  temple  grounds  Jesus  was  filled  with  indig- 
nation at  the  scene  of  tumult  and  desecration  which  the  place 
presented.  Three  years  before,  at  Passover  time,  He  hao 


e  Luke  13:6-9;  page  443  herein. 

/Matt.  21:12,  13;  Mark  11:15-17;  Luke  19:45,  46. 


528  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

been  wrought  up  to  a  high  state  of  righteous  anger  by  a  sim- 
ilar exhibition  of  sordid  chaffering  within  the  sacred  pre- 
cincts, and  had  driven  out  the  sheep  and  oxen,  and  forcibly 
expelled  the  traders  and  the  money-changers  and  all  who 
were  using  His  Father's  house  as  a  house  of  merchandized 
That  was  near  the  beginning  of  His  public  labor,  and  the 
vigorous  action  was  among  the  first  of  His  works  to  attract 
general  attention;  now,  within  four  days  of  the  cross,  He 
cleared  the  courts  again  by  casting  out  all  "them  that  sold 
and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of  the 
moneychangers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold  doves"; 
nor  would  He  suffer  any  to  carry  their  buckets  and  baskets 
through  the  enclosure,  as  many  were  in  the  habit  of  doing, 
and  so  making  the  way  a  common  thoroughfare.  "Is  it  not 
written,"  He  demanded  of  them  in  wrath,  "My  house  shall 
be  called  of  all  nations  the  house  of  prayer?  but  ye  have 
made  it  a  den  of  thieves."  On  the  former  occasion,  before 
He  had  declared  or  even  confessed  His  Messiahship,  He  had 
designated  the  temple  as  "My  Father's  house" ;  now  that  He 
had  openly  avowed  Himself  to  be  the  Christ,  He  called  it 
"My  house."  The  expressions  are  in  a  sense  synonymous ; 
He  and  the  Father  were  and  are  one  in  possession  and  do- 
minion. The  means  by  which  the  later  expulsion  was  accom- 
plished are  not  stated ;  but  it  is  plain  that  none  could  with- 
stand His  authoritative  command ;  He  acted  in  the  strength 
of  righteousness,  before  which  the  forces  of  evil  had  to 
give  way. 

His  wrath  of  indignation  was  followed  by  the  calmness 
of  gentle  ministry ;  there  in  the  cleared  courts  of  His  house, 
blind  and  lame  folk  came  limping  and  groping  about  Him, 
and  He  healed  them.  The  anger  of  the  chief  priests  and 
scribes  was  raging  against  Him ;  but  it  was  impotent.  They 
had  decreed  His  death,  and  had  made  repeated  efforts  to 
take  Him,  and  there  He  sat  within  the  very  area  over  which 


grjohn  2:14-17;  pages   153-158  herein. 


CHILDREN  SHOUT  "lIOSANNA  TO  THE  SON   OF  DAVID."   529 

they  claimed  supreme  jurisdiction,  and  they  were  afraid  to 
touch  Him  because  of  the  common  people,  whom  they  pro- 
fessed to  despize  yet  heartily  feared — "for  all  the  people 
were  very  attentive  to  hear  him." 

The  rage  of  the  officials  was  further  aggravated  by  a 
touching  incident,  which  seems  to  have  accompanied  or  to 
have  immediately  followed  His  merciful  healing  of  the  af- 
flicted folk  at  the  temple.  Children  saw  what  He  did ;  with 
their  innocent  minds  yet  unsullied  by  the  prejudice  of  tra- 
dition and  their  sight  yet  undarkened  by  sin,  they  perceived 
in  Him  the  Christ,  and  burst  forth  into  praise  and  worship 
in  a  hymn  that  was  heard  by  the  angels:  "Hosanna  to  the 
son  of  David !"  With  ill-concealed  anger  the  temple  offi- 
cials demanded  of  Him:  "Hearest  thou  what  these  say?" 
They  probably  expected  Him  to  disclaim  the  title,  or  possibly 
hoped  that  He  would  reassert  His  claim  in  a  manner  that 
would  afford  excuse  for  legal  action  against  Him,  for  to  most 
of  them  the  Son  of  David  was  the  Messiah,  the  promised 
King.  Would  He  clear  Himself  of  the  blasphemy  that 
attached  to  the  unjustified  acknowledgment  of  so  awful  a 
dignity?  Jesus  answered,  with  an  implied  rebuke  for  their 
ignorance  of  the  scriptures :  "Yea ;  have  ye  never  read,  Out 
of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise?"'1 

It  was  now  Monday  evening ;  Jesus  left  the  city  and  re- 
tired again  to  Bethany,  where  He  lodged.  This  course  was 
a  prudent  one,  in  view  of  the  determination  of  the  rulers  to 
get  Him  into  their  power  provided  they  could  do  so  without 
arousing  the  people.  This  they  could  not  accomplish  by  day, 
for  wherever  He  appeared  He  was  the  center  of  a  multitude ; 
but  had  He  remained  in  Jerusalem  over  night  the  vigilant 
emissaries  of  the  hierarchy  might  have  succeeded  in  taking 
Him,  unless  He  withstood  them  by  some  miraculous  action. 
Near  as  was  His  hour,  it  had  not  yet  struck ;  and  He  would 


h  Matt.  21:16;   compare  Psalm  8:2;   see  also  Matt.   11:25;  1   Cor.  1:27. 


530  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30, 

be  made  captive  only  as  He  permitted  Himself,  a  voluntary 
victim,  to  be  taken  into  the  hands  of  His  enemies. 


CHRIST'S  AUTHORITY  CHALLENGED  BY  THE  RULERS.* 

On  the  following  day,  that  is  on  Tuesday,  He  returned 
to  the  temple  with  the  Twelve,  passing  the  withered  fig  tree 
on  the  way  and  impressing  the  moral  of  the  combined  mir- 
acle and  parable  as  we  have  already  seen.  As  He  taught  in 
the  sacred  place,  preaching  the  gospel  to  all  who  would  hear, 
the  chief  priests  with  a  number  of  scribes  and  elders  came 
upon  Him  in  a  body.  They  had  been  debating  about  Him 
over  night,  and  had  resolved  on  at  least  one  step ;  they  would 
challenge  His  authority  for  what  He  had  done  the  day  be- 
fore. They  were  the  guardians  of  the  temple,  both  the  ma- 
terial structure  and  the  theocratic  system  for  which  the  holy 
edifice  stood;  and  this  Galilean,  who  permitted  Himself  to 
be  called  the  Christ  and  defended  those  who  so  acclaimed 
Him,  had  for  the  second  time  ignored  their  authority  within 
the  temple  walls  and  in  the  presence  of  the  common  people 
over  whom  they  lorded  so  arrogantly.  So  this  official  depu- 
tation, with  plans  matured,  came  to  Him  saying:  "By  what 
authority  doest  thou  these  things?  and  who  gave  thee  this 
authority  ?"  This  action  was  doubtless  a  preliminary  step  in 
a  preconcerted  attempt  to  suppress  the  activities  of  Jesus, 
both  of  word  and  deed,  within  the  temple  precincts.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  after  the  first  cleansing  of  the  temple, 
the  Jews  had  angrily  demanded  of  Jesus  a  sign  by  which 
they  might  judge  the  question  of  His  divine  commission  \i 
and  it  is  significant  that  on  this  latter  occasion  no  sign  was 
asked,  but  instead  thereof,  a  specific  avowal  as  to  the  author- 
ity He  possessed  and  by  whom  it  had  been  given  Him.  A 
three  years'  course  of  miracle  and  teaching  was  known  to 


tMatt.   21:23-27;    Mark   11:27-33;   Luke   20:1-8. 
/John  2:18-21;  page  156  herein. 


QUESTION  AND  COUNTER  QUESTION.  531 

them ;  on  the  yesterday  blind  and  lame  had  been  healed  inside 
the  temple  walls;  and  Lazarus,  the  living  testimony  of  the 
Lord's  power  over  death  and  the  grave  was  before  them. 
To  ask  a  further  sign  would  have  been  to  flagrantly  expose 
themselves  to  the  ridicule  of  the  people. 

They  knew  what  authority  the  Lord  claimed ;  their  ques- 
tion was  of  sinister  purpose.  Jesus  did  not  condescend  to 
voice  an  answer  in  which  they  could  possibly  find  further 
excuse  for  antagonizing  Him ;  but  he  availed  Himself  of  a 
method  very  common  among  themselves — that  of  countering 
one  question  with  another.  "And  Jesus  answered  and  said 
unto  them,  I  also  will  ask  you  one  thing,  which  if  ye  tell  me, 
I  in  like  wise  will  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these 
things.  The  baptism  of  John,  whence  was  it  ?  from  heaven, 
or  of  men?"  They  consulted  among  themselves  as  to  what 
answer  would  best  serve  to  extricate  them  from  an  embar- 
rassing position ;  no  mention  is  made  of  any  attempt  to  ascer- 
tain the  truth  and  reply  accordingly ;  they  were  thoroughly 
nonplussed.  Should  they  answer  that  John's  baptism  was  of 
God,  Jesus  would  probably  demand  of  them  why  then  they 
had  not  believed  in  the  Baptist,  and  why  they  did  not  accept 
John's  testimony  concerning  Himself.  On  the  other  hand, 
should  they  aver  that  John  had  no  divine  authority  to 
preach  and  baptize,  the  people  would  turn  against  them,  for 
the  martyred  Baptist  was  revered  by  the  masses  as  a  prophet. 
In  spite  of  their  boasted  learning,  they  answered  as  puz- 
zled school-boys  might  do  when  they  perceive  hidden  diffi- 
culties in  what  at  first  seemed  but  a  simple  problem.  "We 
cannot  tell"  said  they.  Then  Jesus  replied  "Neither  tell  I 
you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things." 

Chief  priests,  scribes,  and  elders  of  the  people  were  out- 
witted and  humiliated.  The  tables  were  completely  turned 
upon  them ;  Jesus,  whom  they  had  come  to  question,  became 
the  examiner;  they  a  class  of  cowed  and  unwilling  listen- 
ers, He  the  ready  instructor,  and  the  multitude  interested 


532  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

observers.  With  little  likelihood  of  immediate  interruption 
the  Master  proceeded  in  calm  deliberation  to  relate  to  them 
a  series  of  three  splendid  stories,  each  of  which  they  felt  ap- 
plied to  themselves  with  incisive  certainty.  The  first  of  the 
narrations  we  call  the  Parable  of  the  Two  Sons. 

"But  what  think  ye  ?  A  certain  man  had  two  sons ;  and 
he  came  to  the  first,  and  said,  Son,  go  work  today  in  my 
vineyard.  He  answered  and  said,  I  will  not :  but  afterward 
he  repented,  and  went.  And  he  came  to  the  second,  and  said 
likewise.  And  he  answered  and  said,  I  go,  sir :  and  went 
not.  Whether  of  them  twain  did  the  will  of  his  father? 
They  say  unto  him,  The  first.  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Ver- 
ily I  say  unto  you,  That  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go 
into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you.  For  John  came  unto 
you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  ye  believed  him  not: 
but  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  believed  him :  and  ye,  when 
ye  had  seen  it,  repented  not  afterward,  that  ye  might  believe 
him."* 

The  opening  sentence,  "But  what  think  ye  ?"  was  a  call  to 
close  attention.  It  implied  a  question  soon  to  follow;  and 
that  proved  to  be :  Which  of  the  two  sons  was  the  obedient 
one?  There  was  but  one  consistent  answer,  and  they  had 
to  give  it,  however  loath.  The  explication  of  the  parable 
followed  with  convincing  promptness.  They,  the  chief 
priests,  scribes,  Pharisees  and  elders  of  the  people,  were 
typified  by  the  second  son,  who,  when  told  to  labor  in  the 
vineyard  answered  so  assuringly,  but  went  not,  though  the 
vines  were  running  to  wild  growth  for  want  of  pruning,  and 
such  poor  fruit  as  might  mature  would  be  left  to  fall  and  rot 
upon  the  ground.  The  publicans  and  sinners  upon  whom 
they  vented  their  contempt,  whose  touch  was  defilement, 
were  like  unto  the  first  son,  who  in  rude  though  frank  refusal 
ignored  the  father's  call,  but  afterward  relented  and  set  to 
work,  repentantly  hoping  to  make  amends  for  the  time  he 
had  lost  and  for  the  unfilial  spirit  he  had  shown.7  Publicans 

ft  Matt.  21:28-32. 

/  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


PARABLE  OF  THE  WICKED  HUSBANDMAN.  533 

and  sinners,  touched  in  their  hearts  by  the  clarion  call  to  re- 
pentance, had  flocked  to  the  Baptist  in  the  wilderness  with 
the  earnest  inquiry:  "Master,  what  shall  we  do?"m  John's 
call  had  been  to  no  particular  class ;  but  while  self-confessed 
sinners  had  repented  and  sought  baptism  at  his  hands, 
those  very  Pharisees  and  elders  of  the  people  had  rejected 
his  testimony  and  had  hypocritically  sought  to  ensnare  him." 
Through  the  parable  Jesus  answered  His  own  question  as  to 
whether  the  baptism  of  John  was  of  God  or  of  man.  The 
Lord's  affirmation,  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  the  publi- 
cans and  the  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you," 
was  condemnatory  of  the  corrupt  though  sanctimonious  pol- 
ity of  the  hierarchy  throughout.  It  was  not  wholly  without 
intimation  of  possible  reformation,  however.  He  did  not 
say  that  the  repentant  sinners  should  enter,  and  the  priestly 
hypocrites  stand  forever  excluded;  for  the  latter  there  was 
hope  if  they  would  but  repent,  though  they  would  have  to 
follow,  not  lead,  in  the  glorious  procession  of  the  redeemed. 
In  a  continuation  of  the  same  discourse  the  Lord  pre- 
sented the  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  as  follows : 

"Hear  another  parable :  There  was  a  certain  house- 
holder, which  planted  a  vineyard,  and  hedged  it  round  about, 
and  digged  a  winepress  in  it,  and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out 
to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a  far  country :  And  when  the 
time  of  the  fruit  drew  near,  he  sent  his  servants  to  the  hus- 
bandmen, that  they  might  receive  the  fruits  of  it.  And  the 
husbandmen  took  his  servants,  and  beat  one,  and  killed  an- 
other, and  stoned  another.  Again,  he  sent  other  servants 
more  than  the  first :  and  they  did  unto  them  likewise.  But 
last  of  all  he  sent  unto  them  his  son,  saying,  They  will  rev- 
erence my  son.  But  when  the  husbandmen  saw  the  son,  they 
said  among  themselves,  This  is  the  heir;  come,  let  us  kill 
him,  and  let  us  seize  on  his  inheritance.  And  they  caught 
him,  and  cast  him  out  of  the  vineyard,  and  slew  him.  When 
the  lord  therefore  of  the  vineyard  cometh,  what  will  he  do 

m  Luke  3:12;  compare  7:29;  see  page  123  herein. 
wMatt.    3:7. 


534  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

unto  those  husbandmen?  They  say  unto  him,  He  will  mis- 
erably destroy  those  wicked  men,  and  will  let  out  his  vine- 
yard unto  other  husbandmen,  which  shall  render  him  the 
fruits  in  their  seasons."0 

Again  the  Jews  were  compelled  to  make  answer  to  the 
great  question  with  which  the  parable  dealt,  and  again  by 
their  answer  they  pronounced  judgment  upon  themselves. 
The  vineyard,  broadly  speaking,  was  the  human  family,  but 
more  specifically  the  covenant  people,  Israel ;  the  soil  was 
good  and  capable  of  yielding  in  rich  abundance;  the  vines 
were  choice  and  had  been  set  out  with  care ;  and  the  whole 
vineyard  was  amply  protected  with  a  hedge,  and  suitably 
furnished  with  winepress  and  tower/  The  husbandmen 
could  be  none  other  than  the  priests  and  teachers  of  Israel, 
including  the  ecclesiastical  leaders  who  were  then  and  there 
present  in  an  official  capacity.  The  Lord  of  the  vineyard  had 
sent  among  the  people  prophets  authorized  to  speak  in  His 
name ;  and  these  the  wicked  tenants  had  rejected,  maltreated, 
and,  in  many  instances,  cruelly  slain.?  In  the  more  detailed 
reports  of  the  parable  we  read  that  when  the  first  servant 
came,  the  cruel  husbandmen  "beat  him  and  sent  him  away 
empty" ;  the  next  they  wounded  "in  the  head,  and  sent  him 
away  shamefully  handled" ;  another  they  murdered  and  all 
who  came  later  were  brutally  mistreated,  and  some  of  them 
were  killed.  Those  wicked  men  had  used  the  vineyard  of 
their  Lord  for  personal  gain,  and  had  rendered  no  part  of 
the  vintage  to  the  lawful  Owner.  When  the  Lord  sent 
other  messengers,  "more  than  the  first,"  or  in  other  words, 
greater  than  the  earlier  ones,  the  most  recent  example  being 
John  the  Baptist,  the  husbandmen  rejected  them  with  evil 
determination  more  pronounced  than  ever.  At  last  the  Son 
had  come  in  person ;  His  authority  they  feared  as  that  of  the 
lawful  heir,  and  with  malignity  almost  beyond  belief,  they 

oMatt.  21:33-41;  compare  Mark  12:1-9;  Luke  20:9-16. 

p  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

q  Compare   Luke   11:47,   48;   Matt.   23:29-33. 


THE  CHIEF  CORNER  STONE.  535 

determined  to  kill  Him  that  they  might  perpetuate  their  un- 
worthy possession  of  the  vineyard  and  thenceforward  hold 
it  as  their  own. 

Jesus  carried  the  story  without  break  from  the  criminal 
past  to  the  yet  more  tragic  and  awful  future,  then  but  three 
days  distant;  and  calmly  related  in  prophetic  imagery,  as 
though  already  fulfilled,  how  those  evil  men  cast  the  well 
beloved  Son  out  of  the  vineyard  and  slew  Him.  Unable  to 
evade  the  searching  question  as  to  what  the  L,ord  of  the 
vineyard  would  naturally  and  righteously  do  to  the  wicked 
husbandmen,  the  Jewish  rulers  gave  the  only  pertinent  an- 
swer possible — that  He  would  surely  destroy  those  wretched 
sinners,  and  let  out  His  vineyard  to  tenants  who  were  more 
honest  and  worthy. 

Suddenly  changing  the  figure,  "Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Did 
ye  never  read  in  the  scriptures,  The  stone  which  the  build- 
ers rejected,  the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner :  this 
is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  ?  There- 
fore say  I  unto  you,  The  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from 
you,  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof. 
And  whosoever  shall  fall  on  this  stone  shall  be  broken ;  but 
on  whomsoever  it  shall  fall,  it  will  grind  him  to  powder. "r 
There  could  be  no  misapprehension  as  to  the  Lord's  mean- 
ing; the  rejected  Stone  which  was  eventually  to  have  chief 
place,  "the  head  of  the  corner,"  in  the  edifice  of  salvation, 
was  Himself,  the  Messiah.  To  some  that  Stone  would  be  a 
cause  of  stumbling;  wo  unto  them,  for  thereby  would  they 
be  broken,  and  only  through  repentance  and  works  of  right- 
eousness could  they  even  in  part  recover ;  but  upon  others, 
those  who  would  persist  in  their  opposition,  the  Stone  would 
fall  in  judgment;  and  wo,  wo  to  them,  for  beneath  it  they 
would  be  destroyed  as  though  ground  to  powder/  From 
them,  the  leaders,  and  from  the  people  who  followed  their 


fMatt.  21:42-44;  see  also  Mark  12:10,  11;  Luke  20:17,  18;  compare  Psalm 
118:22;  Isa.  28:16;  Acts  4:11;   Eph.  2:20;   1  Peter  2:6,   7. 
s  Compare  Dan.  2:44,  45;  Isa.  60:12. 


536  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

unholy  precepts  and  foul  example,  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
about  to  be  taken,  and  would  in  time  be  given  to  the  Gentiles, 
who,  the  Lord  affirmed,  would  prove  more  worthy  than 
Israel  had  been.  We  gather  from  Luke's  account  that  in 
contemplation  of  this  awful  penalty,  "they,"  whether  priestly 
rulers  or  common  people  we  are  not  told,  exclaimed  in 
despair,  "God  forbid !" 

As  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  realized  the  complete- 
ness of  their  discomfiture  and  the  extent  of  the  humiliation 
to  which  they  had  been  subjected  in  the  eyes  of  the  people, 
they  were  incensed  beyond  measure,  and  even  attempted  to 
lay  hold  on  Jesus  there  in  the  temple ;  but  the  sympathies  of 
the  multitude  were  so  unmistakably  in  His  favor  that  the 
angry  ecclesiasts  desisted.  The  people  in  general,  while  not 
prepared  to  openly  proclaim  Him  as  the  Christ,  knew  that 
He  was  a  prophet  of  God,  and  their  dread  of  official  dis- 
pleasure and  possible  penalty  did  not  deter  them  from 
friendly  demonstrations. 

Jesus  resumed  His  teaching  by  relating  the  Parable  of 
the  Royal  Marriage  Feast. 


"And  Jesus  answered  and  spake  unto  them  again  by 
parables,  and  said,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  cer- 
tain king,  which  made  a  marriage  for  his  son.  And  sent  forth 
his  servants  to  call  them  that  were  bidden  to  the  wedding; 
and  they  would  not  come.  Again,  he  sent  forth  other  ser- 
vants, saying,  Tell  them  which  are  bidden,  Behold,  I  have 
prepared  my  dinner:  my  oxen  and  my  fatlings  are  killed, 
and  all  things  are  ready :  come  unto  the  marriage.  But  they 
made  light  of  it,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm,  an- 
other to  his  merchandise :  And  the  remnant  took  his  ser- 
vants, and  entreated  them  spitefully,  and  slew  them.  But 
when  the  king  heard  thereof,  he  was  wroth:  and  he  sent 
forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed  those  murderers,  and  burned 
up  their  city.  Then  saith  he  to  his  servants,  The  wedding 
is  ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden  were  not  worthy.  Go 
ye  therefore  into  the  highways,  and  as  many  as  ye  shall  find, 
bid  to  the  marriage.  So  those  servants  went  out  into  the 


THE   ROYAL    MARRIAGE   FEAST.  537 

highways,  and  gathered  together  all  as  many  as  they  found, 
both  bad  and  good:  and  the  wedding  was  furnished  with 
guests."' 

The  invitation  of  a  king  to  his  subjects  is  equivalent  to  a 
command.  The  marriage  feast  was  no  surprize  event,  for 
the  selected  guests  had  been  bidden  long  aforetime ;  and,  in 
accordance  with  oriental  custom  were  notified  again  on  the 
opening  day  of  the  festivities,"  which,  according  to  Hebrew 
customs,  would  be  understood  as  extending  over  a  period 
of  seven  or  fourteen  days ;  in  this  case  of  a  marriage  in  the 
royal  family  the  greater  duration  would  be  assumed.  .Many 
of  the  bidden  guests  refused  to  come  when  formally  sum- 
moned; and  of  the  tolerant  king's  later  and  more  pressing 
message  they  made  light  and  went  their  ways,  while  the 
most  wicked  turned  upon  the  servants  who  brought  the  royal 
summons,  mistreated  them  cruelly,  and  some  of  them  they 
killed.  It  is  plainly  evident  that  the  refusal  to  attend  the 
king's  feast  was  a  deliberate  rebellion  against  the  royal 
authority  and  a  personal  indignity  against  both  the  reigning 
sovereign  and  his  son.  It  was  as  much  a  duty  as  an  honor 
for  loyal  subjects  to  attend  the  marriage  festival  of  the 
prince,  whom  we  cannot  err  in  regarding  as  the  lawful  heir 
to  the  throne,  and  therefore  the  one  who  might  some  day 
reign  over  them.  The  turning  away  by  one  man  to  his  farm 
and  by  another  to  his  merchandize  is  in  part  an  evidence 
of  their  engrossment  in  material  pursuits  to  the  utter  dis- 
regard of  their  sovereign's  will ;  but  it  signifies  further  an 
effort  to  deaden  their  troubled  consciences  by  some  absorb- 
ing occupation ;  and  possibly  also  a  premeditated  demonstra- 
tion of  the  fact  that  they  placed  their  personal  affairs  above 
the  call  of  their  king.  The  monarch  executed  a  terrible  retri- 
bution upon  his  rebellious  subjects.  If  the  parable  was  in- 
tended to  be  an  allegorical  presentation  of  actual  events,  it 

/Matt.    22:1-10. 

u  Note   4,   end   of   chapter. 


538  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

passes  at  this  point  from  the  story  of  the  past  to  that  of 
the  future,  for  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  postdates  by  sev- 
eral decades  the  death  of  Christ.  Finding  the  guests  who 
had  some  claim  on  the  royal  invitation  to  be  utterly  un- 
worthy, the  king  sent  out  his  servants  again,  and  these  gath- 
ered in  from  the  highways  and  cross-roads,  from  the  byways 
and  the  lanes,  all  they  could  find,  irrespective  of  rank  or 
station,  whether  rich  or  poor,  good  or  bad ;  "and  the  wedding 
was  furnished  with  guests." 

The  great  feast  by  which  the  Messianic  reign  was  to  be 
ushered  in  was  a  favorite  theme  of  jubilant  exposition  in 
both  synagog  and  school ;  and  exultation  ran  high  in  the  rab- 
binical dictum  that  none  but  the  children  of  Abraham  would 
be  among  the  blessed  partakers.  The  king  in  the  parable  is 
God ;  the  son  whose  marriage  was  the  occasion  of  the  feast 
is  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God ;  the  guests  who  were  bidden  early, 
yet  who  refused  to  come  when  the  feast  was  ready,  are  the 
covenant  people  who  rejected  their  Lord,  the  Christ;  the 
later  guests,  who  were  brought  in  from  the  streets  and  the 
roads,  are  the  Gentile  nations,  to  whom  the  gospel  has  been 
carried  since  its  rejection  by  the  Jews;  the  marriage  feast  is 
symbolical  of  the  glorious  consummation  of  the  Messiah's 
mission.*7 

All  students  of  the  subject  must  have  noted  the  points  of 
resemblance  by  which  this  parable  is  related  to  that  of  the 
great  supper  ;w  fewer  perhaps  have  considered  the  differences 
between  the  two.  The  earlier  story  was  told  in  the  house  of 
one  of  the  chief  Pharisees,  probably  in  some  town  in  Perea ; 
the  later  one  was  related  within  the  temple,  after  Pharisaic 
opposition  to  Christ  had  reached  its  height.  The  first  is  of 
simpler  plot  and  of  gentler  climax.  The  neglect  of  the  in- 
vited guests  in  the  first  story  was  accompanied  by  excuses 
in  which  some  approach  to  polite  apology  appears:  the 


v  Compare  Matt.   25:10;  2  Cor.   11:2;   Eph.  5:32;  Rev.   19:7;  21:2,  9. 
w  Luke  14:16-24;  page  450  herein. 


THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  539 

refusal  of  those  bidden  in  the  second  parable  was  markedly 
offensive,  and  was  coupled  with  outrageous  abuse  and  mur- 
der. The  host  in  one  instance  was  a  wealthy  though  private 
citizen,  in  the  other  the  giver  of  the  feast  was  a  king.  In 
the  first,  the  occasion  was  one  of  ordinary  though  abundant 
entertainment ;  in  the  second,  the  determining  time  was  that 
of  the  appointed  marriage  of  the  royal  heir.  Retribution  in 
the  first  instance  was  limited  to  exclusion  from  the  banquet ; 
in  the  latter  the  individual  punishment  was  death,  which  was 
followed  by  the  punitive  example  of  the  city's  destruction. 

Our  account  of  the  royal  marriage  feast  is  not  yet  com- 
plete; the  story  already  considered  is  supplemented  by  the 
following : 

"And  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he  saw 
there  a  man  which  had  not  on  a  wedding  garment :  And  he 
saith  unto  him,  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in  hither  not  hav- 
ing a  wedding  garment?  And  he  was  speechless.  Then 
said  the  king  to  the  servants,  Bind  him  hand  and  foot,  and 
take  him  away,  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness ;  there  shall 
be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  For  many  are  called, 
but  few  are  chosen." 

The  lessons  embodied  in  this  section  of  the  parable  may 
be  advantageously  considered  apart  from  those  of  the  first 
division.  As  was  befitting  his  dignity,  the  king  came  into 
the  banquet  hall  after  the  guests  had  taken  their  places  ir 
orderly  array.  His  immediate  detection  of  one  who  was 
without  the  prescribed  garment  implies  a  personal  scrutiny 
of  the  guests.  One  may  be  led  to  inquire,  how,  under  the 
circumstances  of  hurried  summoning,  the  several  guests 
could  have  suitably  attired  themselves  for  the  feast.  The 
unity  of  the  narrative  requires  that  some  provision  had  been 
made  whereby  each  one  who  properly  applied  was  given  the 
garment  prescribed  by  the  king's  command,  and  in  keeping 
with  the  established  custom  at  court.  That  the  unrobed 
guest  was  guilty  of  neglect,  intentional  disrespect,  or  some 
more  grievous  offense,  is  plain  from  the  context.  The  king 


540  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

at  first  was  graciously  considerate,  inquiring  only  as  to  how 
the  man  had  entered  without  a  wedding  garment.  Had  the 
guest  been  able  to  explain  his  exceptional  appearance,  or 
had  he  any  reasonable  excuse  to  offer,  he  surely  would  have 
spoken;  but  we  are  told  that  he  remained  speechless.  The 
king's  summons  had  been  freely  extended  to  all  whom  his 
servants  had  found ;  but  each  of  them  had  to  enter  the  royal 
palace  by  the  door ;  and  before  reaching  the  banquet  room, 
in  which  the  king  would  appear  in  person,  each  would  be 
properly  attired;  but  the  deficient  one,  by  some  means  had 
entered  by  another  way ;  and  not  having  passed  the  attend- 
ant sentinels  at  the  portal,  he  was  an  intruder,  of  a  kind  with 
the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  had  before  referred  as  a  thief  and 
a  robber  because,  not  entering  by  the  door,  he  had  climbed 
up  some  other  way.*  The  king  gave  a  command,  and  his 
ministers^  bound  the  offender  and  cast  him  forth  from  the 
palace  into  outer  darkness,  where  the 'anguish  of  remorse 
caused  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

As  summary  and  epilogue  of  the  three  great  parables 
constituting  this  series,  the  Lord  spake  these  words  of  sol- 
emn import:  "For  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen."* 
Each  of  the  parables  has  its  own  wealth  of  wisdom ;  and  the 
three  are  as  one  in  declaring  the  great  truth  that  even  the 
children  of  the  covenant  will  be  rejected  except  they  make 
good  their  title  by  godly  works ;  while  to  the  heathen  and  the 
sinners  the  portals  of  heaven  shall  open,  if  by  repentance 
and  compliance  with  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel 
they  shall  merit  salvation. 

The  story  of  the  royal  marriage  feast  was  the  last  of  our 
Lord's  parables  delivered  publicly  to  a  mixed  audience.  Two 
others  were  spoken  to  the  apostles,  as  they  sat  in  solemn 
converse  with  the  Lord  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  after  the 
public  ministry  of  Christ  had  been  brought  to  a  close. 

x  Compare  page  416. 

y  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 

s  Matt.  22:14;   compare  20:16;   see  page  478  herein. 


c.  THOMSON 

NOTES.  541 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  30. 

1.  Fig  Tree. — 'The  fig  tree  is  very  common  in  Palestine 
(Deut.    8:8).     Its    fruit    is    a    well    known    and    highly    esteemed 
article  of  food.     In  the -East  this  is  of  three  kinds;    (i)   the  early 
fig,  ripening  about  the  end  of  June ;   (2)  the  summer  fig,  ripening 
in    August;    (3)    the    winter    fig,    larger    and    darker    than    No.    2, 
hanging  and  ripening  late  on  the  tree,  even  after  the  leaves  were 
shed,    and    sometimes    gathered    in    the    spring.      The    blossoms    of 
the   fig  tree  are   within   the   receptacle   or   so-called   fruit,   and  not 
visible    outwardly;    and    this    fruit    begins    to    develop    before    the 
leaves.     Hence   the   fig   tree    which   had    leaves    before   the   usual 
time  might  naturally  have  been   expected  to   have   also   some   figs 
on    it    (Mark    11:13);    but    it    was    not    true    to    its    pretensions." 
(Smith's  Comp.  Bible  Diet.) 

2.  The  Two  Sons  in  the  Parable. — Although  this  excellent 
parable    was    addressed    to    the    chief    priests,    scribes,    and    elders, 
who  had  come  in  hostile  spirit  to   demand  of   Christ  the  creden- 
tials of  His  authority,  its  lesson  is  of  universal  application.     The 
two    sons    are    yet    alive    in    every    human    community — the    one 
openly    boastful    of    his    sin,    the    other    a    hypocritical    pretender. 
Jesus    did    not    commend    the    rough    refusal    of    the    first    son    of 
whom   the    father   made   a   righteous    demand    for   service;    it   was 
his    subsequent    repentance    attended    by    works    that    made    him 
superior  to  his  brother  who  had  made  fair  promise  but  had  kept 
it    not.      There    are    many    today    who    boast    that    they    make    no 
profession  of   religion,  nor  pretense  of  godly  life.      Their   frank- 
ness  will  not  mitigate  their   sins;   it   simply  shows   that   a  certain 
species    of    hypocrisy    is    not    prominent    among    their    numerous 
offenses ;    but   that    a   man    is    innocent    of    one    vice,    say   that    of 
drunkenness,  in  no  wise  diminishes  his  measure  of  guilt  if  he  be 
a  liar,  a  thief,  an  adulterer,  or  a  murderer.     Both  the  sons  in  the 
parable  were  grievous  sinners ;  but  the  one  turned   from   his  evil 
ways,  which  theretofore  he  had   followed   with   flagrant  openness, 
while  the  other  continued  in  dark  deeds  of  sin,  which  he  sought 
to  cover  by  a  cloak  of  hypocrisy.      Let  no  man  think  that  because 
he    becomes    intoxicated    at   the   public   bar   he    is    any   the    less    a 
drunkard  than  is  he  who  swallows  the  "beverage  of  hell"  in  com- 
parative privacy,  though  the  latter  be  both  drunkard  and  hypocrite. 
For  these  sins,  as  for  all  others,  genuine  repentance  is  the  only 
saving  antidote. 

3.  Israel  Symbolized  by  Vineyard  and  Vines. — The  aptness 
of   our    Lord's    representation    of    Israel   as    a   vineyard    could   not 
have    escaped   the    perception    of    the   Jews,    to    whom    Old    Testa- 
ment  similes    of   analogous    form   were    familiar    figures.      Notable 
among  others  is  the  striking  picture  presented  by  Isaiah    (5:1-7), 
in  which  the  well  provided  vineyard  is   shown  as  producing  wild 
grapes    only,    for    which   grievous    disappointment    of    his    expecta- 
tions the  owner  determined  to  break  down  the  wall,   remove  the 
hedge,  and  leave  the  vineyard  to  its   fate  of  abandonment.      The 
explication    of    the    parable    voiced    by    Isaiah    is     thus    given: 


542  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    30. 

"For  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel, 
and  the  men  of  Judah  his  pleasant  plant:  and  he  looked  for  judg- 
ment, but  behold  oppression ;  for  righteousness,  but  behold  a 
cry."  The  worthlessness  of  a  vine  save  only  for  its  fruit  was 
set  forth  by  the  Lord  through  His  prophet  Ezekiel  (15:2-5); 
and  truly  it  is  so,  that  the  wood  of  the  grape  plant  is  fit  for 
nothing  but  burning ;  the  whole  vine  as  wood  is  inferior  to  a 
branch  from  a  forest  tree  (verse  3).  And  Israel  is  represented 
as  such  a  vine,  precious  if  but  fruitful,  otherwise  nothing  but 
fuel  and  that  of  poor  quality.  The  psalmist  sang  of  the  vine 
that  Jehovah  had  brought  out  of  Egypt  and'  which,  planted  with 
care  and  hedged  about,  had  flourished  even  with  goodly  boughs ; 
but  the  favor  of  the  Lord  had  been  turned  from  the  vine,  and  it 
had  been  left  desolate  (Psalm  80:8-16).  For  further  allusions 
see  Isa.  27:2-6;  Jer.  2:21;  Ezek.  19:10-14;  Hosea  10:1. 

4.  The   Call  to   the   Marriage   Feast. — The   calling   of  the 
guests   who   had   been   bidden   aforetime   is   thus   commented   upon 
by    Trench     (Parables,    pp.    175-6)  :     "This    summoning    of    those 
already    bidden,    was,    and,    as    modern    travellers    attest,    is    still, 

Siite  in  accordance  with  Eastern  manners.  Thus  Esther  invites 
aman  to  a  banquet  on  the  morrow  (Esth.  5:8),  and  when  the 
time  has  actually  arrived,  the  chamberlain  comes  to  usher  him 
to  the  banquet  (6:14).  There  is,  therefore,  no  slightest  reason 
why  we  should  make  'them  that  were  bidden'  to  mean  them  that 
were  now  to  be  bidden;  such  an  interpretation  not  merely  violat- 
ing all  laws  of  grammar,  but  the  higher  purpose  with  which  the 
parable  was  spoken ;  for  our  Lord,  assuming  that  the  guests  had 
b?en  invited  long  ago,  does  thus  remind  His  hearers  that  what 
He  brought,  if  in  one  sense  new,  was  in  another  a  fulfilment  of 
the  old ;  that  He  claimed  to  be  heard,  not  as  one  suddenly  start- 
ing up,  unconnected  with  aught  which  had  gone  before  but  as 
Himself  'the  end  of  the  law,'  to  which  it  had  been  ever  tending, 
the  birth  with  which  the  'whole  Jewish  dispensation  had  been 
pregnant,  and  which  alone  should  give  a  meaning  to  it  all.  In 
His  words,  'them  that  were  bidden,'  is  involved  the  fact  that  there 
was  nothing  abrupt  in  the  coming  of  His  kingdom,  that  its 
rudiments  had  a  long  while  before  been  laid,  that  all  to  which 
His  adversaries  clung  as  precious  in  their  past  history  was 
prophetic  of  blessings  now  actually  present  to  them  in  Him. 
The  original  invitation,  which  had  now  come  to  maturity,  reached 
back  to  the  foundation  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth,  was  taken 
up  and  repeated  by  each  succeeding  prophet,  as  he  prophesied  of 
the  crowning  grace  that  should  one  day  be  brought  to  Israel 
(Luke  10:24;  I  Pet.  1:12),  and  summoned  the  people  to  hold 
themselves  in  a  spiritual  readiness  to  welcome  their  Lord  and 
their  King." 

5.  Servants  and  Ministers. — According  to  good  philological 
authority,     "ministers"     or     "ministering     attendants"     is     a    more 
literal    rendering   of   the   original   than    "servants"    in    Matt.   22:13. 
In  the  earlier  verses  3,  4,  6,  8,  10,  of  the  same  chapter,  "servants" 
or    "servitors"   best    expresses    the    meaning   of   the    original.     The 
distinction  is  significant,  as  it  implies  an  important  difference  of 


NOTES.  543 

station  between  the  servants  who  were  sent  out  to  bid  the  people 
to  the  feast,  and  the  ministers  in  immediate  attendance  upon  the 
king.  The  first  are  typical  of  God's  servants  who  proclaim  His 
word  in  the  world ;  the  latter  symbolize  the  angels  who  shall 
execute  His  judgments  on  the  wicked  by  gathering  out  from  His 
kingdom  all  things  that  offend.  Compare  Matt.  13 130,  39,  41 ; 
Doc.  and  Cov.  86:5. 


544  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

CHAPTER   31. 
THE  CLOSE  OF  OUR  LORD'S  PUBLIC  MINISTRY. 

A   CONSPIRACY   CO?   PHARISEES   AND   H£RODIANS.a 

The  Jewish  authorities  continued  unceasingly  active  in 
their  determined  efforts  to  tempt  or  beguile  Jesus  into  some 
act  or  utterance  on  which  they  could  base  a  charge  of  offense, 
under  either  their  own  or  Roman  law.  The  Pharisees  coun- 
seled together  as  to  "how  they  might  entangle  him  in  his 
talk" ;  and  then,  laying  aside  their  partisan  prejudices,  they 
conspired  to  this  end  with  the  Herodians,  a  political  faction 
whose  chief  characteristic  was  the  purpose  of  maintaining  in 
power  the  family  of  the  Herods,&  which  policy  of  necessity 
entailed  the  upholding  of  the  Roman  power,  upon  which  the 
Herods  depended  for  their  delegated  authority.  The  same 
incongruous  association  had  been  entered  into  before  in  an 
attempt  to  provoke  Jesus  to  overt  speech  or  action  in  Galilee ; 
and  the  Lord  had  coupled  the  parties  together  in  His  warn- 
ing to  the  disciples  to  beware  of  the  leaven  of  both/  So,  on 
the  last  day  of  our  Lord's  teaching  in  public,  Pharisees  and 
Herodians  joined  forces  against  Him ;  the  one  watchful  for 
the  smallest  technical  infringement  of  the  Mosaic  law,  the 
other  alert  to  seize  upon  the  slightest  excuse  for  charging 
Him  with  disloyalty  to  the  secular  powers.  Their  plans 
were  conceived  in  treachery,  and  put  into  operation  as  the 
living  embodiment  of  a  lie.  Choosing  some  of  their  number 
who  had  not  before  appeared  in  personal  antagonism  to 
Jesus,  and  who  were  supposed  to  be  unknown  to  Him,  the 
chief  conspirators  sent  these  with  instructions  to  "feign 

a  Matt.  22:15-22;  Mark  12:13-17;  Luke  20:19-26, 
b  Page  68. 
(•Mark  3:6;  8:15. 


PAYING  TRIBUTE  TO  C/ESAR.  545 

themselves  just  men,  that  they  might  take  hold  of  his  words, 
that  so  they  might  deliver  him  unto  the  power  and  authority 
of  the  governor." 

This  delegation  of  hypocritical  spies  came  asking  a  ques- 
tion, in  pretended  sincerity,  as  though  they  were  troubled  in 
conscience  and  desired  counsel  of  the  eminent  Teacher. 
"Master,"  said  they  with  fawning  duplicity,  "we  know  that 
thou  art  true,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth,  neither 
carest  thou  for  any  man:  for  thou  regardest  not  the  person 
of  men."  This  studied  tribute  to  our  Lord's  courage  and 
independence  of  thought  and  action  was  truthful  in  every 
word;  but  as  uttered  by  those  fulsome  dissemblers  and  in 
their  nefarious  intent,  it  was  egregiously  false.  The  honeyed 
address,  however,  by  which  the  conspirators  attempted  to 
cajole  the  Lord  into  unwariness,  indicated  that  the  question 
they  were  about  to  submit  was  one  requiring  for  its  proper 
answer  just  such  qualities  of  mind  as  they  pretendingly  at- 
tributed to  Him. 

"Tell  us  therefore,"  they  continued,  "What  thinkest  thou? 
Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not?"  The  ques- 
tion had  been  chosen  with  diabolic  craft ;  for  of  all  acts  at- 
testing compulsory  allegiance  to  Rome  that  of  having  to  pay 
the  poll-tax  was  most  offensive  to  the  Jews.  Had  Jesus  an- 
swered "Yes,"  the  guileful  Pharisees  might  have  inflamed  the 
multitude  against  Him  as  a  disloyal  son  of  Abraham ;  had 
His  answer  been  "No,"  the  scheming  Herodians  could  have 
denounced  Him  as  a  promoter  of  sedition  against  the  Roman 
government.  Moreover  the  question  was  unnecessary;  the 
nation,  both  rulers  and  people  had  settled  it,  however  grudg- 
ingly, for  they  accepted  and  circulated  among  themselves  the 
Roman  coinage  as  a  common  medium  of  exchange;  and  it 
was  a  criterion  of  recognition  among  the  Jews  that  to  make 
current  the  coins  of  any  sovereign  was  to  acknowledge  his 
royal  authority.  "But  Jesus  perceived  their  wickedness,  and 
said,  Why  tempt  ye  me,  ye  hypocrites?"  All  their  artful 

18 


546  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

expressions  of  false  adulation  were  countered  by  the  wither- 
ing epithet  "hypocrites."  "Shew  me  the  tribute  money,"  He 
commanded,  and  they  produced  a  penny — a  Roman  denarius 
bearing  the  effigy  and  name  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  emperor  of 
Rome.  "Whose  is  this  image  and  superscription?"  He 
asked.  They  answered  "Caesar's."  "Then  saith  he  unto 
them,  Render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are 
Caesar's ;  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's. "d 

The  reply  was  a  masterly  one  by  whatever  standard  we 
gage  it ;  it  has  become  an  aphorism  in  literature  and  life.  It 
swept  away  any  lingering  thought  or  expectation  that  in  the 
mind  of  Him  who  had  so  recently  ridden  into  Jerusalem  as 
King  of  Israel  and  Prince  of  Peace,  there  was  even  the  sem- 
blance of  aspiration  for  earthly  power  or  dominion.  It 
established  for  all  time  the  one  righteous  basis  of  relationship 
between  spiritual  and  secular  duties,  between  church  and 
state.  The  apostles  in  later  years  builded  upon  this  founda- 
tion and  enjoined  obedience  to  the  laws  of  established  gov- 
ernments/ 

One  may  draw  a  lesson  if  he  will,  from  the  association  of 
our  L,ord's  words  with  the  occurrence  of  Caesar's  image  on 
the  coin.  It  was  that  effigy  with  its  accompanying  super- 
scription that  gave  special  point  to  His  memorable  instruc- 
tion, "Render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are 
Caesar's."  This  was  followed  by  the  further  injunction: 
"and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's."  Every  human  soul 
is  stamped  with  the  image  and  superscription  of  God,  how- 
ever blurred  and  indistinct  the  lines  may  have  become 
through  the  corrosion  or  attrition  of  sin  /  and  as  unto  Caesar 
should  be  rendered  the  coins  upon  which  his  effigy  appeared, 
so  unto  God  should  be  given  the  souls  that  bear  His  image. 
Render  unto  the  world  the  stamped  pieces  that  are  made 
legally  current  by  the  insignia  of  worldly  powers,  and  give 

d  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 
e  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
/Pages  12,  13. 


SADDUCEES  AND  THE  RESURRECTION.  547 

unto  God  and  His  service,  yourselves — the  divine  mintage 
of  His  eternal  realm. 

Pharisees  and  Herodians  were  silenced  by  the  unanswer- 
able wisdom  of  the  Lord's  reply  to  their  crafty  question.  Try 
as  they  would,  they  could  not  "take  hold  of  his  words,"  and 
hey  were  put  to  shame  before  the  people  who  were  witnesses 
to  their  humiliation.  Marveling  at  His  answer,  and  unwill- 
ing to  take  the  chance  of  further  and  possibly  greater  em- 
barrassment, they  "left  him,  and  went  their  way."  Never- 
theless these  perverted  Jews  persisted  in  their  base  and 
treacherous  purpose,  as  appears  nowhere  more  glaringly  evi- 
dent than  in  their  utterly  false  accusation  before  Pilate — that 
Jesus  was  guilty  of  "forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar, 
saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  King."^ 

SADDUCEES   QUESTION   ABOUT   THE   RESURRECTION.'* 

Next,  the  Sadducees  tried  to  discomfit  Jesus  by  propound- 
ing what  they  regarded  as  an  involved  if  not  indeed  a  very 
difficult  question.  The  Sadducees  held  that  there  could  be 
no  bodily  resurrection,  on  which  point  of  doctrine  as  on  many 
others,  they  were  the  avowed  opponents  of  the  Pharisees.1 
The  question  submitted  by  the  Sadducees  on  this  occasion 
related  directly  to  the  resurrection,  and  was  framed  to  dis- 
credit the  doctrine  by  a  most  unfavorable  and  grossly  exag- 
gerated application  thereof.  "Master,"  said  the  spokesman 
of  the  party,  "Moses  said,  If  a  man  die,  having  no  children, 
his  brother  shall  marry  his  wife,  and  raise  up  seed  unto  his 
brother.  Now  there  were  with  us  seven  brethren:  and  the 
first,  when  he  had  married  a  wife,  deceased,  and,  having  no 
issue,  left  his  wife  unto  his  brother:  Likewise  the  second 
also,  and  the  third,  unto  the  seventh.  And  last  of  all  the 
woman  died  also.  Therefore  in  the  resurrection  whose  wife 
shall  she  be  of  the  seven?  for  they  all  had  her."  It  was 

g  Luke  23:2.    Page  633. 

hMa.it.   22:23-33;    Mark   12:18-27;   Luke   20:27-38. 

*  Pages  65,  72. 


548  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

beyond  question  that  the  Mosaic  law  authorized  and  required 
that  the  living  brother  of  a  deceased  and  childless  husband 
should  marry  the  widow  with  the  purpose  of  rearing  children 
to  the  name  of  the  dead,  whose  family  lineage  would  thus 
be  legally  continued/  Such  a  state  of  affairs  as  that  pre- 
sented by  the  casuistical  Sadducees,  in  which  seven  brothers 
in  succession  had  as  wife  and  left  as  childless  widow  the 
same  woman,  was  possible  under  the  Mosaic  code  relating 
to  levirate  marriages ;  but  it  was  a  most  improbable  instance. 
Jesus  stopped  not,  however,  to  question  the  elements  of 
the  problem  as  presented  to  Him ;  whether  the  case  was  as- 
sumed or  real  mattered  not,  since  the  question  "Whose  wife 
shall  she  be  ?"  was  based  on  an  utterly  erroneous  conception. 
"Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Ye  do  err,  not  knowing 
the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God.  For  in  the  resurrec- 
tion they  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but  are 
as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven."  The  Lord's  meaning  was 
clear,  that  in  the  resurrected  state  there  can  be  no  question 
among  the  seven  brothers  as  to  whose  wife  for  eternity  the 
woman  shall  be,  since  all  except  the  first  had  married  her  for 
the  duration  of  mortal  life  only,  and  primarily  for  the  pur- 
pose of  perpetuating  in  mortality  the  name  and  family  of  the 
brother  who  first  died.  Luke  records  the  Lord's  words  as 
follows  in  part :  "But  the/  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy 
to  obtain  that  world,  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage :  Neither  can  they 
die  any  more :  for  they  are  equal  unto  the  angels ;  and  are 
the  children  of  God,  being  the  children  of  the  resurrection." 
In  the  resurrection  there  will  be  no  marrying  nor  giving  in 
marriage;  for  all  questions  of  marital  status  must  be  settled 
before  that  time,  under  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood, 
which  holds  the  power  to  seal  in  marriage  for  both  time  and 
eternity.*5 

/Deut.   25:5. 

k  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 


GOD  IS  GOD  OF  THE  LIVING.  549 

From  the  case  presented  by  His  treacherous  questioners, 
Jesus  turned  to  the  actuality  of  the  resurrection,  which  was 
involved  in  and  implied  by  the  inquiry.  "But  as  touching 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead,"  said  He,  "have  ye  not  read 
that  which  was  spoken  unto  you  by  God,  saying,  I  am  the 
God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob?  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living." 
This  was  a  direct  assault  upon  the  Sadducean  doctrine  of 
negation  concerning  the  literal  resurrection  of  the  dead.  The 
Sadducees  were  distinctively  the  zealous  upholders  of  the 
law,  wherein  Jehovah  affirms  Himself  to  be  the  God  of 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob ;'  yet  they  denied  the  possible 
resurrection  of  these  patriarchs,  and  made  the  exalted  title, 
under  which  the  Lord  had  revealed  Himself  to  Moses,  valid 
only  during  the  brief  mortal  existence  of  the  progenitors  of 
the  Israelitish  nation.  The  declaration  that  Jehovah  is  not 
the  God  of  the  dead  but  of  the  living  was  an  unanswerable 
denunciation  of  the  Sadducean  perversion  of  scripture ;  and 
with  solemn  finality  the  Lord  added:  "Ye  therefore  do 
greatly  err."  Certain  of  the  scribes  present  were  impressed 
by  the  incontrovertible  demonstration  of  the  truth,  and  ex- 
claimed with  approbation :  "Master,  thou  hast  well  said." 
The  proud  Sadducees  were  confuted  and  silenced;  "and 
after  that  they  durst  not  ask  him  any  question  at  all." 

THE  GREAT  COMMANDMENT.™ 

The  Pharisees,  covertly  rejoicing  over  the  discomfiture 
of  their  rivals,  now  summoned  courage  enough  to  plan  an- 
other attack  of  their  own.  One  of  their  number,  a  lawyer, 
by  which  title  we  may  understand  one  of  the  scribes  who  was 
distinctively  also  a  professor  of  ecclesiastical  law,  asked : 
"Which  is  the  first  commandment  of  all?"  or,  as  Matthew 
states  the  question:  "Master,  which  is  the  great  command- 


/Gen.   28:13;    Exo.   3:6,   15. 

in  Matt.  22:34-40;   Mark  12:28-34. 


550  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

ment  in  the  law?"  The  reply  was  prompt,  incisive,  and  so 
comprehensive  as  to  cover  the  requirements  of  the  law  in 
their  entirety.  With  the  imperative  call  to  attention  with 
which  Moses  had  summoned  Israel  to  hear  and  heed,0  the 
very  words  of  which  were  written  on  the  phylacteries6  which 
the  Pharisees  wore  as  frontlets  between  their  eyes,  Jesus 
answered :  "Hear,  O  Israel ;  The  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord : 
And  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  writh  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy 
strength :  this  is  the  first  commandment.  And  the  second 
is  like,  namely  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 
There  is  none  other  commandment  greater  than  these." 
Matthew's  wording  of  the  concluding  declaration  is:  "On 
these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 
The  philosophic  soundness  of  the  Lord's  profound  gen- 
eralization and  comprehensive  summarizing  of  the  "law  and 
the  prophets"'1  will  appeal  to  all  students  of  human  nature. 
It  is  a  common  tendency  of  man  to  reach  after,  or  at  least  to 
inquire  after  and  marvel  about,  the  superlative.  Who  is  the 
greatest  poet,  philosopher,  scientist,  preacher  or  statesman? 
Who  stands  first  and  foremost  in  the  community,  the  nation, 
or  even,  as  the  apostles  in  their  aspiring  ignorance  asked,  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven?  Which  mountain  overtops  all  the 
rest?  Which  river  is  the  longest  or  the  largest?  Such 
queries  are  ever  current.  The  Jews  had  divided  and  sub- 
divided the  commandments  of  the  law,  and  had  supplemented 
even  the  minutest  subdivision  with  rules  of  their  own  con- 
triving. Now  came  the  Pharisee  asking  which  of  all  these 
requirements  was  the  greatest.0  To  love  God  with  all  one's 
heart  and  soul  and  mind  is  to  serve  Him  and  keep  all  His 
commandments.  To  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self  is  to 
be  a  brother  in  the  broadest  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most 
exacting  sense  of  the  term.  Therefore  the  commandment 

a  Deut.  6:4,  5. 

b  Note  5,  page  565. 

n  Compare   page   245. 

o  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  GREAT  COMMANDMENT.  551 

to  love  God  and  man  is  the  greatest,  on  the  basis  of  the  sim- 
ple and  mathematical  truth  that  the  whole  is  greater  than 
any  part.  What  need  of  the  decalog  could  there  be  if  man- 
kind would  obey  this  first  and  great  and  all-embracing  com- 
mandment? The  Lord's  reply  to  the  question  was  convinc- 
ing even  to  the  learned  scribe  who  had  acted  as  spokes- 
man for  his  Pharisaic  colleagues.  The  man  was  honest 
enough  to  admit  the  righteousness  and  wisdom  on  which  the 
reply  was  grounded,  and  impulsively  he  voiced  acceptance, 
saying,  "Well,  Master,  thou  hast  said  the  truth :  for  there  is 
one  God ;  and  there  is  none  other  but  he :  And  to  love  him 
with  all  the  heart,  and  with  all  the  understanding,  and  with 
all  the  soul,  and  with  all  the  strength,  and  to  love  his  neigh- 
bour as  himself,  is  more  than  all  whole  burnt  offerings  and 
sacrifices."  Jesus  was  no  whit  less  prompt  than  the  well- 
intending  scribe  in  acknowledging  merit  in  the  words  of  an 
opponent;  and  to  the  man  He  gave  the  encouraging  assur- 
ance :  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God."  As  to 
whether  the  scribe  remained  firm  in  purpose  and  eventually 
gained  entrance  into  that  blessed  abode,  the  scriptural  record 
is  silent. 

JESUS  TURNS  QUESTIONER^ 

Sudducees,  Herodians,  Pharisees,  lawyers,  and  scribes, 
all  had  in  turn  met  discomfiture  and  defeat  in  their  efforts 
to  entangle  Jesus  on  questions  of  doctrine  or  practise,  and 
had  utterly  failed  to  incite  Him  to  any  act  or  utterance  on 
which  they  could  lawfully  charge  Him  with  offense.  Hav- 
ing so  effectually  silenced  all  who  had  ventured  to  challenge 
Him  to  debate,  either  covertly  or  with  open  intent,  that  "no 
man  after  that  durst  ask  him  any  question,"  Jesus  in  turn 
became  the  aggressive  interrogator.  Turning  to  the  Phari- 
sees, who  had  clustered  together  for  greater  facility  in  con- 
sultation, Jesus  began  a  colloquy  which  proceeded  as  follows : 

f  Matt.  22:41-46;  Mark  12:35-37;  Luke  20:41-44. 


552  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

'What  think  ye  of  Christ  ?  whose  son  is  he  ?  They  say  unto 
him,  The  son  of  David.  He  saith  unto  them,  How  then  doth 
David  in  spirit  call  him  Lord,  saying,  The  Lord  said  unto 
my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  till  I  make  thine  ene- 
mies thy  footstool?  If  David  then  call  him  Lord,  how  is  he 
his  son?"  The  Lord's  citation  of  David's  jubilant  and  wor- 
shipful song  of  praise,  which,  as  Mark  avers,  Jesus  said  was 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  had  reference  to  the  Messianic 
psalm?  in  which  the  royal  singer  affirmed  his  own  reverent 
allegiance,  and  extolled  the  glorious  reign  of  the  promised 
King  of  kings,  who  is  specifically  called  therein  "a  priest  for- 
ever after  the  order  of  Melchizedek."*"  Puzzling  as  was  the 
unexpected  question  to  the  erudite  Jews,  we  fail  to  perceive 
in  it  any  inexplicable  difficulty,  since  to  us,  less  prejudiced 
than  they  who  lived  in  expectation  of  a  Messiah  who  would 
be  David's  son  only  in  the  sense  of  family  descent  and  royal 
succession  in  the  splendor  of  temporal  rule,  the  eternal  God- 
ship  of  the  Messiah  is  a  fact  demonstrated  and  undeniable. 
Jesus  the  Christ  is  the  Son  of  David  in  the  physical  way  of 
lineage  by  which  both  Jesus  and  David  are  sons  of  Jacob, 
Isaac,  Abraham,  and  Adam.  But  while  Jesus  was  born  in 
the  flesh  as  late  in  the  centuries  as  the  "meridian  of  time"* 
He  was  Jehovah,  Lord  and  God,  before  David,  Abraham,  or 
Adam  was  known  on  earth/ 

WICKED   SCRIBES   AND   PHARISEES   DENOUNCED." 

The  humiliating  defeat  of  the  Pharisaic  party  was  made 
all  the  more  memorable  and  bitter  by  the  Lord's  final  denun- 
ciation of  the  system,  and  His  condemnation  of  its  unworthy 
representatives.  Addressing  Himself  primarily  to  the  disci- 
ples, yet  speaking  in  the  hearing  of  the  multitude,  He  di- 

q  Psalm    110. 

r  Psalm    110:4;    compare   Heb.    5:6;   6:20;    7:17,   21. 

s  Chapter    6. 

t  Chapters    4    and   5. 

t.  23;   Mark  12:38-40;  Luke  20:45-47;  compare  Luke  11:39-52. 


TO  BE  SEEN  OF  MEN.  553 

reeled  the  attention  of  all  to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  who, 
He  pointed  out,  occupied  the  seat  of  Moses  as  doctrinal 
expounders  and  official  administrators  of  the  law,  and  who 
were  therefore  to  be  obeyed  in  their  authoritative  rule ;  but 
against  their  pernicious  example  the  disciples  were  forcefully 
warned.  "All  therefore  whatsoever  they  bid  you  observe, 
that  observe  and  do,"  said  the  Lord,  "but  do  not  ye  after 
their  works ;  for  they  say,  and  do  not."  Distinction  between 
due  observance  of  official  precept  and  the  personal  respon- 
sibility of  following  evil  example,  though  it  be  that  of  men 
high  in  authority,  could  not  have  been  made  plainer.  Diso- 
bedience to  law  was  not  to  be  excused  because  of  corruption 
among  the  law's  representatives,  nor  was  wickedness  in  any 
individual  to  be  condoned  or  palliated  because  of  another's 
villainy. 

In  explanation  of  the  caution  He  so  openly  blazoned 
against  the  vices  of  the  rulers,  the  Lord  continued:  "For 
they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  grievous  to  be  borne,  and  lay 
them  on  men's  shoulders ;  but  they  themselves  will  not 
move  them  with  one  of  their  fingers."  Rabbinism  had  prac- 
tically superseded  the  law  in  the  substitution  of  multitudi- 
nous rules  and  exactions,  with  conditional  penalties ;  the  day 
was  filled  with  traditional  observances  by  which  even  the 
trivial  affairs  of  life  were  encumbered ;  yet  from  bearing 
these  and  other  grievous  burdens  hypocritical  officials  could 
find  excuse  for  personal  exemption. 

Their  inordinate  vanity  and  their  irreverent  assumption 
of  excessive  piety  were  thus  stigmatized:  "But  all  their 
works  they  do  for  to  be  seen  of  men :  they  make  broad  their 
phylacteries,1'  and  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  garments, 
and  love,  the  uppermost  rooms  at  feasts,  and  the  chief  seats 
in  the  synagogues,  and  greetings  in  the  markets,  and  to  be 
called  of  men,  Rabbi,  Rabbi."  The  high-sounding  title, 
Rabbi,  signifying  Master,  Teacher,  or  Doctor,  had  eclipsed 


v  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


554  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

the  divinely  recognized  sanctity  of  priesthood ;  to  be  a  rabbi 
of  the  Jews  was  regarded  as  vastly  superior  to  being  a  priest 
of  the  Most  High  God.w  "But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi,"  said 
Jesus  to  the  apostles  and  the  other  disciples  present,  "for 
one  is  your  Master,  even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren. 
And  call  no  man  your  father  upon  the  earth :  for  one  is 
your  Father,  which  is  in  heaven.  Neither  be  ye  called  mas- 
ters :  for  one  is  your  Master,  even  Christ. "x 

Those  upon  whom  would  rest  the  responsibility  of  build- 
ing the  Church  He  had  founded  were  not  to  aspire  to 
worldly  titles  nor  the  honors  of  men ;  for  those  chosen  ones 
were  brethren,  and  their  sole  purpose  should  be  the  render- 
ing of  the  greatest  possible  service  to  their  one  and  only 
Master.  As  had  been  so  strongly  impressed  on  earlier  occa- 
sions, excellence  or  supremacy  in  the  apostolic  calling,  and 
similarly  in  the  duties  of  discipleship  or  membership  in  the 
Church  of  Christ,  was  and  is  to  be  achieved  through  humble 
and  devoted  service  alone ;  therefore  said  the  Master  again, 
"he  that  is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant.  And 
whosoever  shall  exalt  himself  shall  be  abased;  and  he  that 
shall  humble  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

From  the  mixed  multitude  of  disciples  and  unbelievers, 
comprizing  many  of  the  common  people  who  listened  in  glad 
eagerness  to  learn/  Jesus  turned  to  the  already  abashed  yet 
angry  rulers,  and  deluged  them  with  a  veritable  torrent  of 
righteous  indignation,  through  which  flashed  the  lightning 
of  scorching  invective,  accompanied  by  thunder  peals  of 
divine  anathema. 

"But  woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites! 
for  ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men :  for  ye 
neither  go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  en- 
tering to  go  in."  The  Pharisaic  standard  of  piety  was  the 
learning  of  the  schools;  one  unversed  in  the  technicalities 

w  Pages  63,   71. 

x  Note  6,   end  of  chapter. 

yMark   12:37. 


SCRIBES  AND  PHARISEES;   HYPOCRITES!  555 

of  the  law  was  accounted  as  unacceptable  to  God  and  verit- 
ably accursed/  By  their  casuistry  and  perverted  explica- 
tions of  scripture  they  confused  and  misled  the  "common 
people,"  and  so  stood  as  obstacles  at  the  entrance  to  the 
kingdom  of  God,  refusing  to  go  in  themselves  and  barring 
the  way  to  others. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long 
prayer :  therefore  ye  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation. "a 
The  avarice  of  the  Jewish  hierarchy  in  our  Lord's  lifetime 
was  an  open  scandal.  By  extortion  and  unlawful  exaction 
under  cover  of  religious  duty  the  priestly  rulers  had  amassed 
an  enormous  treasure,&  of  which  the  contributions  of  the 
poor,  and  the  confiscation  of  property,  including  even  the 
houses  of  dependent  widows,  formed  a  considerable  propor- 
tion ;  and  the  perfidy  of  the  practise  was  made  the  blacker 
by  the  outward  pretense  of  sanctity  and  the  sacrilegious 
accompaniment  of  wordy  prayer. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for 
ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when 
he  is  made,  ye  make  him  twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
yourselves."  It  is  possible  that  this  woe  was  directed  more 
against  the  effort  to  secure  proselytes  to  Pharisaism  than 
that  of  converting  aliens  to  Judaism ;  but  as  the  latter  was 
thoroughly  degraded  and  the  former  disgustingly  corrupt, 
the  application  of  our  Lord's  denunciation  to  either  or  both 
is  warranted.  Of  the  Jews  who  strove  to  make  proselytes 
it  has  been  said  that  "out  of  a  bad  heathen  they  made  a 
worse  Jew."  Many  of  their  converts  soon  became  perverts. 

"Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides,  which  say,  Whosoever 
shall  swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  nothing ;  but  whosoever  shall 
swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple;  he  is  a  debtor !  Ye  fools 
and  blind:  for  whether  is  greater,  the  gold,  or  the  temple 

s  John    7:49;    compare    9:34. 
a  Note  7,  end  of  chapter. 
b  Note  8,  end  of  chapter. 


556  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

that  sanctifieth  the  gold?  And,  Whosoever  shall  swear  by 
the  altar,  it  is  nothing;  but  whosoever  sweareth  by  the  gift 
that  is  upon  it,  he  is  guilty.  Ye  fools  and  blind :  for  whether 
is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth  the  gift? 
Whoso  therefore  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  sweareth  by  it, 
and  by  all  things  thereon.  And  whoso  shall  swear  by  the 
temple,  sweareth  by  it,  and  by  him  that  dwelleth  therein. 
And  he  that  shall  swear  by  heaven,  sweareth  by  the  throne 
of  God,  and  by  him  that  sitteth  thereon."  Thus  did  the 
Lord  condemn  the  infamous  enactments  of  the  schools  and 
the  Sanhedrin  concerning  oaths  and  vows ;  for  they  had 
established  or  endorsed  a  code  of  rules,  inconsistent  and 
unjust,  as  to  technical  trifles  by  which  a  vow  could  be  en- 
forced or  invalidated.  If  a  man  swore  by  the  temple,  the 
House  of  Jehovah,  he  could  obtain  an  indulgence  for  break- 
ing his  oath;  but  if  he  vowed  by  the  gold  and  treasure  of 
the  Holy  House,  he  was  bound  by  the  unbreakable  bonds  of 
priestly  dictum.  Though  one  should  swear  by  the  altar  of 
God,  his  oath  could  be  annulled;  but  if  he  vowed  by  the 
corban  gift  or  by  the  gold  upon  the  altar/  his  obligation  was 
imperative.  To  what  depths  of  unreason  and  hopeless  de- 
pravity had  men  fallen,  how  sinfully  foolish  and  how  wilfully 
blind  were  they,  who  saw  not  that  the  temple  was  greater 
than  its  gold,  and  the  altar  than  the  gift  that  lay  upon  it ! 
In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  the  Lord  had  said  "Swear  not 
at  all"  ;d  but  upon  such  as  would  not  live  according  to  that 
higher  law,  upon  those  who  persisted  in  the  use  of  oaths  and 
vows,  the  lesser  and  evidently  just  requirement  of  strict 
fidelity  to  the  terms  of  self-assumed  obligations  was  to  be 
enforced,  without  unrighteous  quibble  or  inequitable  dis- 
crimination. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for 
ye  pay   tithe  of   mint  and   anise   and   cummin,   and  have 


c  Page  352. 

d  Matt.  5:33-37;  page  235  herein. 


SCRIBES  AND  PHARISEES  J   HYPOCRITES  !  557 

omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy, 
and  faith:  these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave 
the  other  undone.  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat, 
and  swallow  a  camel."  The  law  of  the  tithe  had  been  a 
characteristic  feature  of  the  theocratic  requirements  in  Israel 
from  the  days  of  Moses ;  and  the  practise  really  long  ante- 
dated the  exodus.  As  literally  construed,  the  law  required 
the  tithing  of  flocks  and  herds,  fruit  and  grain/  but  by  tra- 
ditional extension  all  products  of  the  soil  had  been  included. 
The  conscientious  tithing  of  all  one's  possessions,  even  pot- 
herbs and  other  garden  produce,  was  approved  by  the  Lord ; 
but  He  denounced  as  rank  hypocrisy  the  observance  of  such 
requirements  as  an  excuse  for  neglecting  the  other  duties  of 
true  religion.  The  reference  to  "the  weightier  matters  of 
the  law"  may  have  been  an  allusion  to  the  rabbinical  classi- 
fication of  "light"  and  "heavy"  requirements  under  the  law; 
though  it  is  certain  the  Lord  approved  no  such  arbitrary 
distinctions.  To  omit  the  tithing  of  small  things,  such  as 
mint  leaves,  and  sprigs  of  anise  and  cummin,  was  to  fall 
short  in  dutiful  observance ;  but  to  ignore  the  claims  of 
judgment,  mercy,  and  faith,  was  to  forfeit  one's  claim  to 
blessing  as  a  covenant  child  of  God.  By  a  strong  simile,  the 
Lord  stigmatized  such  inconsistency  as  comparable  to  one's 
scrupulous  straining  at  a  gnat  while  figuratively  willing  to 
gulp  down  a  camel/ 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  platter,  but 
within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess.  Thou  blind 
Pharisee,  cleanse  first  that  which  is  within  the  cup  and 
platter,  that  the  outside  of  them  may  be  clean  also."*7  Phar- 
isaic scrupulosity  in  the  ceremonial  cleansing  of  platters  and 
cups,  pots  and  brazen  vessels,  has  been  already  alluded  to. 


e  Lev.  27:30;  Numb.  18:21;  Deut.  12:6;  14:22-28.  See  also  the  author's 
"The  Law  of  the  Tithe";  20  pp..  1914. 

/  The  revised  version,  generally  admitted  the  more  nearly  correct,  reads 
"strain  out  the  gnat"  instead  of  "strain  at  a  gnat." 

gr  Compare  Luke  11:39,  40;  Mark  7:4;  page  437  herein. 


558  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

Cleanliness  the  Lord  in  no  wise  depreciated;  His  shafts  of 
disapprobation  were  aimed  at  the  hypocrisy  of  maintaining 
at  once  outward  spotlessness  and  inward  corruption.  Cups 
and  platters  though  cleansed  to  perfection  were  filthy  before 
the  Ivord  if  their  contents  had  been  bought  by  the  gold  of 
extortion,  or  were  to  be  used  in  pandering  to  gluttony, 
drunkenness  or  other  excess. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  are  like  unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear 
beautiful  outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones, 
and  of  all  uncleanness.  Even  so  ye  also  outwardly  appear 
righteous  unto  men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and 
iniquity."  It  was  an  awful  figure,  that  of  likening  them  to 
whitewashed  tombs,  full  of  dead  bones  and  rotting  flesh. 
As  the  dogmas  of  the  rabbis  made  even  the  slightest  contact 
with  a  corpse  or  its  cerements,  or  with  the  bier  upon  which 
it  was  borne,  or  the  grave  in  which  it  had  been  lain,  a  cause 
of  personal  defilement,  which  only  ceremonial  washing  and 
the  offering  of  sacrifices  could  remove,  care  was  taken  to 
make  tombs  conspicuously  white,  so  that  no  person  need  be 
defiled  through  ignorance  of  proximity  to  such  unclean 
places ;  and,  moreover,  the  periodical  whitening  of  sepul- 
chres was  regarded  as  a  memorial  act  of  honor  to  the  dead. 
But  even  as  no  amount  of  care  or  degree  of  diligence  in 
keeping  bright  the  outside  of  a  tomb  could  stay  the  pu- 
trescence going  on  within,  so  no  externals  of  pretended 
righteousness  could  mitigate  the  revolting  corruption  of  a 
heart  reeking  with  iniquity.  Jesus  had  before  compared 
Pharisees  with  unmarked  graves,  over  which  men  inad- 
vertently walked  and  so  became  defiled  though  they  knew 
it  not  ;fc  on  the  occasion  now  under  consideration  He  de- 
nounced them  as  whitened  tombs,  flauntingly  prominent, 
but  sepulchres  nevertheless. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  be- 


HLuke   11:44. 


FINAL  DENUNCIATION  OF  PHARISAISM.  559 

cause  ye  buil'd  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  garnish  the 
sepulchres  of  the  righteous,  And  say,  If  we  had  been  in  the 
days  of  our  fathers,  we  would  not  have  been  partakers  with 
them  in  the  blood  of  the  prophets.  Wherefore  ye  be  wit- 
nesses unto  yourselves,  that  ye  are  the  children  of  them 
which  killed  the  prophets."  National  pride,  not  wholly 
unlike  patriotism,  had  for  centuries  expressed  itself  in  formal 
regard  for  the  burial  crypts  of  the  ancient  prophets,  many 
of  whom  had  been  slain  because  of  their  righteous  and  fear- 
less zeal.  Those  modern  Jews  were  voluble  to  disavow  all 
sympathy  with  the  murderous  deeds  of  their  progenitors, 
who  had  martyred  the  prophets,  and  ostentatiously  averred 
that  if  they  had  lived  in  the  times  of  those  martyrdoms  they 
would  have  been  no  participators  therein,  yet  by  such  avouch- 
ment  they  proclaimed  themselves  the  offspring  of  those  who 
had  shed  innocent  blood. 

With  scorching  maledictions  the  Lord  thus  consigned 
them  to  their  fate:  "Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your 
fathers.  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  how  can  ye 
escape  the  damnation  of  hell?  Wherefore,  behold,  I  send 
unto  you  prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  scribes :  and  some  of 
them  ye  shall  kill  and  crucify ;  and  some  of  them  shall  ye 
scourge  in  your  synagogues,  and  persecute  them  from  city 
to  city :  That  upon  you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood 
shed  upon  the  earth,  from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto 
the  blood  of  Zacharias  son  of  Barachias,  whom  ye  slew  be- 
tween the  temple  and  the  altar.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  All 
these  things  shall  come  upon  this  generation."  To  their 
sanctimonious  asseverations  of  superiority  over  their  fathers 
who  had  slain  Jehovah's  envoys,  Jehovah  Himself  replied  by 
predicting  that  they  would  dye  their  hands  in  the  blood  of 
prophets,  wise  men,  and  righteous  scribes,  whom  He  would 
send  amongst  them ;  and  thus  would  they  prove  themselves 
literal  sons  of  murderers,  and  murderers  themselves,  so  that 
upon  them  should  rest  the  burden  of  all  the  righteous  blood 


560  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

that  had  been  shed  for  a  testimony  of  God,  from  righteous 
Abel  to  the  martyred  Zacharias.1'  That  dread  fate,  outlined 
with  such  awful  realism,  was  to  be  no  eventuality  of  the 
distant  future ;  every  one  of  the  frightful  woes  the  Lord  had 
uttered  was  to  be  realized  in  that  generation. 

THE:  LORD'S  LAMENTATION  OVER  JERUSALEM/ 

Concerning  scribes,  Pharisees,  and  Pharisaism,  Jesus 
had  uttered  His  last  word.  Looking  from  the  temple 
heights  out  over  the  city  of  the  great  King,  soon  to  be 
abandoned  to  destruction,  the  Lord  was  obsessed  by  emo- 
tions of  profound  sorrow.  With  the  undying  eloquence  of 
anguish  He  broke  forth  in  such  a  lamentation  as  no  mortal 
father  ever  voiced  over  the  most  unfilial  and  recreant  of 
sons. 

"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets, 
and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would 
I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gath- 
ereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not! 
Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto 
you,  Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Had  Israel  but 
received  her  King,  the  world's  history  of  post-meridian  time 
would  never  have  been  what  it  is.  The  children  of  Israel 
had  spurned  the  proffered  safety  of  a  protecting  paternal 
wing ;  soon  the  Roman  eagle  would  swoop  down  upon  them 
and  slay.  The  stupendous  temple,  which  but  a  day  before 
the  Lord  had  called  "My  house,"  was  now  no  longer  spe- 
cifically His;  "Your  house,"  said  He,  "is  left  unto  you 
desolate."  He  was  about  to  withdraw  from  both  temple 
and  nation ;  and  by  the  Jews  His  face  was  not  again  to  be 
seen,  until,  through  the  discipline  of  centuries  of  suffering 
they  shall  be  prepared  to  acclaim  in  accents  of  abiding  faith, 

»  Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 

/Matt.  23:37-39;  compare  Luke  13:34,  35. 


THE  WIDOW'S   MITES.  561 

as  some  of  them  had  shouted  but  the  Sunday  before  under 
the  impulse  of  an  erroneous  conception,  "Blessed  is  he  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !" 


A  WIDOWS 

From  the  open  courts  Jesus  moved  over  toward  the 
colonnaded  treasury  of  the  temple,  and  there  He  sat,  seem- 
ingly absorbed  in  a  revery  of  sorrow.  Within  that  space 
were  thirteen  chests,  each  provided  with  a  trumpet-shaped 
receptacle  ;  and  into  these  the  people  dropped  their  contri- 
butions for  the  several  purposes  indicated  by  inscriptions  on 
the  boxes.  Looking  up,  Jesus  observed  the  lines  of  donors, 
of  all  ranks  and  degrees  of  affluence  and  poverty,  some 
depositing  their  gifts  with  evident  devoutness  and  sincerity 
of  purpose,  others  ostentatiously  casting  in  great  sums  of 
silver  and  gold,  primarily  to  be  seen  of  men.  Among  the 
many  was  a  poor  widow,  who  with  probable  effort  to  escape 
observation  dropped  into  one  of  the  treasure-chests  two 
small  bronze  coins  known  as  mites  ;  her  contribution  amount- 
ed to  less  than  half  a  cent  in  American  money.  The  Lord 
called  His  disciples  about  Him,  directed  their  attention  to 
the  poverty-stricken  widow  and  her  deed,  and  said  :  "Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  That  this  poor  widow  hath  cast  more  in, 
than  all  they  which  have  cast  into  the  treasury  :  For  all  they 
did  cast  in  of  their  abundance  ;  but  she  of  her  want  did  cast 
in  all  that  she  had,  even  all  her  living." 

In  the  accounts  kept  by  the  recording  angels,  figured  out 
according  to  the  arithmetic  of  heaven,  entries  are  made  in 
terms  of  quality  rather  than  of  quantity,  and  values  are  de- 
termined on  the  basis  of  capability  and  intent.  The  rich  gave 
much  yet  kept  back  more  ;  the  widow's  gift  was  her  all.  It 
was  not  the  smallness  of  her  offering  that  made  it  especially 
acceptable,  but  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  and  devout  intent  with 

12:41-44;   Luke  21:1-4. 


562  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

which  she  gave.  On  the  books  of  the  heavenly  accountants 
that  widow's  contribution  was  entered  as  a  munificent  gift, 
surpassing  in  worth  the  largess  of  kings.  "For  if  there  be 
first  a  willing  mind,  it  is  accepted  according  to  that  a  man 
hath,  and  not  according  to  that  he  hath  not"* 


CHRIST'S  FINAL  WITHDRAWAL  FROM  THE 


Our  Lord's  public  discourses  and  the  open  colloquys  in 
which  He  had  participated  with  professionals  and  priestly 
officials,  in  the  course  of  His  daily  visits  to  the  temple  during 
the  first  half  of  Passion  week,  had  caused  many  of  the  chief 
rulers,  beside  others,  to  believe  on  Him  as  the  veritable  Son 
of  God;  but  the  fear  of  Pharisaic  persecution  and  the  dread 
of  excommunication  from  the  synagog"1  deterred  them  from 
confessing  the  allegiance  they  felt,  and  from  accepting  the 
means  of  salvation  so  freely  offered.  "They  loved  the  praise 
of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God."'1 

It  may  have  been  that  as  Jesus  directed  His  course  for 
the  last  time  toward  the  exit  portal  of  the  one-time  holy 
place  He  uttered  the  convicting  testimony  of  His  divinity 
recorded  by  John.0  Crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  priestly 
rulers  and  the  multitude  generally,  He  said:  "He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  me,  believeth  not  on  me,  but  on  him  that  sent  me. 
And  he  that  seeth  me  seeth  him  that  sent  me."  Allegiance 
to  Himself  was  allegiance  to  God  ;  the  people  were  plainly 
told  that  to  accept  Him  was  in  no  degree  a  weakening  of 
their  adherence  to  Jehovah,  but  on  the  contrary  a  confirma- 
tion thereof.  Repeating  precepts  of  earlier  utterance,  He 
again  proclaimed  Himself  the  light  of  the  world,  by  whose 
-ays  alone  mankind  might  be  delivered  from  the  enveloping 
darkness  of  spiritual  unbelief.  The  testimony  He  left  with 

72  Cor.   8:12. 

m  John  12:42;  compare  7:13;  9:22. 
n  John    12:43;    compare    5:44. 
djohn    12:44-50. 


SOLEMN  CLOSE  OF  OUR  LORD'S  PUBLIC  MINISTRY.         563 

the  people  would  be  the  means  of  judgment  and  condemna- 
tion to  all  who  wilfully  rejected  it.  "For,"  said  He  in  solemn 
finality,  "I  have  not  spoken  of  myself ;  but  the  Father  which 
sent  me,  he  gave  me  a  commandment,  what  I  should  say, 
and  what  I  should  speak.  And  I  know  that  his  command- 
ment is  life  everlasting ;  whatsoever  I  speak  therefore,  even 
as  the  Father  said  unto  me,  so  I  speak." 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  TEMPLE  PREDICTED .^ 

As  Jesus  was  departing  from  the  enclosure  wherein  stood 
what  once  had  been  the  House  of  the  L,ord,  one  or  more  of 
the  disciples  called  His  attention  to  the  magnificent  struc- 
tures, the  massive  stones,  the  colossal  columns,  and  the  lavish 
and  costly  adornment  of  the  several  buildings.  The  L,ord's 
answering  comment  was  an  unqualified  prophecy  of  the  utter 
destruction  of  the  temple  and  everything  pertaining  to  it. 
"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone 
upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down."  Such  was 
the  definite  and  dire. prediction.  Those  who  heard  were 
dumbfounded;  neither  by  question  nor  other  response  did 
they  attempt  to  elicit  more.  The  literal  fulfilment  of  that 
awful  portent  was  but  an  incident  in  the  annihilation  of  the 
city  less  than  forty  years  later. 

With  the  Lord's  final  departure  from  the  temple,  which 
probably  occurred  in  the  afternoon  of  the  Tuesday  of  that 
last  week,  His  public  ministry  was  brought  to  its  solemn  end- 
ing. Whatever  of  discourse,  parable,  or  ordinance  was  to 
follow,  would  be  directed  only  to  the  further  instruction  and 
investiture  of  the  apostles. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  31. 

i.  The  Image  on  the  Coin. — The  Jews  had  an  aversion  for 
images  or  effigies  in  general,  the  use  of  which  they  protested  to 
hold  as  a  violation  of  the  second  commandment.  Their  scruples, 

.  24:1,  2;  Mark  13:1,  2;  Luke  21:5,  6.     Note  10,  end  of  chapter. 


564:  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

however,  did  not  deter  them  from  accepting  coins  bearing  the 
effigies  of  kings,  even  though  these  monarchs  were  pagans.  Their 
own  coins  bore  other  devices,  such  as  plants,  fruits,  etc.,  in  place 
of  a  human  head;  and  the  Romans  had  condescendingly  per- 
mitted the  issue  of  a  special  coinage  for  Jewish  use,  each  piece 
bearing  the  name  but  not  the  effigy  of  the  monarch.  The  or- 
dinary coinage  of  Rome  was  current  in  Palestine,  however. 

2.  Submission  to  Secular  Authority. — Governments  are  in- 
stituted   of    God,    sometimes    by    His    direct    interposition,    some- 
times by  His  permission.     When  the  Jews  had  been  brought  into 
subjection    by    Nebuchadnezzar,   king   of    Babylon,    the    Lord   com- 
manded   through    the   prophet   Jeremiah    (27 14-8)    that   the    people 
render    obedience    to    their    conqueror,    whom    He   called    His    ser- 
vant; for  verily  the  Lord  had  used  the  pagan  king  to  chastize  the 
recreant  and  unfaithful  children  of  the  covenant.     The  obedience 
so  enjoined  included  the  payment  of  taxes  and  extended  to  com- 
plete  submission.     After  the   death   of   Christ  the   apostles   taught 
obedience    to    the    powers    that    be,    which    powers,    Paul    declared 
"are  ordained  of  God."     See  Rom.  13:1-7;  Titus  3:1;  I  Tim.  2:1-3; 
see  also  I  Peter  2:13,  14.      Through  the  medium  of  modern  reve- 
lation,  the   Lord   has    required   of   His   people   in   the   present   dis- 
pensation,  obedience  to  and  loyal  support  of  the   duly  established 
and  existing  governments  in  all  lands.      See  Doc.  and  Cov.  58:21- 
22;    98:4-6;    and    section    134    throughout.       The    restored    Church 
proclaims   as    an   essential   part   of   its   belief   and   practise :       "We 
believe  ^in   being   subject  ^  to   kings,   presidents,    rulers,    and   magis- 
trates, in  obeying,  honoring,  and  sustaining  the  law."      See  Arti- 
cles of  Faith,  xxiii. 

3.  Marriage  for  Eternity. — Divine  revelation  in  the  dispen- 
sation of  the  fulness  of  times  has  made  plain  the  fact,  that  con- 
tracts of  marriage,  as  indeed  all  other  agreements  between  parties 
in   mortality,    are    of    no    validity   beyond    the    grave,    except    such 
contracts    be    ratified    and    validated    by    the    duly    established    or- 
dinances of  the  Holy  Priesthood.     Sealing  in  the  marriage  cove- 
nant for  time  and  eternity,  which  has  come  to  be  known  as  celes- 
tial marriage,   is   an   ordinance   established   by   divine   authority  in 
the  restored   Church  of  Jesus   Christ.     See  the  author's  treatment 
of  this  subject  in  Articles  of  Faith,  xxiv,  18-24;  and  House  of  the 
Lord,  under  "Sealing  in  Marriage,"  pp.  101-109. 

4.  Divisions  and  Subdivisions  of  the  Law. — "The  Rabbinical 
schools,    in    their    meddling,    carnal,    superficial    spirit    of    word- 
weaving    and    letter- worship,    had    spun    large    accumulations ^  of 
worthless  subtlety  all  over  the  Mosaic  law.     Among  other  things 
they    had    wasted    their    idleness    in    fantastic    attempts    to    count, 
and  classify,  and  weigh,  and  measure  all  the   separate  command- 
ments  of  the  ceremonial   and  moral  law.     They  had  come  to  the 
sapient  conclusion  that  there  were  248  affirmative   precepts,   being 
as   many   as   the   members   in   the   human   body,    and   365   negative 
precepts,  being  as  many  as  the  arteries  and  veins,  or  the  days  of 
the  year:   the  total  being  613,  which  was  also  the  number  of  let- 
ters  in   the   decalog.      They  arrived   at  the   same   result    from   the 
fact   that   the   Jews    were   commanded    (Numb.    15:38)    to    wear 


NOTES.  565 

fringes  (tsitsith)  on  the  corners  of  their  tallith,  bound  with  a 
thread  of  blue;  and  as  each  fringe  had  eight  threads  and  five 
knots,  and  the  letters  of  the  word  tsitsith  make  600,  the  total 
number  of  commandments  was,  as  before  613.  Now  surely,  out 
of  such  a  large  number  of  precepts  and  prohibitions,  all  could 
not  be  of  quite  the  same  value;  some  were  'light'  (kal),  and  some 
were  'heavy'  (kobhed).  But  which?  and  what  was  the  greatest 
commandment  of  all?  According  to  some  Rabbis,  the  most  im- 
portant of  all  is  that  about  the  tephillin  and  the  tsitsith,  the  fringes 
and  phylacteries ;  and  'he  who  diligently  observes  it  is  regarded 
in  the  same  light  as  if  he  had  kept  the  whole  Law.' 

"Some  thought  the  omission  of  ablutions  as  bad  as  homi- 
cide ;  some  that  the  precepts  of  the  Mishna  were  all  'heavy' ; 
those  of  the  Law  were  some  'heavy'  and  some  'light.'  Others 
considered  the  third  to  be  the  greatest  commandment.  None  of 
them  had  realized  the  great  principle,  that  the  wilful  violation  of 
one  commandment  is  the  transgression  of  all  (James  2:10),  be- 
cause the  object  of  the  entire  Law  is  the  spirit  of  obedience  to 
God.  On  the  question  proposed  by  the  lawyer  the  Shammaites 
and  Hillelites  were  in  disaccord,  and,  as  usual,  both  schools  were 
wrong:  the  Shammaites,  in  thinking  that  mere  trivial  external 
observances  were  valuable,  apart  from  the  spirit  in  which  they 
were  performed,  and  the  principle  which  they  exemplified;  the 
Hillelites,  in  thinking  that  any  positive  command  could  in  itself 
be  unimportant,  and  in  not  seeing  that  great  principles  are  essen- 
tial to  the  due  performance  of  even  the  slightest  duties." — Far- 
rar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap.  52. 

5.  Phylacteries  and  Borders. — Through  a  traditional  in- 
terpretation of  Exo.  13:9  and  Deut.  6:8,  the  Hebrews  adopted  the 
custom  of  wearing  phylacteries,  which  consisted  essentially  of 
strips  of  parchment  on  which  were  inscribed  in  whole  or  in  part 
the  following  texts:  Exo.  13:2-10  and  11-17;  Deut.  6:4-9,  and 
ii :  13-21.  Phylacteries  were  worn  on  the  head  and  arm.  The 
parchment  strips  for  the  head  were  four,  on  each  of  which  one 
of  the  texts  cited  above  was  written.  These  were  placed  in  a 
cubical  box  of  leather  measuring  from  %  inch  to  il/2  inches 
along  the  edge;  the  box  was  divided  into  four  compartments  and 
one  of  the  little  parchment  rolls  was  placed  in  each.  Thongs 
held  the  box  in  place  on  the  forehead  between  the  eyes  of  the 
wearer.  The  arm  phylactery  comprized  but  a  single  roll  of 
parchment  on  which  the  four  prescribed  texts  were  written;  this 
was  placed  in  a  little  box  which  was  bound  by  thongs  to  the 
inside  of  the  left  arm  so  as  to  be  brought  close  to  the  heart 
when  the  hands  were  placed  together  in  the  attitude  of  devotion. 
The  Pharisees  wore  the  arm  phylactery  above  the  elbow,  while 
their  rivals,  the  Sadducees,  fastened  it  to  the  palm  of  the  hand 
(see  Exo.  13:9).  The  common  people  wore  phylacteries  only  at 
prayer  time;  but  the  Pharisees  were  said  to  display  them  through- 
out the  day.  Our  Lord's  reference  to  the  Pharisees'  custom  of 
making  broad  their  phylacteries  had  reference  to  the  enlarging 
of  the  containing  box,  particularly  the  frontlet.  The  size  of  the 
parchment  strips  was  fixed  by  rigid  rule. 


566  JESUS    THE  .CHRIST.  [CHAP.    31. 

The  Lord  had  required  of  Israel  through  Moses  (Numb. 
15 138)  that  the  people  attach  to  the  border  of  their  garment  a 
fringe  with  a  ribbon  of  blue.  In  ostentatious  display  of  assumed 
piety,  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  delighted  to  wear  enlarged  bor- 
ders to  attract  public  attention.  It  was  another  manifestation  of 
hypocritical  sanctimoniousness. 

6.  Ecclesiastical  Titles. — Our  Lord  severely  condemned  the 
seeking  after  titles  as  insignia  of  rank  in  His  service.  Neverthe- 
less He  named  the  Twelve  whom  He  chose,  Apostles ;  and  in  the 
Church  founded  by  Himself  the  offices  of  Evangelist,  High 
Priest,  Pastor,  Elder,  Bishop,  Priest,  Teacher,  and  Deacon  were 
established  (see  Articles  of  Faith,  xi:i-4).  It  was  the  empty 
man-made  title  that  attached  to  the  individual,  not  the  author- 
ized title  of  office  to  which  men  were  called  through  authorita- 
tive ordination,  to  which  the  Lord  affixed  the  seal  of  His  dis- 
approval. Titles  of  office  in  the  Holy  Priesthood  are  of  too 
sacred  a  character  to  be  used  as  marks  of  distinction  among  men. 
In  the  restored  Church  in  the  current  dispensation,  men  are  or- 
dained to  the  Priesthood  and  to  the  several  offices  comprized 
within  both  the  Lesser  or  Aaronic,  and  the  Higher  or  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood ;  but  though  one  be  thus  made  an  Elder,  a 
Seventy,  a  High  Priest,  a  Patriarch  or  an  Apostle,  he  should  not 
court  the  usage  of  the  title  as  a  mere  embellishment  of  his  name. 
(See  "The  Honor  and  Dignity  of  Priesthood'  by  the  author  in 
Improvement  Bra,  Salt  Lake  City,  March,  1914.) 

Chas.  F.  Deems,  in  The  Light  of  the  Nations,  pp.  583-4,  says 
in  speaking  of  the  irreverent  use  of  ecclesiastical  titles :  "The 
Pharisees  loved  also  the  highest  places  in  the  synagogs,  and  it 
gratified  their  vanity  to  be  called  Teacher,  Doctor,  Rabbi. 
Against  these  Jesus  warned  His  disciples.  They  were  not  to 
love  to  be  called  Rabbi,  a  title  which  occurs  in  three  forms,  Rab, 
Teacher,  Doctor ;  Rabbi,  My  Doctor  or  Teacher ;  Rabboni,  My 
great  Doctor.  Nor  were  they  to  call  any  man  'Father,'  in  the 
sense  of  granting  him  any  infallibility  of  judgment  or  power 
over  their  consciences 'Papa/  as  the  simple  Mora- 
vians call  their  great  man,  Count  Zinzendorf:  'Founder/  as 
Methodists  denominate  good  John  Wesley;  'Holy  Father  in 
God/  as  bishops  are  sometimes  called ;  'Pope/  which  j|  the  same 
as  'Papa';  'Doctor  of  Divinity/  the  Christian  equivalent  of  the 
Jewish  'Rabbi/  are  all  dangerous  titles.  But  it  is  not  the  em- 
ployment of  a  name  which  Jesus  denounces,  it  is  the  spirit  of 
vanity  which  animated  the  Pharisees,  and  the  servile  spirit  which 
the  employment  of  titles  is  apt  to  engender.  Paul  and 
Peter  spoke  of  themselves  as  spiritual  fathers.  Jesus  teaches 
that  positions  in  the  societies  of  his  followers,  such  as  should 
afterward  be  formed,  were  not  to  be  regarded  as  dignities,  but 
rather  as  services ;  that  no  man  should  seek  them  for  the  honor 
they  might  confer,  but  for  the  field  of  usefulness  they  might  af- 
ford; and  that  no  man  should  lead  off  a  sect,  there  being  but  one 
leader;  and  that  the  whole  body  of  believers  are  brethren,  of 
whom  God  is  the  Father." 

The    writer   last   quoted   very   properly   disparages   aspirations, 


NOTES.  56? 

stimulated  by  vanity  and  self-righteous  assumption,  to  the  use  of 
the  title  "Reverend"  as  applied  to  men. 

7.  Seven  or  Eight  Woes? — Some  of  the  early  Mss.  of  the 
Gospels  omit  verse  14  from  Matt.  23.      Such  omission  reduces  the 
number    of    specific    utterances    beginning    "Woe    unto    you"    from 
eight  to  seven.      There  is  no  question  as  to  the  appearance  in  the 
original  of  the  passages  in  Mark  12:40  and  Luke  20:47,  which  are 
one  in  meaning  with  Matt.  23:14. 

8.  The  Temple  Treasure. — In  connection  with  the  incident 
of    the    widow's    mites,    Edersheim     (vol.    ii,    pp.    387-8)     writes : 
"Some   might   come    with    appearance    of    self-righteousness,    some 
even    with    ostentation,    some    as    cheerfully    performing    a    happy 
duty.      'Many  that  were  rich  cast  in  much' — yes,   very  much,   for 
such  was  the  tendency  that   a   law  had   to  be  enacted    forbidding 
the  gift  to  the  Temple  of  more  than  a  certain  proportion  of  one's 
possessions.      And   the   amount  of   such   contributions   may  be   in- 
ferred by  recalling  the  circumstance,  that  at  the  time  of  Pompey 
and  Crassus,  the  Temple  treasury,  after  having  lavishly  defrayed 
every  possible  expenditure,  contained  in  money  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion,   and    precious    vessels    to    the    value    of    nearly    two    millions 
sterling."      See  also  Josephus,  Antiquities  xiv,  4:4;   7:1,  2. 

9.  Zacharias  the  Martyr. — In   referring  to  the   martyrs   of 
ante-meridian  time  the   Lord  is   recorded   as  having  used   the  ex- 
pression   "from   the   blood    of    righteous    Abel    unto    the   blood   of 
Zacharias    son   of    Barachias,    whom   ye    slew   between    the    temple 
and  the  altar"    (Matt.  23:35).     The   Old  Testament  as   at  present 
compiled,  contains  no  mention  of  a  martyr  named  Zacharias  son 
of  Barachias,  but  does  chronicle  the  martyrdom  of  Zechariah  son 
of    Jehoiada     (2     Chron.     24:20-22).       "Zechariah"     and     "Zacha- 
rias"  are   equivalent   names.       It   is   the   opinion   of   most   Biblical 
scholars    that   the    Zacharias    referred    to    in    Matthew's    record    is 
Zechariah    son   of   Jehoiada.       In   the    Jewish    compilation   of    Old 
Testament    scriptures,    the    murder    of    Zechariah    appears    as    the 
last  recorded  martyrdom ;   and  the   Lord's   reference  to  the  right- 
eous men  who  had  been  slain,  from  Abel  to  Zechariah  or  Zacha- 
rias, may  have  been  a  sweeping  inclusion  of  all  the  martrys  down 
to  that  time,  from  first  to  last.      However,  we  have  a  record  of 
Zechariah   son   of    Berechiah    (Zech.    I  :i,    7),    and   this    Berechiah 
was    the    son    of    Iddo.      Then    again,    Zechariah    son    of    Iddo    is 
mentioned    (Ezra  5:1);   but,   as   is   elsewhere   found   in   the   older 
scriptures,   the  grandson   is   called   the   son.      The   Old   Testament 
does    not   number   this    Zechariah    among   the    martyrs,   but   tradi- 
tional   accounts    (Whitby's   citation   of   the   Targum)    say   that   he 
was  killed  "in  the  day  of  propitiation."      That  the  Lord  referred 
to  a  late  and  probably  the  latest  of   the   recorded  martyrdoms   is 
probable ;  and  it  is  equally  evident  that  the  case  was  well  known 
among  the  Jews.      It  is   likely  that  a   fuller  account   appeared   in 
scriptures    current    among    the    Jews    at    the    time    of    Christ    but 
since  lost.     See  Note  4,  page  119. 

10.  Destruction  of  the  Temple. — "For  thirty  or  more  years 
after  the  death  of  Christ,  the  Jews  continued  the  work  of  adding 
to  and   embellishing  the  temple  buildings.     The  elaborate  design 


568  JESUS  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.   31. 

conceived  and  projected  by  Herod  had  been  practically  com- 
pleted; the  Temple  was  well-nigh  finished,  and,  as  soon  after- 
ward appeared,  was  ready  for  destruction.  Its  fate  had  been 
definitely  foretold  by  the  Savior  Himself.  Commenting  on  a 
remark  by  one  of  the  disciples  concerning  the  great  stones  and 
the  splendid  buildings  on  the  Temple  hill,  Jesus  had  said,  'Seest 
thou  these  great  buildings?  There  shall  not  be  left  one  stone 
upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.'  (Mark  13:1,  2; 
see  also  Matt.  24:1,  2;  Luke  21:5,  6.)  This  dire  prediction  soon 
found  its  literal  fulfilment.  In  the  great  conflict  with  the  Roman 
legions  under  Titus,  many  of  the  Jews  had  taken  refuge  -within 
the  temple  courts,  seemingly  hoping  that  there  the  Lord  would 
again  fight  the  battles  of  His  people  and  give  them  victory.  But 
the  protecting  presence  of  Jehovah  had  long  since  departed 
therefrom  and  Israel  was  left  a  prey  to  the  foe.  Though  Titus 
would  have  spared  the  Temple,  his  legionaries,  maddened  by 
the  lust  of  conflict,  started  the  conflagration  and  everything  that 
could  be  burned  was  burned.  The  slaughter  of  the  Jews  was 
appalling;  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children  were  ruth- 
lessly butchered  within  the  walls,  and  the  temple  courts  were 
literally  flooded  with  human  blood.  This  event  occurred  in  the 
year  70  A.  D. ;  and  according  to  Josephus,  in  the  same  month 
and  on  the  same  day  of  the  month  as  that  on  which  the  once 
glorious  Temple  of  Solomon  had  fallen  a  prey  to  the  flames 
kindled  by  the  king  of  Babylon.  (Josephus,  Wars  of  the  Jews, 
vi,  4:5,  8.  For  a  detailed  and  graphic  account  of  the  destruction 
of  the  Temple  see  chapters  4  and  5  in  their  entirety.)  Of  the 
Temple  furniture  the  golden  candlestick  and  the  table  of  shew- 
bread  from  the  Holy  Place  were  carried  by  Titus  to  Rome  as 
trophies  of  war;  and  representations  of  these  sacred  pieces  are 
to  be  seen  on  the  arch  erected  to  the  name  of  the  victorious 
general.  Since  the  destruction  of  the  splendid  Temple  of  Herod 
no  other  structure  of  the  kind,  no  Temple,  no  House  of  the 
Lord  as  the  terms  are  used  distinctively,  has  been  reared  on 
the  eastern  hemisphere." — The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  61,  62. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  JERUSALEM  PREDICTED.  569 


CHAPTER  32. 
FURTHER  INSTRUCTION  TO  THE  APOSTLES. 

PROPHECIES  RELATING  TO  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  JERUSALEM 
AND  THE  LORD'S  FUTURE  ADVENT." 

In  the  course  of  His  last  walk  from  Jerusalem  back  to 
the  beloved  home  at  Bethany,  Jesus  rested  at  a  convenient 
spot  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  from  which  the  great  city  and 
the  magnificent  temple  were  to  be  seen  in  fullest  splendor, 
illumined  by  the  declining  sun  in  the  late  afternoon  of  that 
eventful  April  day.  As  He  sat  in  thoughtful  revery  He  was 
approached  by  Peter  and  James,  John  and  Andrew,  of  the 
Twelve,  and  to  them  certainly,  though  probably  to  all  the 
apostles,  He  gave  instruction,  embodying  further  prophecy 
concerning  the  future  of  Jerusalem,  Israel,  and  the  world  at 
large.  His  fateful  prediction — that  of  the  temple  buildings 
not  one  stone  would  be  left  upon  another — had  caused  the 
apostles  to  marvel  and  fear ;  so  they  came  privately  request- 
ing explanation.  "Tell  us,"  said  they,  "when  shall  these 
things  be?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming,  and 
of  the  end  of  the  world?"  The  compound  character  of  the 
question  indicates  an  understanding  of  the  fact  that  the  de- 
struction of  which  the  L,ord  had  spoken  was  to  be  apart 
from  and  precedent  to  the  signs  that  were  to  immediately 
precede  His  glorious  advent  and  the  yet  later  ushering  in  of 
the  consummation  commonly  spoken  of  then  and  now  as  "the 
end  of  the  world."  An  assumption  that  the  events  would 
follow  in  close  succession  is  implied  by  the  form  in  which 
the  question  was  put. 

a  Matt.  24:3-51;  Mark  13:3-37;  Luke  21:5-36.  Compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph 
Smith,  1. 


570  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

The  inquiry  referred  specifically  to  time — when  were 
these  things  to  be?  The  reply  dealt  not  with  dates,  but 
with  events ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  subsequent  discourse  was 
that  of  warning  against  misapprehension,  and  admonition  to 
ceaseless  vigilance.  "Take  heed  that  no  man  deceive  you" 
was  the  first  and  all-important  caution ;  for  within  the  lives 
of  most  of  those  apostles,  many  blaspheming  imposters 
would  arise,  each  claiming  to  be  the  Messiah.  The  return 
of  Christ  to  earth  as  Lord  and  Judge  was  more  remote  than 
any  of  the  Twelve  realized.  Before  that  glorious  event, 
many  wonderful  and  appalling  developments  would  be  wit- 
nessed, among  the  earliest  of  which  would  be  wars  and 
rumors  of  wars,  caused  by  nation  rising  against  nation  and 
kingdom  against  kingdom,  to  the  dread  accompaniment  of 
famines,  pestilences,  and  earthquakes  in  many  places ;  yet 
all  these  would  be  but  the  beginning  of  the  sorrow  or  travail 
to  follow. 

They,  the  apostles,  were  told  to  expect  persecution,  not 
only  at  the  hands  of  irresponsible  individuals,  but  at  the 
instance  of  the  officials  such  as  they  who  were  at  that  mo- 
ment intent  on  taking  the  life  of  the  Lord  Himself,  and  who 
would  scourge  them  in  the  synagogs,  deliver  them  up  to 
hostile  tribunals,  cite  them  before  rulers  and  kings,  and  even 
put  some  of  them  to  death — all  because  of  their  testimony 
of  the  Christ.  As  they  had  been  promised  before,  so  again 
were  they  assured,  that  when  they  would  stand  before  coun- 
cils, magistrates,  or  kings,  the  words  they  should  speak 
would  be  given  them  in  the  hour  of  their  trial,  and  therefore 
they  were  told  to  take  no  premeditative  thought  as  to  what 
they  should  say  or  how  they  should  meet  the  issues  con- 
fronting them;  "for,"  said  the  Master,  "it  is  not  ye  that 
speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost."&  Even  though  they  found 
themselves  despized  and  hated  of  men,  and  though  they 
were  to  suffer  ignominy,  torture,  and  death,  yet  as  to  their 

6  Mark  13:11;  compare  Matt.  10:19,  20;  Luke  12:11.  12;  21:14.  15. 


THE  ABOMINATION  OF  DESOLATION.  571 

eternal  welfare  they  were  promised  such  security  that  by 
comparison  they  would  lose  not  so  much  as  a  hair  of  their 
heads.  In  consoling  encouragement  the  Lord  bade  them 
possess  their  souls  in  patience/  In  face  of  all  trials  and 
even  the  direst  persecution,  it  was  incumbent  upon  them  to 
persevere  in  their  ministry,  for  the  divine  plan  provided  and 
required  that  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  be  preached  amongst 
all  nations.  Their  labors  would  be  complicated  and  opposed 
by  the  revolutionary  propaganda  of  many  false  prophets, 
and  differences  of  creed  would  disrupt  families,  and  engen- 
der such  bitterness  that  brothers  would  betray  one  another, 
and  children  would  rise  against  their  parents,  accusing  them 
of  heresies  and  delivering  them  up  to  death.  Even  among 
those  who  had  professed  discipleship  to  Christ  many  would 
be  offended  and  hatred  would  abound ;  love  for  the  gospel 
would  wax  cold,  and  iniquity  would  be  rampant  among  men ; 
and  only  those  who  would  endure  to  the  end  of  their  lives 
could  be  saved. 

From  this  circumstantial  forecast  of  conditions  then 
directly  impending,  the  Lord  passed  to  other  developments 
that  would  immediately  precede  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  total  disruption  of  the  Jewish  nation.  "When  ye 
therefore  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken  of 
by  Daniel  the  prophet,  stand  in  the  holy  place,"  said  He, 
according  to  Matthew's  account,  and  virtually  so  also  as 
stated  by  Mark,  or  "when  ye  shall  see  Jerusalem  compassed 
with  armies"  as  Luke  writes,  "then  know  that  the  desolation 
thereof  is  nigh."  This  was  a  specific  sign  that  none  could 
misunderstand.  Daniel  the  prophet  had  foreseen  the  desola- 
tion and  the  abominations  thereof,  which  comprized  the 
forcible  cessation  of  temple  rites,  and  the  desecration  of 
Israel's  shrine  by  pagan  conquerors/ 

The  realization  of  Daniel's  prophetic  vision  was  to  be 
heralded  by  the  encompassing  of  Jerusalem  by  armies. 

cLuko  21:19;  compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  101:38, 
4  Pan.  9:37. 


JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

Then  all  who  would  escape  should  make  haste ;  from  Judea 
they  should  flee  to  the  mountains ;  he  who  was  on  the  house- 
top would  have  no  time  to  take  his  goods,  but  should  hasten 
down  by  the  outer  steps  and  flee;  he  who  was  in  the  field 
would  better  leave  without  first  returning  to  his  house  even 
for  his  clothes.  Terrible,  indeed,  would  that  day  be  for 
women  hampered  by  the  conditions  incident  to  approaching 
maternity,  or  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  their  suckling 
babes.  All  would  do  well  to  pray  that  their  flight  be  not 
forced  upon  them  in  winter  time ;  nor  on  the  Sabbath,  lest 
regard  for  the  restrictions  as  to  Sabbath-day  travel,  or  the 
usual  closing  of  the  city  gates  on  that  day,  should  diminish 
the  chances  of  escape.  The  tribulations  of  the  time  then 
foreshadowed  would  prove  to  be  unprecedented  in  horror 
and  would  never  be  paralleled  in  all  their  awful  details  in 
Israel's  history;  but  in  mercy  God  had  decreed  that  the 
dreadful  period  should  be  shortened  for  the  sake  of  the  elect 
believers,  otherwise  no  flesh  of  Israel  would  be  saved  alive. 
Multitudes  were  to  fall  by  the  sword ;  other  hosts  were  to 
be  led  away  captive,  and  so  be  scattered  amongst  all  nations ; 
and  Jerusalem,  the  pride  and  boast  of  degenerate  Israel, 
should  be  "trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of 
the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  In  every  frightful  detail  was  the 
Lord's  prediction  brought  to  pass,  as  history  avouches/ 

After  the  passing  of  those  terrible  times,  and  thence  on- 
ward for  a  period  of  unspecified  duration,  Satan  would  de- 
ceive the  world  through  false  doctrines,  spread  by  evil  men 
masquerading  as  ministers  of  God,  who  would  continue  to 
cry  "L,o,  here  is  Christ ;  or,  lo,  he  is  there" ;  but  against  all 
such  the  Twelve  were  put  on  their  guard,  and  through  them 
and  other  teachers,  whom  they  would  call  and  ordain,  would 
the  world  be  warned.  Deceiving  prophets,  emissaries  of  the 
devil,  would  be  active,  some  alluring  people  into  the  deserts, 
and  impelling  them  to  hermit  lives  of  pernicious  asceticism, 

e  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


UNMISTAKABLE  SIGNS  OF  CHRIST'S  ADVENT.  573 

others  insisting  that  Christ  could  be  found  in  the  secret 
chambers  of  monastic  seclusion ;  and  some  of  them  showing 
forth  through  the  power  of  Satan,  such  signs  and  wonders 
as  "to  seduce,  if  it  were  possible,  even  the  elect" ;  but  of  all 
such  scheming  of  the  prince  of  evil,  the  L,ord  admonished 
His  own :  "Believe  it  not" ;  and  added,  "take  ye  heed ;  be- 
hold I  have  foretold  you  all  things."^ 

In  the  day  of.  the  Lord's  advent  in  glory  and  vengeance, 
no  man  shall  be  in  doubt;  there  shall  be  no  chance  of  con- 
flicting claims  by  contending  sects,  "For  as  the  lightning 
cometh  out  of  the  east,  and  shineth  even  unto  the  west;  so 
shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be."^  The  gather- 
ing of  Israel  in  the  last  days  was  pictured  as  the  flocking 
of  eagles  to  the  place  where  the  body  of  the  Church  would 
be  established. h 

The  chronological  order  of  the  predicted  occurrences  so 
far  considered  in  this  wonderful  discourse  on  things  to  come, 
is  clear ;  first  there  was  to  be  a  period  of  virulent  persecu- 
tion of  the  apostles  and  the  Church  of  which  they  would 
be  in  charge;  then  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  with  all 
the  horrors  of  merciless  warfare  was  to  follow;  and  this 
in  turn  was  to  be  succeeded  by  a  long  period  of  priestcraft 
and  apostasy  with  bitter  sectarian  dissension  and  cruel  per- 
secution of  the  righteous.  The  brief  reference  to  the  non- 
localized,  universal  phenomena,  by  which  His  advent  is  to 
be  signalized,  is  a  parenthetical  demonstration  of  the  false 
claims  as  to  where  Christ  would  be  found;  later  the  Lord 
passed  to  distinctive  and  unquestionable  reference  to  the 

/  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 

fjrMatt.  24:27;  compare  Luke  17:22-24. 

h  The  "body,"  as  that  of  the  Church,  is  rendered  "carcase"  in  both  au- 
thorized and  revised  versions.  For  the  application  of  the  figure — of  eagles 
gathering  about  a  carcase— to  the  assembling  of  scattered  Israel,  see  P.  of 
G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith,  1:27,  where  we  read:  "so  likewise  shall  mine  elect  be 
gathered  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth."  Among  Bible  scholars,  a  fav- 
orite interpretation  of  the  passage,  "For  wheresoever  the  carcase  is,  there 
will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together,"  is  that  Christ  was  likening  unto 
eagles  (revised  version  "vultures")  the  angels  that  shall  come  with  Him 
to  execute  judgment  upon  mankind,  and  unto  a  carcase  the  corruption  of 
sin.  See  Matt.  24:28;  compare  Luke  17:37. 


JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

circumstances  of  His  then  and  yet  future  advent.  Follow- 
ing the  age  of  man-made  creeds,  and  unauthorized  ministry 
characteristic  of  the  great  apostasy,  marvelous  occurrences 
are  to  be  manifested  through  the  forces  of  nature,  and  the 
sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  shall  ultimately  appear,  one  accom- 
panying feature  of  which  shall  be  the  completion  of  the  gath- 
ering of  the  elect  from  all  parts  of  the  earth  to  the  places 
appointed. 

The  duty  that  Jesus  enjoined  upon  the  apostles  as  of  first 
importance  throughout  all  the  coming  scenes  of  sorrow,  suf- 
fering and  turmoil,  was  that  of  vigilance.  They  were  to 
pray,  watch,  and  work,  diligently  and  with  unwavering  faith. 
The  lesson  was  illustrated  by  a  masterly  analogy,  which, 
under  the  broadest  classification,  may  be  called  a  parable. 
Directing  their  attention  to  the  fig  tree  and  other  trees  which 
flourished  on  the  sunny  slopes  of  Olivet,  the  Master  said: 
"Behold  the  fig  tree,  and  all  the  trees ;  when  they  now  shoot 
forth,  ye  see  and  know  of  your  own  selves  that  summer  is 
now  nigh  at  hand.  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  see  these  things 
come  to  pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  nigh  at 
hand."  Of  the  fig  tree  in  particular  the  Lord  remarked : 
"When  his  branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves,  ye 
know  that  summer  is  nigh."  This  sign  of  events  near  at 
hand  was  equally  applicable  to  the  premonitory  conditions 
which  were  to  herald  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  and  the  termina- 
tion of  the  Jewish  autonomy,  and  to  the  developments  by 
which  the  Lord's  second  advent  shall  be  immediately  pre- 
ceded. 

The  next  declaration  in  the  order  of  the  evangelical 
record  reads :  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  generation  shall 
not  pass,  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled."  This  may  be 
understood  as  applying  to  the  generation  in  which  the  por- 
tentous happenings  before  described  would  be  realized.  So 
far  as  the  predictions  related  to  the  overthrow  of  Jerusalem, 
they  were  literally  fulfilled  within  the  natural  lifetime  of 


575 

several  of  the  apostles  and  of  multitudes  of  their  contem- 
poraries; such  of  the  Lord's  prophecies  as  pertain  to  the 
heralding  of  His  second  coming  are  to  be  brought  to  pass 
within  the  duration  of  the  generation  of  some  who  witness 
the  inauguration  of  their  fulfilment.  The  certainty  of  ful- 
filment was  emphasized  by  the  Lord  in  the  profound  affirm- 
ation: "Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words 
shall  not  pass  away."1' 

All  speculation  concerning  the  time  of  the  Lord's  ap- 
pearing, whether  based  on  assumption,  deduction,  or  calcu- 
lation of  dates,  was  forestalled  by  Christ's  averment:  "But 
of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the 
angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father."'' 
That  His  advent  in  power  and  glory  is  to  be  sudden  and  un- 
expected to  the  unobserving  and  sinful  world,  but  in  imme- 
diate sequence  to  the  signs  which  the  vigilant  and  devout 
may  read  and  understand,  was  made  plain  by  comparison 
with  the  prevailing  social  conditions  of  Noah's  time,  when 
in  spite  of  prophecy  and  warning  the  people  had  continued 
in  their  feasting  and  merry-making,  in  marrying  and  giving 
in"  marriage,  until  the  very  day  of  Noah's  entrance  into  the 
ark,  "And  knew  not  until  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all 
away ;  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be." 

In  the  last  stages  of  the  gathering  of  the  elect,  the  ties  of 
companionship  shall  be  quickly  severed;  of  two  men  labor- 
ing in  the  field,  or  of  two  women  engaged  side  by  side  in 
household  duties,  the  faithful  one  shall  be  taken  and  the 
sinner  left.  "Watch  therefore,"  was  the  solemn  behest,  "for 
ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come."  In  explica- 
tion of  this  admonishment,  the  Lord  condescended  to  com- 
pare the  suddenness  and  secrecy  of  His  coming  to  the  move- 
ments of  a  night-prowling  thief ;  and  pointed  out,  that  if  a 


tMatt.  24:35;  compare  5:18;  Mark  13:31;  Luke  21:33;  compare  16:17;  see 
also  Heb.  1:10,  11;  2  Peter  3:7;  Rev.  21:1. 

/This  is  Mark's  version;  in  the  parallel  passage  Matt.  24:36,  the  words 
"neither  the  Son"  are  not  found  in  the  King  James  text,  buV  do  appear  in 
the  revised  version.  See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


576  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

householder  had  certain  knowledge  as  to  the  time  of  a 
burglar's  predetermined  visit,  he  would  remain  on  vigilant 
watch;  but  because  of  uncertainty  he  may  be  found  off  his 
guard,  and  the  thief  may  enter  and  despoil  the  home. 

Again  likening  the  apostles  to  duly  appointed  stewards 
in  a  great  household,^  the  Lord  spoke  of  Himself  as  the 
householder,  saying:  "The  Son  of  man  is  as  a  man  taking 
a  far  journey,  who  left  his  house,  and  gave  authority  to  his 
servants,  and  to  every  man  his  work,  and  commanded  the 
porter  to  watch.  Watch  ye  therefore:  for  ye  know  not 
when  the  master  of  the  house  cometh,  at  even,  or  at  mid- 
night, or  at  the  cockcrowing,  or  in  the  morning :  L,est  com- 
ing suddenly  he  find  you  sleeping.  And  what  I  say  unto 
you  I  say  unto  all,  Watch."  But  if  the  steward  grow  neg- 
ligent because  of  his  master's  long  absence,  and  give  him- 
self  up  to  feasting  and  unlicensed  pleasure,  or  become  auto- 
cratic and  unjust  toward  his  fellow-servants,  his  lord  shall 
come  in  an  hour  when  least  expected,  and  shall  consign  that 
wicked  servant  to  a  place  among  the  hypocrites,  where  he 
shall  weep  bitter  tears  of  remorse,  and  gnash  his  teeth  in 
impotent  despair.* 

THE   NEED  OF   WATCHFULNESS  AND  DILIGENCE   ILLUSTRATED 
BY  PARABLES. 

To  more  indelibly  impress  upon  the  apostles,  and,  through 
their  subsequent  ministry,  upon  the  world,  the  absolute  need 
of  unceasing  watchfulness  and  unwavering  diligence  in 
preparation  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  in  judgment,  Jesus 
depicted  in  parables  the  prospective  condition  of  mankind 
in  the  last  times.  The  first  of  these  illustrative  portrayals 
is  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins.  The  only  report  of  it  we 
have  is  that  given  by  Matthew/"  as  follows : 

k  Page  441. 

/Matt.    24:45-5!;    Mark    13:34-37;    Luke    21:34-36,    compare    12:35-48. 

wMatt.  25:1-13. 


WISE  AND  FOOLISH  VIRGINS.  577. 

"Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten 
virgins,  which  took  their  lamps,  and  went  forth  to  meet  the 
bridegroom.  And  five  of  them  were  wise,  and  five  were 
foolish.  They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  and  took 
no  oil  with  them :  but  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with 
their  lamps.  While  the  bridegroom  tarried,  they  all  slum- 
bered and  slept.  And  at  midnight  there  was  a  cry  made, 
Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him. 
Then  all  those  virgins  arose,  and  trimmed  their  lamps.  And 
the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise,  Give  us  of  your  oil ;  for  our 
lamps  are  gone  out.  But  the  wise  answered,  saying,  Not  so ; 
lest  there  be  not  enough  for  us  and  you :  but  go  ye  rather 
to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves.  And  while  they 
went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came ;  and  they  that  were  ready 
went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage:  and  the  door  was  shut. 
Afterward  came  also  the  other  virgins,  saying,  Lord,  Lord, 
open  to  us.  But  he  answered  and  said,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  I  know  you  not.  Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  neither 
the  day  nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of  man  cometh." 

The  story  itself  is  based  on  oriental  marriage  customs, 
with  which  the  Lord's  attentive  listeners  were  familiar.  It 
was  and  yet  is  common  in  those  lands,  particularly  in  con- 
nection with  marriage  festivities  among  the  wealthy  classes, 
for  the  bridegroom  to  go  to  the  home  of  the  bride,  accom- 
panied by  his  friends  in  processional  array,  and  later  to 
conduct  the  bride  to  her  new  home  with  a  larger  body  of 
attendants  composed  of  groomsmen,  bridesmaids,  relatives 
and  friends.  As  the  bridal  party  progressed,  to  the  accompan- 
iment of  gladsome  music,  it  was  increased  by  little  groups 
who  had  gathered  in  waiting  at  convenient  places  along  the 
route,  and  particularly  near  the  end  of  the  course  where 
organized  companies  came  forth  to  meet  the  advancing  pro- 
cession. Wedding  ceremonies  were  appointed  for  the  eve- 
ning and  night  hours ;  and  the  necessary  use  of  torches  and 
lamps  gave  brilliancy  and  added  beauty  to  the  scene. 

In  the  parable  ten  maidens  were  waiting  to  welcome  and 
join  in  with  the  bridal  company,  the  time  of  whose  arrival 

19 


578  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

was  uncertain.  Each  had  her  lamp  attached  to  the  end  of 
a  rod  so  as  to  be  held  aloft  in  the  festal  march;  but  of  the 
ten  virgins  five  had  wisely  carried  an  extra  supply  of  oil, 
while  the  other  five,  probably  counting  on  no  great  delay, 
or  assuming  that  they  would  be  able  to  borrow  from  others, 
or  perchance  having  negligently  given  no  thought  at  all  to 
the  matter,  had  no  oil  except  the  one  filling  with  which  their 
lamps  had  been  supplied  at  starting.  The  bridegroom  tar- 
ried, and  the  waiting  maidens  grew  drowsy  and  fell  asleep. 
At  midnight,  the  forerunners  of  the  marriage  party  loudly 
proclaimed  the  bridegroom's  approach,  and  cried  in  haste : 
"Go  ye  out  to  meet  him."  The  ten  maidens,  no  longer 
sleepy,  but  eagerly  active,  set  to  work  to  trim  their  lamps ; 
then  the  wise  ones  found  use  for  the  oil  in  their  flasks,  while 
the  thoughtless  five  bewailed  their  destitute  condition,  for 
their  lamps  were  empty  and  they  had  no  oil  for  replenish- 
ment. They  appealed  to  their  wiser  sisters,  asking  a  share 
of  their  oil ;  but  these  declined ;  for,  in  a  time  of  such  exi- 
gency, to  give  of  their  store  would  have  been  to  render  them- 
selves unfit,  inasmuch  as  there  was  oil  enough  for  their  own 
lamps  only.  Instead  of  oil  they  could  impart  only  advice 
to  their  unfortunate  sisters,  whom  they  directed  to  go  to  the 
nearest  shop  and  buy  for  themselves.  While  the  foolish 
virgins  were  away  in  quest  of  oil,  the  wedding  party  passed 
into  the  house  wherein  the  feast  was  provided,  and  the 
door  was  shut  against  all  tardy  comers.  In  time  the  unwise 
maidens,  too  late  to  participate  in  the  processional  entry, 
called  from  without,  pleading  for  admittance ;  but  the 
bridegroom  refused  their  request,  and  disclaimed  all  ac- 
quaintanceship with  them,  since  they  had  not  been  numbered 
among  his  attendants  or  those  of  the  bride. 

The  Bridegroom  is  the  Lord  Jesus ;  the  marriage  feast 
symbolizes  His  coming  in  glory,  to  receive  unto  Himself  the 
Church  on  earth  .as  His  bride."  The  virgins  typify  those 

n  Compare  Rev.  21:2,  9;  22:17;  see  also  Matt.  9:15;  John  3:29. 


EXPLICATION  OF  PARABLE  OE  THE  TEN  VIRGINS. 

who  profess  a  belief  in  Christ,  and  who,  therefore,  confi- 
dently expect  to  be  included  among  the  blessed  participants 
at  the  feast.  The  lighted  lamp,  which  each  of  the  maidens 
carried,  is  the  outward  profession  of  Christian  belief  and 
practise ;  and  in  the  oil  reserves  of  the  wiser  ones  we  may 
see  the  spiritual  strength  and  abundance  which  diligence 
and  devotion  in  God's  service  alone  can  insure.  The  lack  of 
sufficient  oil  on  the  part  of  the  unwise  virgins  is  analogous 
to  the  dearth  of  soil  in  the  stony  field,  wherein  the  seed 
readily  sprouted  but  soon  withered  away.0  The  Bride- 
groom's coming  was  sudden ;  yet  the  waiting  virgins  were 
not  held  blamable  for  their  surprize  at  the  abrupt  announce- 
ment, but  the  unwise  five  suffered  the  natural  results  of 
their  unpreparedness.  The  refusal  of  the  wise  virgins  to 
give  of  their  oil  at  such  a  critical  time  must  not  be  regarded 
as  uncharitable ;  the  circumstance  typifies  the  fact  that  in 
the  day  of  judgment  every  soul  must  answer  for  himself ; 
there  is  no  way  by  which  the  righteousness  of  one  can  be 
credited  to  another's  account;  the  doctrine  of  supereroga- 
tion is  wholly  false/  The  Bridegroom's  condemnatory  dis- 
claimer, "I  know  you  not,"  was  equivalent  to  a  declaration 
that  the  imploring  but  neglectful  ones,  who  had  been  found 
unready  and  unprepared,  did  not  know  Him.? 

The  application  of  the  parable  and  its  wealth  of  splendid 
suggestion  are  summarized  in  a  masterly  manner  by  the 
Lord's  impressive  adjuration:  "Watch  therefore,  for  ye 
know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of  man 
cometh."  The  'fulfilment  of  the  predictions  enshrined  in 
this  precious  parable  is  yet  future,  but  near.  In  1831  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  revealed  anew  the  indications  by  which 
the  imminence  of  His  glorious  advent  may  be  perceived. 
Through  the  mouth  of  His  prophet  Joseph  Smith  He  thus 
spake:  "And  at  that  day,  when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory, 

0See  Parable  of  the  Sower,  Matt.  13:5,  6,  20,  21;  page  282  herein. 
p  Note  4,   end  of  chapter. 
q  Compare   John    10:14. 


580  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

shall  the  parable  be  fulfilled  which  I  spake  concerning  the 
ten  virgins  :  for  they  that  are  wise  and  have  received  the 
truth,  and  have  taken  the  Holy  Spirit  for  their  guide,  and 
have  not  been  deceived;  verily  I  say  unto  you,  they  shall 
not  be  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire,  but  shall  abide  the 
day,  and  the  earth  shall  be  given  unto  them  for  an  inherit- 
ance; and  they  shall  multiply  and  wax  strong,  and  their 
children  shall  grow  up  without  sin  unto  salvation,  for  the 
Lord  shall  be  in  their  midst,  and  his  glory  shall  be  upon 
them,  and  he  will  be  their  King  and  their  Lawgiver."** 

Still  discoursing  in  solemn  earnestness  to  the  apostles  as 
the  evening  shadows  gathered  about  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
the  Lord  delivered  the  last  of  His  recorded  parables.  We 
call  it  the  Parable  of  the  Entrusted  Talents.5 

"For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  as  a  man  travelling  into 
a  far  country,  who  called  his  own  servants,  and  delivered 
unto  them  his  goods.  And  unto  one  he  gave  five  talents,  to 
another  two,  and  to  another  one  ;  to  every  man  according  to 
his  several  ability  ;  and  straightway  took  his  journey.  Then 
he  that  had  received  the  five  talents  went  and  traded  with 
the  same,  and  made,  them  other  five  talents.  And  likewise 
he  that  had  received  two,  he  also  gained  other  two.  But  he 
that  had  received  one  went  and  digged  in  the  earth,  and  hid 
his  lord's  money.  After  a  long  time  the  lord  of  those  ser- 
vants cometh,  and  reckoneth  with  them.  And  so  he  that  had 
received  five  talents  came  and  brought  other  five  talents,  say- 
ing, Lord,  thou  deliveredst  unto  me  five  talents:  behold,  I 
have  gained  beside  them  five  talents  more.  His  lord  said 
unto  hini,  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant:  thou 
hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler 
over  many  things:  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord.  He 
also  that  had  received  two  talents  came  and  said,  Lord,  thou 
deliveredst  unto  me  two  talents  :  behold,  I  have  gained  two 
other  talents  beside  them.  His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant  ;  thou  hast  been  faithful 
over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things  : 


.  and  Cov.  45:56-59;  see  also  63:53,  54. 
jMatt.  25:14-30. 


PARABLE  OF  THE  TALENTS.  581 

enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord.  Then  he  which  had 
received  the  one  talent  came  and  said,  L,ord,  I  knew  thee  that 
thou  art  an  hard  man,  reaping  where  thou  hast  not  sown, 
and  gathering  where  thou  hast  not  strawed :  And  I  was 
afraid,  and  went  and  hid  thy  talent  in  the  earth :  lo,  there 
thou  hast  that  is  thine.  His  lord  answered  and  said  unto 
him,  Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant,  thou  knewest  that  I 
reap  where  I  sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  have  not 
strawed :  Thou  oughtest  therefore  to  have  put  my  money 
to  the  exchangers,  and  then  at  my  coming  I  should  have 
received  mine  own  with  usury.  Take  therefore  the  talent 
from  him,  and  give  it  unto  him  which  hath  ten  talents.  For 
unto  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have 
abundance :  but  from  him  that  hath  not  shall  be  taken  away 
even  that  which  he  hath.  And  cast  ye  the  unprofitable  ser- 
vant into  outer  darkness :  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth." 

Some  of  the  resemblances  between  this  parable  and  that 
of  the  Pounds*  appear  on  even  a  casual  reading;  significant 
differences  are  discovered  by  comparison  and  study.  The 
earlier  parable  was  spoken  to  a  mixed  multitude  in  the 
course  of  our  Lord's  last  journey  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem ; 
the  later  one  was  given  in  privacy  to  the  most  intimate  of 
His  disciples  in  the  closing  hours  of  the  last  day  of  His 
public  preaching.  The  two  should  be  studied  together.  In 
the  story  of  the  Pounds,  an  equal  amount  of  capital  is  given 
to  each  of 'the  servants,  and  men's  diverse  ability  to  use  and 
apply,  with  commensurate  results  in  reward  or  penalty,  is 
demonstrated ;  in  that  of  the  Entrusted  Talents,  the  servants 
receive  different  amounts,  "every  man  according  to  his  sev- 
eral ability";  and  equal  diligence,  though  shown  in  one  in- 
stance by  great  gain  and  in  the  other  by  small  but  propor- 
tionate increase,  is  equally  rewarded.  Unfaithfulness  and 
negligence  are  condemned  and  punished  in  both. 

In  the  parable  now  under  consideration,  the  master  is 
presented  as  delivering  his  wealth  into  the  hands  of  his  own 


/Luke  19:12-27;  see  also  page  508  herein. 


583  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

servants,  literally,  bondservants  ;M  they,  as  well  as  the  pos- 
sessions held  by  them  in  trust  were  his.  Those  servants 
had  no  rights  of  actual  ownership,  nor  title  of  permanent 
proprietorship  in  the  treasure  committed  to  their  care ;  all 
they  had,  the  time  and  opportunity  to  use  their  talents,  and 
they  themselves,  belonged  to  their  lord.  We  cannot  fail  to 
perceive  even  in  the  early  incidents  of  the  story  that  the 
Master  of  the  servants  was  the  Lord  Jesus ;  the  servants, 
therefore,  were  the  disciples  and  more  particularly  the  apos- 
tles, who,  while  of  equal  authority  through  ordination  in  the 
Holy  Priesthood,  as  specifically  illustrated  by  the  earlier 
parable  of  the  Pounds,  were  of  varied  ability,  of  diverse 
personality,  and  unequal  generally  in  nature  and  in  such 
accomplishments  as  would  be  called  into  service  throughout 
their  ministry.  The  Lord  was  about  to  depart ;  He  would 
return  only  "after  a  long  time" ;  the  significance  of  this  latter 
circumstance  is  in  line  with  that  expressed  through  the  par- 
able of  the  Ten  Virgins  in  the  statement  that  the  Bridegroom 
tarried. 

At  the  time  of  reckoning,  the  servants  who  had  done 
well,  the  one  with  his  five  talents,  the  other  with  his  two, 
reported  gladly,  conscious  as  they  were  of  having  at  least 
striven  to  do  their  best.  The  unfaithful  servant  prefaced  his 
report  with  a  grumbling  excuse,  which  involved  the  imputa- 
tion of  unrighteousness  in  the  Master.  The  honest,  diligent, 
faithful  servants  saw  and  reverenced  in  their  Lord  the  per- 
fection of  the  good  qualities  which  they  possessed  in  meas- 
ured degree ;  the  lazy  and  unprofitable  serf,  afflicted  by  dis- 
torted vision,  professed  to  see  in  the  Master  his  own  base 
defects.  The  story  in  this  particular,  as  in  the  other  features 
relating  to  human  acts  and  tendencies,  is  psychologically 
true;  in  a  peculiar  sense  men  are  prone  to  conceive  of  the 
attributes  of  God  as  comprizing  in  augmented  degree  the 
dominant  traits  of  their  own  nature. 


«  Margin,  revised  version. 


EXPLICATION  OF  PARABLE  OF  THE  TALENTS.      583 

Both  the  servant  who  had  been  entrusted  with  five  talents 
and  he  who  had  received  but  two  were  equally  commended, 
and,  as  far  as  we  are  told,  were  equally  recompensed.  The 
talents  bestowed  upon  each  were  the  gift  of  his  Lord,  who 
knew  well  whether  that  servant  was  capable  of  using  to 
better  advantage  one,  two,  or  five.  Let  no  one  conclude 
that  good  work  of  relatively  small  scope  is  less  necessary  or 
acceptable  than  like  service  of  wider  range.  Many  a  man 
who  has  succeeded  well  in  business  with  small  capital  would 
have  failed  in  the  administration  of  vast  sums ;  so  also  in 
spiritual  achievements  "there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the 
same  Spirit."1'  Of  the  man  endowed  with  many  talents 
greater  returns  were  expected;  of  the  one-talented  man 
relatively  little  was  required,  yet  in  that  little  he  failed.™  At 
the  least  he  could  have  delivered  the  money  to  the  bank, 
through  which  it  would  have  been  kept  in  circulation  to  the 
benefit  of  the  community,  and  would  have  earned  interest 
meanwhile.  Likewise,  in  the  spiritual  application,  a  man  pos- 
sessed of  any  good  gift,  such  as  musical  ability,  eloquence, 
skill  in  handicraft,  or  the  like,  ought  to  use  that  gift  to  the 
full,  that  he  or  others  may  be  profited  thereby  ;  but  should  he 
be  too  neglectful  to  exercize  his  powers  in  independent  ser- 
vice, he  may  assist  others  to  profitable  effort,  by  encourage- 
ment if  by  nothing  more. 

Who  can  doubt  in  the  spirit  of  the  Lord's  teaching,  that 
had  the  man  been  able  to  report  the  doubling  of  his  single 
talent,  he  would  have  been  as  cordially  commended  and  as 
richly  recompensed  as  were  his  more  highly  endowed  and 
faithful  fellows?  It  is  notable  that  to  the  charge  of  un- 
righteousness made  by  the  unfaithful  servant,  the  Lord 
deigns  no  refutation;  the  spirit  of  the  reply  was  the  same 
as  that  expressed  in  the  earlier  parable :  "Out  of  thine  own 
mouth  will  I  judge  thee,  thou  wicked  servant,"*  The  un- 

v  1  Cor.  12:4;  study  the  entire  chapter. 

wLuke    12:48. 

#Luke  19:22;  compare  Matt.  12:37. 


JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

worthy  man  sought  to  excuse  himself  by  the  despicable  but 
all  too  common  subterfuge  of  presumptuously  charging  cul- 
pability in  another,  and  in  this  instance,  that  other  was  his 
Lord.  Talents  are  not  given  to  be  buried,  and  then  to  be 
dug  up  and  offered  back  unimproved,  reeking  with  the  smell 
of  earth  and  dulled  by  the  corrosion  of  disuse.  The  unused 
talent  was  justly  taken  from  him  who  had  counted  it  as  of 
so  little  worth,  and  was  given  to  one,  who,  although  possess- 
ing much,  would  use  the  additional  gift  to  his  own  profit,  to 
the  betterment  of  his  fellows,  and  to  the  glory  of  his  L,ord. 

THE    INEVITABLE    JUDGMENT^ 

The  lyord  had  uttered  His  last  parable.  In  words  of 
plainness,  though  suffused  with  the  beauty  of  effective 
simile,  He  impressed  upon  the  listening  disciples  the  cer- 
tainty of  judgment  by  which  the  world  shall  be  visited  in 
the  day  of  His  appearing.  Then  shall  the  wheat  be  segre- 
gated from  the  tares/  and  the  sheep  divided  from  the  goats. 
"When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the 
holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of 
his  glory :  And  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations :  and 
he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd 
divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats :  And  he  shall  set  the 
sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  the  left."  Unto 
those  on  His  right  hand  the  King  shall  give  commendation 
and  blessing,  bestowing  a  rich  recompense  for  their  good 
works,  as  attested  by  the  hungry  they  had  fed,  the  thirsty  to 
whom  they  had  given  drink,  the  stranger  they  had  lodged, 
the  naked  they  had  clothed,  the  sick  to  whom  they  had  min- 
istered, the  prisoners  they  had  visited  and  encouraged,  all 
of  which  mercies  are  accredited  to  them  as  having  been  ren- 
dered to  their  Lord  in  person.  The  blessed  company,  over- 
whelmed by  the  plenitude  of  the  King's  bounty,  of  which 

yMatt.  25:31-46. 

s  Matt.    13:24-30;   page  286   herein. 


THE  GREAT  JUDGMENT.  585 

they  regard  themselves  as  undeserving,  will  fain  disclaim 
the  merit  attributed  to  them;  "And  the  King  shall  answer 
and  say  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye 
have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me." 

Unto  them  who  wait  on  the  left  in  terrified  expectancy, 
the  King  shall  recount  their  several  deficiencies,  in  that  they 
had  given  Him  neither  food  nor  drink,  shelter  nor  clothing 
despite  His  need ;  neither  had  they  visited  Him  though  ill, 
nor  ministered  unto  His  wants  when  He  lay  in  a  prison  cell. 
In  the  desperation  of  anguish  these  shall  ask  when  and 
where  they  had  had  such  opportunity  of  comforting  Him, 
and  He  shall  answer,  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as 
ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me." 
The  righteous  shall  be  welcomed  with  "Come  ye  blessed  of 
my  Father" ;  the  wicked  shall  hear  the  awful  sentence,  "De- 
part from  me  ye  cursed."  Eternal  life  is  the  inestimable 
reward ;  everlasting  punishment  the  unfathomable  doom.0 

Viewing  as  one  discourse  the  two  parables  and  the  teach- 
ing that  directly  followed,  we  find  in  it  such  unity  of  subject 
and  thoroughness  of  treatment  as  to  give  to  the  whole  both 
beauty  and  worth  beyond  the  sum  of  these  qualities  exhib- 
ited in  the  several  parts.  Vigilant  waiting  in  the  Lord's 
cause,  and  the  dangers  of  unreadiness  are  exemplified  in  the 
story  of  the  virgins;  diligence  in  work  and  the  calamitous 
results  of  sloth  are  prominent  features  of  the  tale  of  the 
talents.  These  two  phases  of  service  are  of  reciprocal  and 
complementary  import;  it  is  as  necessary  at  times  to  wait 
as  at  others  to  work.  The  lapse  of  a  long  period,  as  while 
the  Bridegroom  tarried,  and  as  during  the  Master's  absence 
in  "a  far  country,"6  is  made  plain  throughout  as  intervening 
between  the  Lord's  departure  and  His  return  in  glory.  The 
absolute  certainty  of  the  Christ  coming  to  execute  judgment 

a  Page  286. 

b  The  revised  version  reads  "another  country"  instead  of  "a  far  coun. 
try,"  in  Matt.  25:14. 


586  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

upon  the  earth,  in  the  which  every  soul  shall  receive  accord- 
ing to  his  deserts,  is  the  sublime  summary  of  this  unparal- 
leled discourse. 


ANOTHER  SPECIFIC  PREDICTION  OF  THE  LORD'S  DEATH. 

Following  the  instructions  to  the  apostles  at  the  resting 
place  on  Olivet,  and  probably  in  the  course  of  the  continued 
walk  toward  Bethany  that  evening,  Jesus  reminded  the 
Twelve  of  the  awful  fate  awaiting  Him,  and  specified  the 
time  of  His  betrayal  and  the  imnner  of  His  death.  "Ye 
know,"  He  said,  "that  after  two  days  is  the  feast  of  the 
passover,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  to  be  crucified."47 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  32. 

i.     Early  Fulfilment  of  the  Lord's  Prophecies. — As  to  the 

literal  fulfilment  of  the  Lord's  predictions  relating  to  the  times 
immediately  following  His  ascension  and  down  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  the  student  must  be  referred  to  scriptural 
and  other  history.  Only  a  brief  summary  of  the  most  notable 
events  can  be  attempted  here. 

On  the  matter  of  wars  and  rumors  or  threats  of  wars,  sec 
Josephus,  Antiquities  xviii,  ch.  9,  and  Wars,  ii,  ch.  10.  The  latter 
reference  is  to  the  account  of  the  decree  issued  by  Caligula  that 
his  statue  be  set  up  and  duly  reverenced  in  the  temple,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  Jews  protested  so  strenuously  that  war  was 
declared  against  them,  but  was  averted  by  the  death  of  the  em- 
peror. Concerning  the  death  of  Caligula,  Josephus  remarks  that 
it  "happened  most  happily  for  our  nation  in  particular,  which 
would  have  almost  utterly  perished,  if  he  had  not  been  suddenly 
slain."  Other  threats  of  war  against  the  Jews  were  severally 
made  by  the  emperors  Claudius  and  Nero. 

Nation  rose  against  nation,  as  for  example,  in  the  assault  of 
Greeks  and  Syrians  upon  the  Jews,  in  the  course  of  which  50,000 
Jews  were  slain  at  Selucia  on  the  Tigris,  and  20,000  at  Caesarea, 
13,000  at  Scythopolis,  and  2,500  at  Ascalon.  Famine  and  its  at- 
tendant pestilence  prevailed  during  the  reign  of  Claudius,  (41-54 
A.  D.)  and  such  had  been  specifically  predicted  by  inspiration, 
through  Agabus  (Acts  11:28).  The  famine  was  very  severe  in 
Palestine  (Josephus,  Antiquities,  xx,  ch.  2).  Earthquakes  were 
of  alarming  frequency  and  of  unusual  severity,  between  the  death 
of  Christ,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  particularly  in  Syria, 
Macedonia,  Campania,  and  Achia.  See  Tacitus,  Annals,  books 
xii  and  xiv ;  and  for  account  of  violent  seismic  disturbances  at 

cMatt.  26:2. 


587 

Rome,  see  Suetonius  in  his  Life  of  Galba.  Josephus  (Wars  iv, 
ch.  4)  records  a  particularly  severe  earthquake  that  disrupted 
parts  of  Judea,  and  was  accompanied  by  "amazing  concussions 
and  bellowings  of  the  earth — a  manifest  indication  that  some 
destruction  was  coming  upon  men."  The  portent  of  "fearful 
sights  and  great  signs"  from  heaven,  as  recorded  by  Luke  was 
realized  in  the  phenomenal  events  chronicled  by  Josephus  (Preface 
to  "Wars"). 

Of  the  persecution  that  befell  the  apostles  and  others,  and  of 
their  arraignment  before  rulers,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  in  his  com- 
mentary on  passages  in  Matt.  24,  says :  "We  need  go  no  farther 
than  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  for  the  completion  of  these  par- 
ticulars. Some  were  delivered  to  councils,  as  Peter  and  John 
(Acts  4:5).  Some  were  brought  before  rulers  and  kings,  as  Paul 
before  Gallic  (18:12);  before  Felix  (ch.  24);  before  Festus  and 
Agrippa  (ch.  25).  Some  had  utterance  and  wisdom  which  their 
adversaries  were  not  able  to  resist;  so  Stephen  (6:10),  and  Paul 
who  made  even  Felix  himself  tremble  (24:25).  Some  were  im- 
prisoned, as  Peter  and  John  (4:3).  Some  were  beaten,  as  Paul 
and  Silas  (16:23).  Some  were  put  to  death,  as  Stephen  (7:59); 
and  James  the  brother  of  John  (12:2).  But  if  we  look  beyond 
the  book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  to  the  bloody  persecutions 
under  Nero,  we  shall  find  these  predictions  still  more  amply 
fulfilled ;  in  these,  numberless  Christians  fell,  besides  those  two 
champions  of  the  faith,  Peter  and  Paul.  And  it  was,  as  says 
Tertullian,  a  war  against  the  very  name  of  Christ ;  for  he  who 
was  called  Christian  had  committed  crime  enough  in  bearing  the 
name  to  be  put  to  death.  So  true  were  our  Savior's  words  that 
they  should  be  hated  of  all  men  for  His  Name's  sake." 

Among  the  false  prophets,  and  men  who  claimed  to  be  the 
duly  accredited  ministers  of  Christ,  were  Simon  Magus  who  drew 
many  people  after  him  (Acts  8:9,  13,  18-24;  see  also  The  Great 
Apostasy,  7:1,  2),  Menander,  Dositheus,  and  Theudas,  and  the 
false  apostles  referred  to  by  Paul  (2  Cor.  11:13)  and  others,  such 
as  Hymeneus  and  Philetus  (2  Tim.  2:17,  18).  Dummelow's 
Commentary  applies  here  the  record  by  Josephus  concerning  "a 
body  of  wicked  men,  who  deceived  and  deluded  the  people  under 
pretense  of  divine  inspiration,  who  prevailed  with  the  multitude 
to  act -like  madmen,  and  went  before  them  into  the  wilderness, 
pretending  that  God  would  there  show  them  the  signals  of  vic- 
tory." Compare  2  Peter  2:1;  I  John  2:18;  4:1.  That  the  love 
of  many  did  wax  cold,  both  before  and  after  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  is  attested  by  the  facts  of  the  world-wide  apostasy, 
which  was  the  result  of  corruption  within  and  persecution  from 
without  the  Church  (see  The  Great  Apostasy,  chaps.  3-9). 

The  preaching  of  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  "in  all  the 
world"  was  no  less  truly  an  essential  characteristic  of  the  apos- 
tolic period  than  it  is  of  the  current  or  last  dispensation.  The 
rapid  spread  of  the  gospel  and  the  phenomenal  growth  of  the 
Church  under  the  direction  of  the  apostles  of  old,  is  recorded 
as  one  of  the  marvels  of  history  (Great  Apostasy,  1:21,  and  cita- 
tion of  Eusebius).  Paul,  writing  about  thirty  years  after  Christ's 


588  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

ascension,  affirms  that  the  gospel  had  already  been  carried  to 
every  nation,  and  "preached  to  every  creature  under  heaven" 
(Col.  1:23,  compare  verse  6). 

The  "abomination  of  desolation"  cited  by  the  Lord  from  the 
prophecy  by  Daniel  was  strictly  fulfilled  in  the  investment  of 
Jerusalem  by  the  Roman  army  (compare  Luke  21:20,  2r).  To 
the  Jews  the  ensigns  and  images  of  the  Romans  were  a  disgust- 
ing abomination.  Josephus  (Wars  vi,  ch.  6)  states  that  the 
Roman  ensigns  were  set  up  inside  the  temple  and  that  the  sol- 
diery offered  sacrifices  before  them. 

The  warning  to  all  to  flee  from  Jerusalem  and  Judea  to  the 
mountains  when  the  armies  would  begin  to  surround  the  city 
was  so  generally  heeded  by  members  of  the  Church,  that  accord- 
ing to  the  early  Church  writers  not  one  Christian  perished  in 
the  awful  siege  (see  Eusebius,  Hcclcs.  Hist.,  book  iii,  ch.  5).  The 
first  siege  by  Gallus  was  unexpectedly  raised,  and  then,  before 
the  armies  of  Vespasian  arrived  at  the  walls,  all  Jews  who  had 
faith  in  the  warning  given  by  Christ  to  the  apostles,  and  by 
these  to  the  people,  fled  beyond  Jordan,  and  congregated  mostly 
at  Pella  (compare  Josephus,  Wars  ii,  ch.  19). 

As  to  the  unprecedented  horrors  of  the  siege,  which  cul- 
minated in  the  utter  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  temple, 
see  Josephus,  Wars  vi,  chaps.  3  and  4.  That  historian  estimates 
the  number  slain  in  Jerusalem  alone  as  1,100,000  and  in  other 
cities  and  rural  parts  a  third  as  many  more.  For  details  see 
Josephus,  Wars  ii,  chaps.  18,  20;  iii,  2,  7,  8,  9;  iv,  i,  2,  7,  8,  9;  vii, 
6,  9,  II.  Many  tens  of  thousands  were  taken  captive,  to  be  after- 
ward sold  into  slavery,  or  to  be  slain  by  wild  beasts,  or  in  glad- 
iatorial combat  in  the  arena  for  the  amusement  of  Roman  spec- 
tators. 

In  the  course  of  the  siege,  a  wall  was  constructed  about  the 
entire  city,  thus  fulfilling  the  Lord's  prediction  (Luke  19:43), 
"thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,"  in  which  by  the  ad- 
mittedly better  translation,  "bank,"  or  "palisade"  should  appear 
instead  of  "trench".  In  September  A.  D.  70  the  city  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Romans;  and  its  destruction  .was  afterward 
made  so  thorough  that  its  site  was  plowed  up.  Jerusalem  was 
"trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles",  and  ever  since  has  been  under 
Gentile  dominion,  and  so  shall  continue  to  be  "until  the  times  of 
the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled".  (Luke  21 :24.) 

2.  In  the  Deserts  and  in  Secret  Chambers. — The  24th  chap- 
ter of  Matthew,  and  its  parallel  scriptures  in  Mark  13  and  Luke 
21,  may  be  the  more  easily  understood  if  we  bear  in  mind  that 
the  Lord  therein  speaks  of  two  distinct  events,  each  a  consum- 
mation of  long  ages  of  preparation,  and  the  first  a  prototype  of 
the  second.  Many  of  the  specific  predictions  are  applicable  both 
to  the  time  preceding  or  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  to 
developments  of  succeeding  time  down  to  the  second  coming  of 
Christ.  The  passage  in  Matt.  24 :26  may  be  given  this  two-fold 
application.  Josephus  tells  of  men  leading  others  away  into  the 
desert,  saying  under  pretended  inspiration  that  there  should 
they  find  God;  and  the  same  historian  mentions  a  false  prophet 


NOTES.  589 

who  led  many  into  the  secret  chambers  of  the  temple  during  the 
Roman  assault,  promising  them  that  there  would  the  Lord  give 
them  deliverance.  Men,  women,  and  children  followed  this 
fanatical  leader,  and  were  caught  in  the  holocaust  of  destruction, 
so  that  6,000  of  them  perished  in  the  flames  (Josephus,  Wars  vi, 
ch.  5).  Concerning  an  application  of  the  Lord's  precepts  to 
later  times  and  conditions,  the  author  has  elsewhere  written 
(The  Great  Apostasy,  7:22-25):  One  of  the  heresies  of  early 
origin  and  rapid  growth  in  the  Church  was  the  doctrine  of  an- 
tagonism between  body  and  spirit,  whereby  the  former  was  re- 
garded as  an  incubus  and  a  curse.  From  what  has  been  said 
this  will  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  perversions  derived  from 
the  alliance  of  Gnosticism  with  Christianity.  A  result  of  this 
grafting  in  of  heathen  doctrines  was  an  abundant  growth  of 
hermit  practises,  by  which  men  sought  to  weaken,  torture,  and 
subdue  their  bodies,  that  their  spirits  or  "souls"  might  gain 
greater  freedom.  Many  who  adopted  this  unnatural  view  of 
human  existence  retired  to  the  solitude  of  the  desert,  and  there 
spent  their  time  in  practises  of  stern  self-denial  and  in  acts  of 
frenzied  self-torture.  Others  shut  themselves  up  as  voluntary 
prisoners,  seeking  glory  in  privation  and  self-imposed  penance. 
It  was  this  unnatural  view  of  life  that  gave  rise  to  the  several 
orders  of  recluses,  hermits,  and  monks. 

Think  you  not  that  the  Savior  had  such  practises  in  mind, 
when,  warning  the  disciples  of  the  false  claims  to  sanctity  that 
would  characterize  the  times  then  soon  to  follow,  He  said : 
"Wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto  you,  Behold  he  [Christ]  is  in 
the  desert,  go  not  forth;  behold,  he  is  in  the  secret  chambers, 
believe  it  not"? 

3.  The  Time  of  Christ's  Advent  Not  Known.— The  Lord's 
statement  that  the  time  of  His  advent  in  glory  was  unknown  to 
man,  and  that  the  angels  knew  it  not,  "neither  the  Son",  but  that 
it  was  known  to  the  Father  only,  appears  plain  and  unambiguous, 
notwithstanding  many  and  conflicting  commentaries  thereon. 
Jesus  repeatedly  affirmed  that  His  mission  was  to  do  the  will  of 
the  Father;  and  it  is  evident  that  the  Father's  will  was  revealed 
to  Him  from  time  to  time.  While  in  the  flesh  He  laid  no  claim 
to  omniscience ;  though  whatever  He  willed  to  know  He  learned 
through  the  medium  of  communication  with  the  Father.  Christ 
had  not  asked  to  know  what  the  Father  had  not  intimated  His 
readiness  to  reveal,  which,  in  this  instance,  was  the  day  and 
hour  of  the  Son's  appointed  return  to  earth  as  a  glorified,  resur- 
rected Being.  We  need  not  hesitate  to  believe  that  at  the  time 
Jesus  delivered  to  the  apostles  the  discourse  under  considera- 
tion, He  was  uninformed  on  the  matter;  for  He  so  states.  In 
the  last  interview  between  Christ  and  the  apostles  immediately 
before  His  ascension  (Acts  1 :6,  7)  they  asked  "Lord,  wilt  thou 
at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  to  Israel?  And  he  said 
unto  them,  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons, 
which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power."  Nor  has  the 
date  of  the  Messianic  consummation  been  since  revealed  to  any 
man;  though  even  now,  the  fig  tree  is  rapidly  putting  forth  its 


590  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    32. 

leaves,  and  he  who  hath  eyes  to  see  and  a  heart  to  understand 
knows  that  the  summer  of  the  Lord's  purpose  is  near  at  hand. 

4.  The  False  Doctrine  of  Supererogation. — Among  the  per- 
nicious fallacies  promulgated  as  authorized  dogmas  by  the  apos- 
tate church  during  the  long  period  of  spiritual  darkness  follow- 
ing the  close  of  the  apostolic  ministry,  was  the  awful  enormity 
known  as  the  doctrine  of  supererogation.  As  stated  by  Mosheim 
(Eccl.  Hist.  Cent,  xii,  part  ii,  ch.  3:4)  the  dreadful  doctrine  was 
formulated  in  the  thirteenth  century  as  follows :  "That  there 
actually  existed  an  immense  treasure  of  merit,  composed  of  the 
pious  deeds  and  virtuous  actions  which  the  saints  had  performed 
beyond  what  was  necessary  for  their  own  salvation,  and  which  were 
therefore  applicable  to  the  benefit  of  others;  that  the  guardian 
and  dispenser  of  this  precious  treasure  was  the  Roman  pontiff, 
and  that  of  consequence  he  was  empowered  to  assign  to  such 
as  he  thought  proper  a  portion  of  this  inexhaustible  source  of 
merit,  suitable  to  their  respective  guilt,  and  sufficient  to  deliver 
them  from  the  punishment  due  to  their  crimes."  Concerning 
the  fallacy  of  this  doctrine  the  author  has  written  (The  Great 
Apostasy,  9:15),  in  this  wise:  "This  doctrine  of  supererogation  is 
as  unreasonable  as  it  is  unscriptural  and  untrue.  Man's  indi- 
vidual responsibility  for  his  acts  is  as  surely  a  fact  as  is  his 
agency  to  act  for  himself.  He  will  be  saved  through  the  merits 
and  by  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  our  Redeemer  and  Lord ;  and  his 
claim  upon  the  salvation  provided  is  strictly  dependent  on  his 
compliance  with  the  principles  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  as 
established  by  Jesus  Christ.  Remission  of  sins  and  the  eventual 
salvation  of  the  human  soul  are  provided  for ;  but  these  gifts  of 
God  are  not  to  be  purchased  with  money.  Compare  the  awful 
fallacies  of  supererogation  and  the  blasphemous  practise  of  as- 
suming to  remit  the  sins  of  one  man  in  consideration  of  the 
merits  of  another,  with  the  declaration  of  the  one  and  only 
Savior  of  mankind:  'But  I  say  unto  you  that  every  idle  word 
that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  an  account  thereof  in  the 
day  of  judgment.'"  If  conclusions  as  to  doctrine  may  be  drawn 
from  our  Lord's  parables,  the  parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins  affords 
refutation  of  the  Satanic  suggestion  that  one  man's  sin  may  be 
neutralized  by  another's  righteousness.  We  know  no  superero- 
gation but  that  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  whose  merits 
salvation  is  placed  within  the  reach  of  all  men. 


CONSPIRACY  OF  EVIL  COUNSEL.  591 


CHAPTER   33. 
THE  LAST  SUPPER  AND  THE  BETRAYAL. 

PRIESTLY   CONSPIRATORS   AND   THE   TRAITOR. 


As  the  time  for  the  annual  Feast  of  the  Passover  ap- 
proached, and  particularly  during  the  two  days  immediately 
preceding  the  beginning  of  the  festival,  the  chief  priests, 
scribes,  and  elders  of  the  people,  in  short  the  Sanhedrin  and 
the  entire  priestly  party,  conspired  persistently  together  as 
to  the  best  manner  of  taking  Jesus  into  custody  and  putting 
Him  to  death.  At  one  of  these  gatherings  of  evil  counsel, 
which  was  held  at  the  palace  of  the  high  priest,  Caiaphas,a 
it  was  decided  that  Jesus  should  be  taken  by  subtlety  if  possi- 
ble, as  the  probable  effect  of  an  open  arrest  would  be  an 
uprising  of  the  people.  The  rulers  feared  especially  an  out- 
break by  the  Galileans,  who  had  a  provincial  pride  in  the 
prominence  of  Jesus  as  one  of  their  countrymen,  and  many 
of  whom  were  then  in  Jerusalem.  It  was  further  concluded 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  that  the  Jewish  custom  of  making 
impressive  examples  of  notable  offenders  by  executing  public 
punishment  upon  them  at  times  of  great  general  assemblages, 
be  set  aside  in  the  case  of  Jesus;  therefore  the  conspirators 
said:  "Not  on  the  feast  day,  lest  there  be  an  uproar  among 
the  people."* 

On  earlier  occasions  they  had  made  futile  attempts  to  get 
Jesus  into  their  hands  ;c  and  they  were  naturally  dubious  as 
to  the  outcome  of  their  later  machinations.  At  this  juncture 
they  were  encouraged  and  gladdened  in  their  wicked  plots 


flMatt.  26:3-5;  see  also  Mark  14:1;  Luke  22:1,  2. 

&  Revised  version  of  Matt.  26:5  reads:    "Not  during  the  feast,  lest  there 
be   a   tumult   among    the   people." 
cjohn  7:30,  44,  45-53;  11:47-57. 


592  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   33. 

by  the  appearance  of  an  unexpected  ally.  Judas  Iscariot, 
one  of  the  Twelve,  sought  an  audience  with  these  rulers  of 
the  Jews,  and  infamously  offered  to  betray  his  Lord  into 
their  hands.**  Under  the  impulse  of  diabolic  avarice,  which, 
however,  was  probably  but  a  secondary  element  in  the  real 
cause  of  his  perfidious  treachery,  he  bargained  to  sell  his 
Master  for  money,  and  chaffered  with  the  priestly  pur- 
chasers over  the  price  of  the  Savior's  blood.  "What  will 
ye  give  me  ?"  he  asked ;  "and  they  covenanted  with  him  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver."*  This  amount,  approximately  seven- 
teen dollars  in  our  money,  but  of  many  times  greater  pur- 
chasing power  with  the  Jews  in  that  day  than  now  with  us, 
was  the  price  fixed  by  the  law  as  that  of  a  slave ;  it  was  also 
the  foreseen  sum  of  the  blood-money  to  be  paid  for  the 
Lord's  betrayal/  That  the  silver  was  actually  paid  to  Judas, 
either  at  this  first  interview  or  at  some  later  meeting  between 
the  traitor  and  the  priests,  is  demonstrated  by  after  events.^ 
He  had  pledged  himself  to  the  blackest  deed  of  treachery 
of  which  man  is  capable,  and  from  that  hour  he  sought  the 
opportunity  of  superseding  his  infamous  promise  by  its  more 
villainous  fulfilment.  We  are  yet  to  be  afflicted  by  other 
glimpses  of  the  evil-hearted  Iscariot  in  the  course  of  this 
dread  chronicle  of  tragedy  and  perdition ;  for  the  present  let 
it  be  said  that  before  Judas  sold  Christ  to  the  Jews,  he  had 
sold  himself  to  the  devil;  he  had  become  Satan's  serf,  and 
did  his  master's  bidding. 

THE  IvAST   SUPPER. 

The  day  preceding  the  eating  of  the  passover  lamb  had 
come  to  be  known  among  the  Jews  as  the  first  day  of  the 
feast  of  unleavened  bread,'1  since  on  that  day  all  leaven  had 

dMatt.   26:14-16;   Mark   14:10,    11;   Luke   22:3-6. 

e  Matt.    26:15.      The    revised    version    reads:      "And    they    weighed    unto 
him  thirty  pieces  of  silver."     Compare  Zech.  11:12. 
/Exo.   21:32;    Zech.    11:12,    13. 
0Matt.   27:3-10. 
/tMatt.    26:17. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUR  LORDS  LAST  PASSOVER. 

to  be  removed  from  their  dwellings,  and  thereafter  for  a 
period  of  eight  days  the  eating  of  anything  containing  leaven 
was  unlawful.  On  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  the  paschal 
lambs  were  slain  within  the  temple  court,  by  the  representa- 
tives of  families  or  companies  who  were  to  eat  together;  and 
a  portion  of  the  blood  of  each  lamb  was  sprinkled  at  the 
foot  of  the  altar  of  sacrifice  by  one  of  the  numerous  priests 
on  duty  for  the  day.  The  slain  lamb,  then  said  to  have  been 
sacrificed,  was  borne  away  to  the  appointed  gathering  place 
of  those  by  whom  it  was  to  be  eaten.  During  the  first  of 
the  days  of  unleavened  bread,  which  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord's  death  appears  to  have  fallen  on  Thursday,*  some  of 
the  Twelve  inquired  of  Jesus  where  they  should  make  prep- 
arations for  the  paschal  meal.*  He  instructed  Peter  and 
John  to  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  added :  "Behold,  when  ye 
are  entered  into  the  city,  there  shall  a  man  meet  you,  bearing 
a  pitcher  of  water ;  follow  him  into  the  house  where  he  en- 
tereth  in.  And  ye  shall  say  unto  the  goodman  of  the  house, 
The  Master  saith  unto  thee,  Where  is  the  guest  chamber, 
where  I  shall  eat  the  passover  with  my  disciples?  And  he 
shall  shew  you  a  large  upper  room  furnished :  there  make 
ready.  And  they  went,  and  found  as  he  had  said  unto  them : 
and  they  made  ready  the  passover." 

In  the  evening,  Thursday  evening  as  we  reckon  time, 
but  the  beginning  of  Friday  according  to  the  Jewish  calen- 
dar,* Jesus  came  with  the  Twelve,  and  together  they  sat 
down  to  the  last  meal  of  which  the  Lord  would  partake  be- 
fore His  death.  Under  strain  of  profound  emotion,  "He  said 
unto  them,  With  desire  I  have  desired  to  eat  this  passover 
with  you  before  I  suffer :  for  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  any 
more  eat  thereof,  until  it  be  fulfilled  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 
And  he  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  said,  Take  this, 


t'Note  1,   end  of  chapter. 

/Matt.  26:17-19;   Mark  14:12-16;   Luke  22:7-13. 

k  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  Jews  counted  their  days  as  begin- 
ning at  sunset,  not,  as  with  us,  at  midnight. 


594  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

and  divide  it  among  yourselves :  for  I  say  unto  you,  I  will 
not  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  the  kingdom  of  God 
shall  come."  The  pronouncing  of  a  blessing  by  the  host 
upon  a  cup  of  wine,  which  was  afterward  passed  round  the 
table  to  each  participant  in  turn,  was  the  customary  manner 
of  beginning  the  Passover  supper.  At  this  solemn  meal 
Jesus  appears  to  have  observed  the  essentials  of  the  Passover 
procedure;  but  we  have  no  record  of  His  compliance  with 
the  many  supernumerary  requirements  with  which  the  di- 
vinely established  memorial  of  Israel's  deliverance  from 
bondage  had  been  invested  by  traditional  custom  and  rab- 
binical prescription.  As  we  shall  see,  the  evening's  proceed- 
ings in  that  upper  room  comprized  much  beside  the  ordinary 
observance  of  an  annual  festival. 

The  supper  proceeded  under  conditions  of  tense  sadness. 
As  they  ate,  the  L,ord  sorrowfully  remarked :  "Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  One  of  you  which  eateth  with  me  shall  betray  me." 
Most  of  the  apostles  fell  into  a  state  of  introspection;  and 
one  after  another  exclaimed:  "Is  it  I?"  "Lord,  is  it  I?" 
It  is  pleasing  to  note  that  each  of  those  who  so  inquired  was 
more  concerned  with  the  dread  thought  that  possibly  he  was 
an  offender,  however  inadvertently  so,  than  as  to  whether  his 
brother  was  about  to  prove  himself  a  traitor.  Jesus  an- 
swered that  it  was  one  of  the  Twelve,  then  and  there  eating 
with  Him  from  the  common  dish,  and  continued  with  the 
terrifying  pronouncement :  "The  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth, 
as  it  is  written  of  him :  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the 
Son  of  man  is  betrayed !  good  were  it  for  that  man  if  he 
had  never  been  born."  Then  Judas  Iscariot,  who  had 
already  covenanted  to  sell  his  Master  for  money,  and  who 
at  this  moment  probably  feared  that  silence  might  arouse 
suspicion  against  himself,  asked  with  a  brazen  audacity  that 
was  veritably  devilish:  "Master,  is  it  I?"  With  cutting1 

promptness  the  L,ord  replied :   "Thou  hast  said."' 
» 

/  Note  2,   end   of   chapter. 


THE  DIGNITY  OF  SERVICE.  595 

There  was  further  cause  of  sorrow  to  Jesus  at  the  supper. 
Some  of  the  Twelve  had  fallen  into  muttering  dispute  among 
themselves  over  the  matter  of  individual  precedence/'1  possi- 
bly as  to  the  order  in  which  they  should  take  their  places  at 
table,  over  which  triviality  scribes  and  Pharisees  as  well  as 
the  Gentiles  often  quarreled  ;n  and  again  the  Lord  had  to 
remind  the  apostles  that  the  greatest  of  them  all  was  he  who 
most  willingly  served  his  fellows.  They  had  been  taught 
before;  yet  now,  at  this  late  and  solemn  hour,  they  were 
suffused  with  vain  and  selfish  ambition.  In  sorrowful  earn- 
estness the  Lord  pleaded  with  them,  asking  who  is  greater, 
he  that  sits  at  the  table,  or  he  that  serves  ?  And  the  obvious 
reply  He  supplemented  by  the  statement  :  "But  I  am  among 
you  as  he  that  serveth."  With  loving  pathos  He  added: 
"Ye  are  they  which  have  continued  with  me  in  my  tempta- 
tions;"0 and  then  He  assured  them  that  they  should  lack 
neither  honor  nor  glory  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  for  if  they 
proved  faithful  they  should  be  appointed  to  thrones  as  the 
judges  of  Israel.  For  those  of  His  chosen  ones  who  were 
true  to  Him,  the  Lord  had  no  feeling  less  than  that  of  love, 
and  of  yearning  for  their  victory  over  Satan  and  sin. 


THE   ORDINANCE.    OF   THS   WASHING   OF 

Leaving  the  table,  the  Lord  laid  aside  His  outer  garments 
and  girded  Himself  with  a  towel  as  an  apron  ;  then  having 
provided  Himself  with  a  basin  and  a  supply  of  water,  He 
knelt  before  each  of  the  Twelve  in  turn,  washed  his  feet,  and 
wiped  them  with  the  towel.  When  He  reached  Peter,  that 
impulsive  apostle  protested,  saying:  "Lord,  dost  thou  wash 
my  feet?"  That  the  proceeding  was  something  more  than 
mere  service  for  personal  comfort,  and  more  than  an  object- 
lesson  of  humility,  appears  in  the  Lord's  words  to  Peter—- 


wLuke  22:24-30. 

n  Luke    14:7-11;    see    page    449    herein. 
Luke    22:28;    see    page    133    herein, 


596  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

"What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now;  but  thou  shalt  know 
hereafter."  Peter,  failing  to  understand,  objected  yet  more 
vehemently ;  "Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet,"  he  ex- 
claimed. Jesus  answered:  "If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast 
no  part  with  me."  Then,  with  even  greater  impetuosity 
than  before,  Peter  implored  as  he  stretched  forth  both  feet 
and  hands,  "Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and 
my  head."  He  had  gone  to  the  other  extreme,  insisting, 
though  ignorantly  and  unthinkingly,  that  things  be  done  his 
way,  and  failing  yet  to  see  that  the  ordinance  had  to  be  ad- 
ministered as  the  L^ord  willed.  Again  correcting  His  well- 
intending  though  presumptuous  servant,  Jesus  said  to  him : 
"He  that  is  washed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet,  but 
is  clean  every  whit :  and  ye  are  clean,  but  not  all."  Each  of 
them  had  been  immersed  at  baptism;  the  washing  of  feet 
was  an  ordinance  pertaining  to  the  Holy  Priesthood,  the  full 
import  of  which  they  had  yet  to  learnt 

Having  resumed  His  garments  and  returned  to  His  place 
at  the  table,  Jesus  impressed  the  significance  of  what  he  had 
done,  saying :  "Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord :  and  ye  say 
well ;  for  so  I  am.  If  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have 
washed  your  feet ;  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet. 
For  I  have  given  you  an  example,  that  ye  should  do  as  I 
have  done  to  you.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The  ser- 
vant is  not  greater  than  his  lord ;  neither  he  that  is  sent 
greater  than  he  that  sent  him.  If  ye  know  these  things, 
happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them."r 

THE   SACRAMENT   OF   THE   LORT/S   SUPPER/ 

While  Jesus  with  the  Twelve  still  sat  at  table,  He  took  a 
loaf  or  cake  of  bread,  and  having  reverently  given  thanks 
and  by  blessing  sanctified  it,  He  gave  a  portion  to  each  of  the 

q  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

t-The  Lord's  expression  "neither  he  that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that 
sent  him"  (John  13:16)  is  more  correctly  rendered  "neither  the  apostle  than 
he  that  sent  him"  (revised  version,  margin);  see  pages  228,  229  herein. 

jMatt.  26:26-29;   Mark  14:22-25;  Luke  22:19,  20. 


THE  SACRAMENT  INSTITUTED.  597 

apostles,  saying:  "Take,  eat;  this  is  my  body";  or,  accord- 
ing to  the  more  extended  account,  "This  is  my  body  which 
is  given  for  you:  this  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  Then, 
taking  a  cup  of  wine,  He  gave  thanks  and  blessed  it,  and 
gave  it  unto  them  with  the  command:  "Drink  ye  all  of  it; 
for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  new  testament,  which  is  shed  for 
many  for  the  remission  of  sins.  But  I  say  unto  you,  I  will 
not  drink  henceforth  of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day 
when  I  drink  it  new  with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom."*  In 
this  simple  but  impressive  manner  was  instituted  the  ordi- 
nance, since  known  as  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
The  bread  and  wine,  duly  consecrated  by  prayer,  become 
emblems  of  the  Lord's  body  and  blood,  to  be  eaten  and  drunk 
reverently,  and  in  remembrance  of  Him. 

The  proceedings  at  the  institution  of  this  sacred  rite  were 
afterward  revealed  to  Paul  the  apostle,  whose  recorded  testi- 
mony as  to  its  establishment  and  sanctity  is  in  accord  with 
the  accounts  given  by  the  Gospel-writers."  As  shall  be  here- 
inafter shown,  the  ordinance  was  instituted  by  the  Lord 
among  the  Nephites,  on  the  western  continent,  and  has  been 
reestablished  in  the  present  dispensation.^  During  the  dark 
ages  of  apostasy,  unauthorized  changes  in  the  administration 
of  the  Sacrament  were  introduced,  and  many  false  doctrines 
as  to  its  meaning  and  effect  were  promulgated^ 

THE   BETRAYER  GOES   OUT   INTO   TH£   NIGHT.* 

In  saying  to  the  Twelve,  whose  feet  He  had  washed,  "Ye 
are  clean,"  the  Lord  had  specified  an  exception  by  His  after 
remark,  "but  not  all."  John,  the  recorder,  takes  care  to  ex- 
plain that  Jesus  had  in  mind  the  traitor,  and,  "therefore  said 

t  In  the  revised  version  we  read  "covenant"  instead  of  "testament"  in 
Matt.  26:28,  and  in  parallel  passages. 

ul  Cor.   11:23-34. 

v  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  18:6-11;  Doc.  and  Cov.  20:75;  see  also  the  "Articles 
of  Faith,"  ix. 

w  See  "The  Great  Apostasy"  8:15-19, 

x  John   13:18-30. 


598  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

he,  Ye  are  not  all  clean."  The  guilty  Iscariot  had  received 
without  protest  the  Lord's  service  in  the  washing  of  his 
recreant  feet,  though  after  the  ablution  he  was  spiritually 
more  filthy  than  before.  When  Jesus  had  again  sat  down, 
the  burden  of  His  knowledge  concerning  the  treacherous 
heart  of  Judas  again  found  expression.  "I  speak  not  of 
you  all,"  He  said,  "I  know  whom  I  have  chosen :  but  that  the 
scripture  may  be  fulfilled,  He  that  eateth  bread  with  me  hath 
lifted  up  his  heel  against  me."y  The  Lord  was  intent  on 
impressing  the  fact  of  His  foreknowledge  as  to  what  was  to 
come,  so  that  when  the  terrible  development  was  an  accom- 
plished fact,  the  apostles  would  realize  that  thereby  the 
scriptures  had  been  fulfilled.  Troubled  in  spirit,  He  reiter- 
ated the  dreadful  assertion  that  one  of  those  present  would 
betray  Him.  Peter  made  signs  to  John,  who  occupied  the 
place  next  to  Jesus  and  was  at  that  moment  leaning  his  head 
on  the  Lord's  breast,  that  he  ask  which  of  them  was  the 
traitor.  To  John's  whispered  inquiry  the  Lord  replied : 
"He  it  is,  to  whom  I  shall  give  a  sop,  when  I  have  dipped  it." 
There  was  nothing  unusual  for  a  person  at  table,  par- 
ticularly the  host,  to  dip  a  piece  of  bread  into  the  dish  of 
gravy  or  savory  mixture,  and  hand  it  to  another.  Such 
action  on  the  part  of  Jesus  attracted  no  general  attention. 
He  dipped  the  morsel  of  bread  and  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot, 
with  the  words :  "That  thou  doest,  do  quickly."  The  others 
understood  the  Lord's  remark  as  an  instruction  to  Judas  to 
attend  to  some  duty  or  go  upon  some  errand  of  ordinary 
kind,  perhaps  to  purchase  something  for  the  further  celebra- 
tion of  the  Passover,  or  to  carry  gifts  to  some  of  the  poor, 
for  Judas  was  the  treasurer  of  the  party  and  "had  the  bag." 
But  Iscariot  understood.  His  heart  was  all  the  more  har- 
dened by  the  discovery  that  Jesus  knew  of  his  infamous 
plans,  and  he  was  maddened  by  the  humiliation  he  felt  in  the 
Master's  presence.  After  the  sop,  which  he  had  opened  his 

y  Compare   Psalm   41:9. 


A  NEW  COMMANDMENT — LOVE  ONE  ANOTHER.  599 

mouth  to  receive  from  the  Lord's  hand,  "Satan  entered  into 
him"  and  asserted  malignant  mastership.  Judas  went  out 
immediately,  abandoning  forever  the  blessed  company  of  his 
brethren  and  the  Lord.  John  chronicles  the  traitor's  de- 
parture with  the  terse  and  ominous  remark,  "and  it  was 
night." 

DISCOURSE;  FOLLOWING  THE  SUPPER. 

The  departure  of  Judas  Iscariot  appears  to  have  dissi- 
pated to  some  degree  the  cloud  of  utter  sadness  by  which  the 
little  company  had  been  depressed ;  and  our  Lord  Himself 
was  visibly  relieved.  As  soon  as  the  door  had  closed  upon 
the  retreating  deserter,  Jesus  exclaimed,  as  though  His  vic- 
tory over  death  had  been  already  accomplished :  "Now  is 
the  Son  of  man  glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  him."  Ad- 
dressing the  Eleven  in  terms  of  parental  affection,  He  said : 
"Little  children,  yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you.  Ye  shall 
seek  me :  and  as  I  said  unto  the  Jews,  Whither  I  go,  ye 
cannot  come ;  so  now  I  say  to  you.  A  new  commandment 
I  give  unto  you,  That  ye  love  one  another ;  as  I  have  loved 
you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men 
know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  an- 
other."* The  law  of  Moses  enjoined  mutual  love  among 
friends  and  neighbors ;°  but  the  new  commandment,  by 
which  the  apostles  were  to  be  governed,  embodied  love  of  a 
higher  order.  They  were  to  love  one  another  as  Christ 
loved  them;  and  their  brotherly  affection  was  to  be  a  dis- 
tinguishing mark  of  their  apostleship,  by  which  the  world 
would  recognize  them  as  men  set  apart. 

The  Lord's  reference  to  His  impending  separation  from 
them  troubled  the  brethren.  Peter  put  the  question,  "Lord, 
whither  goest  thou  ?"  Jesus  answered :  "Whither  I  go, 
thou  canst  not  follow  me  now ;  but  thou  shalt  follow  me 
afterwards.  Peter  said  unto  him,  Lord,  why  cannot  I  follow 

z  John    13:31-34. 
a  Lev.    19:18. 


600  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

thee  now?  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for  thy  sake."  Peter 
seems  to  have  realized  that  his  Master  was  going  to  His 
death ;  yet,  undeterred,  he  asserted  his  readiness  to  follow 
even  that  dark  way  rather  than  be  separated  from  his  Lord. 
We  cannot  doubt  the  earnestness  of  Peter's  purpose  nor  the 
sincerity  of  his  desire  at  that  moment.  In  his  bold  avowal, 
however,  he  had  reckoned  with  the  willingness  of  his  spirit 
only,  and  had  failed  to  take  into  full  account  the  weakness 
of  his  flesh.  Jesus,  who  knew  Peter  better  than  the  man 
knew  himself,  thus  tenderly  reproved  his  excess  of  self- 
confidence:  "Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  hath  desired  to 
have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat :  but  I  have  prayed 
for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not:  and  when  thou  art  con- 
verted, strengthen  thy  brethren."  The  first  of  the  apostles, 
the  Man  of  Rock,  yet  had  to  be  converted,  or  as  more  pre- 
cisely rendered,  "turned  again"  ;b  for  as  the  Lord  foresaw, 
Peter  would  soon  be  overcome,  even  to  the  extent  of  denying 
his  acquaintanceship  with  Christ.  When  Peter  stoutly  de- 
clared again  his  readiness  to  go  with  Jesus,  even  into  prison 
or  to  death,  the  Lord  silenced  him  with  the  remark :  "I  tell 
thee,  Peter,  the  cock  shall  not  crow  this  day,  before  that  thou 
shalt  thrice  deny  that  thou  knowest  me." 

The  apostles  had  to  be  prepared  to  meet  a  new  order  of 
things,  new  conditions  and  new  exigencies;  persecution 
awaited  them,  and  they  were  soon  to  be  bereft  of  the  Mas- 
ter's sustaining  presence.  Jesus  asked  of  them:  "When  I 
sent  you  without  purse,  and  scrip,  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  any- 
thing? And  they  said,  Nothing.  Then  said  he  unto  them, 
But  now,  he  that  hath  a  purse,  let  him  take  it,  and  likewise 
his  scrip :  and  he  that  hath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  gar- 
ment, and  buy  one.  For  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  that  is 
written  must  yet  be  accomplished  in  me,  And  he  was  reck- 
oned among  the  transgressors :  for  the  things  concerning  me 
have  an  end."  The  Lord  was  soon  to  be  numbered  among 

b  So  reads  the  revised  version  of  Luke  22:32. 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS.  601 

the  transgressors,  as  had  been  foreseen  ;c  and  His  disciples 
would  be  regarded  as  the  devotees  of  an  executed  criminal. 
In  the  mention  of  purse,  scrip,  shoes,  and  sword,  some  of 
the  brethren  caught  at  the  literal  meaning,  and  said,  "Lord, 
behold,  here  are  two  swords."  Jesus  answered  with  curt 
finality,  "It  is  enough,"  or  as  we  might  say,  "Enough  of 
this."  He  had  not  intimated  any  immediate  need  of  weapons, 
and  most  assuredly  not  for  His  own  defense.  Again  they  had 
failed  to  fathom  His  meaning;  but  experience  would  later 
teach  them.d 

For  such  information  as  we  have  concerning  the  last  dis- 
course delivered  by  Jesus  to  the  apostles  before  His  cruci- 
fixion, we  are  indebted  to  John  alone  among  the  Gospel- 
writers;  and  every  reader  is  advized  to  study  with  care 
the  three  chapters  in  which  these  sublime  utterances  are 
preserved  for  the  enlightenment  of  mankind/  Observing 
the  sorrowful  state  of  the  Eleven,  the  Master  bade  them  be 
of  good  cheer,  grounding  their  encouragement  and  hope  on 
faith  in  Himself.  "Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,"  He 
said,  "ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  Then,  as 
though  drawing  aside  the  veil  between  the  earthly  and  the 
heavenly  state  and  giving  His  faithful  servants  a  glimpse 
of  conditions  beyond,  He  continued :  "In  my  Father's  house 
are  many  mansions :  if  it  were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you. 
I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a 
place  for  you,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  my- 
self ;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.  And  whither  I 
go  ye  know,  and  the  way  ye  know."^  Thus  in  language 
simple  and  plain  the  Lord  declared  the  fact  of  graded  condi- 
tions in  the  hereafter,  of  variety  of  occupation  and  degrees 
of  glory,  of  place  and  station  in  the  eternal  worlds.?  He 

clsa.  53:12;  compare  Mark  15:28. 

dRead  John  13:36-38;  Luke  22:31-38;  compare  Matt.  26:31-35;  Mark  14: 
27-31. 

e  John,   chaps.   14,   15,   16. 

/John    14:1-4. 

g  See  "The  Articles  of  Faith,"  iv:28,  29;  and  xxii:16-27. 


602  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

had  affirmed  His  own  inherent  Godship,  and  through  their 
trust  in  Him  and  obedience  to  His  requirements  would  they 
find  the  way  to  follow  whither  He  was  about  to  precede 
them.  Thomas,  that  loving,  brave,  though  somewhat  skep- 
tical soul,  desiring  more  definite  information  ventured  to 
say :  "Lord,  we  know  not  whither  thou  goest ;  and  how 
can  we  know  the  way  ?"  The  Lord's  answer  was  a  reaffirma- 
tion  of  His  divinity ;  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life : 
no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by  me.  If  ye  had  known 
me,  ye  should  have  known  my  Father  also :  and  from  hence- 
forth ye  know  him,  and  have  seen  him." 

At  this  point  Philip  interposed  with  the  request,  "Lord, 
shew  us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us."  Jesus  answered 
with  pathetic  and  mild  reproof :  "Have  I  been  so  long  time 
with  you,  and  yet  hast  thou  not  known  me,  Philip?  he  that 
hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father ;  and  how  sayest  thou  then, 
Shew  us  the  Father?"  He  was  grieved  by  the  thought  that 
His  nearest  and  dearest  friends  on  earth,  those  upon  whom 
He  had  conferred  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood, 
should  be  «yet  ignorant  of  His  absolute  oneness  with  the 
Father  in  purpose  and  action.  Had  the  Eternal  Father 
stood  amongst  them,  in  Person,  under  the  conditions  there 
existing,  He  would  have  done  as  did  the  Well  Beloved  and 
Only  Begotten  Son,  whom  they  knew  as  Jesus,  their  Lord 
and  Master.  So  absolutely  were  the  Father  and  the  Son 
of  one  heart  and  mind,  that  to  know  either  was  to  know 
both ;  nevertheless  the  Father  could  be  reached  only  through 
the  Son.  So  far  as  the  apostles  had  faith  in  Christ,  and  did 
His  will,  should  they  be  able  to  do  the  works  that  Christ  in 
the  flesh  had  done,  and  even  greater  things,  for  His  mortal 
mission  was  of  but  a  few  hours  further  duration,  and  the 
unfolding  of  the  divine  plan  of  the  ages  would  call  for  yet 
greater  miracles  than  those  wrought  by  Jesus  in  the  brief 
period  of  His  ministry. 

For  the  first  time  the  Lord  directed  His  disciples  to  pray 


THE  COMFORTER  PROMISED.  603 

in  His  name  to  the  Father,  and  assurance  of  success  in 
righteous  supplication  was  given  in  these  words :  "And 
whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the 
Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  any 
thing  in  my  name,  I  will  do  it."/l  The  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  to  be  henceforth  the  divinely  established  talisman  by 
which  the  powers  of  heaven  could  be  invoked  to  operate  in 
any  righteous  undertaking. 

The  Holy  Ghost  was  promised  to  the  apostles ;  He  would 
be  sent  through  Christ's  intercession,  to  be  to  them  "another 
Comforter,"  or  as  rendered  in  later  translations,  "another 
Advocate"  or  "Helper,"  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  who, 
though  the  world  would  reject  Him  as  they  had  rejected  the 
Christ,  should  dwell  with  the  disciples,  and  in  them  even  as 
Christ  then  dwelt  in  them  and  the  Father  in  Him.  "I  will 
not  leave  you  comfortless,"  Jesus  assured  the  brethren,  "I 
will  come  to  you.  Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  world  seeth  me 
no  more ;  but  ye  see  me :  because  I  live,  ye  shall  live  also. 
At  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  ye 
in  me,  and  I  in  you."1  This  was  followed  by  the  assurance 
that  Christ  though  unknown  by  the  world  would  manifest 
Himself  to  those  who  loved  Him  and  kept  His  command- 
ments. 

Judas  Thaddeus,  otherwise  known  as  Lebbeus/  "not 
Iscariot,"  as  the  recorder  is  careful  to  particularize,  was  puz- 
zled over  the  untraditional  and  un-Jewish  thought  of  a  Mes- 
siah who  would  be  known  but  to  the  chosen  few  and  not  to 
Israel  at  large;  and  he  asked:  "Lord,  how  is  it  that  thou 
wilt  manifest  thyself  unto  us,  and  not  unto  the  world?" 
Jesus  explained  that  His  and  the  Father's  companionship 
was  attainable  only  by  the  faithful.  He  further  cheered  the 
apostles  by  the  promise  that  when  the  Comforter,  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  would  send  in  the  name  of  the  Son, 

/i  John    14:13,    14;    compare    16:24. 

*  John    14:15-20;    compare    verse    26;    and    15:26. 

/Matt,    10:3,   and   Luke   6'16;   also  page   224   herein. 


604  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

would  come  to  them,  He  would  teach  them  further,  and 
would  bring  to  their  remembrance  the  teachings  they  had 
received  from  the  Christ.  The  distinct  personality  of  each 
member  of  the  Godhead,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  is 
here  again  plainly  shown. k  Comforting  the  yet  troubled 
disciples,  Jesus  said:  "Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I 
give  unto  you" ;  and  that  they  might  realize  that  this  meant 
more  than  the  conventional  salutation  of  the  times,  for 
"Peace  be  with  you"  was  an  every-day  greeting  among  the 
Jews,  the  Lord  affirmed  that  He  gave  that  invocation  in  a 
higher  sense,  and  "not  as  the  world  giveth."  Again  bidding 
them  put  aside  their  grief  and  be  not  afraid,  Jesus  added: 
"Ye  have  heard  how  I  said  unto  you,  I  go  away,  and  come 
again  unto  you.  If  ye  loved  me,  ye  would  rejoice,  because 
I  said,  I  go  unto  the  Father :  for  my  Father  is  greater  than 
I."  The  Lord  made  clear  to  His  servants  that  He  had  told 
them  these  things  beforehand,  so  that  when  the  predicted 
events  came  to  pass  the  apostles  would  be  confirmed  in  their 
faith  in  Him,  the  Christ.  He  had  time  to  say  but  little  more, 
for  the  next  hour  would  witness  the  beginning  of  the  su- 
preme struggle ;  "the  prince  of  this  world  cometh,"  He 
said,  and  with  triumphal  joy  added,  "and  hath  nothing  in 
me."' 

In  superb  allegory  the  Lord  thus  proceeded  to  illustrate 
the  vital  relationship  between  the  apostles  and  Himself,  and 
between  Himself  and  the  Father,  by  the  figure  of  a  vine- 
grower,  a  vine,  and  its  branches  :m  "I  am  the  true  vine,  and 
my  Father  is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch  in  me  that 
beareth  not  fruit  he  taketh  away :  and  every  branch  that 
beareth  fruit,  he  purgeth  it,"  that  it  may  bring  forth  more 
fruit."  A  grander  analogy  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  world's 
literature.  Those  ordained  servants  of  the  Lord  were  as 


k  See  "Articles  of  Faith,"  ii:20-24;  page   127  herein. 

/John    14:22-31.- 

tn  John    15:1-8. 

n  Revised  version,  "cleanseth  it." 


THE  TRUE  VINE  AND  THE  BRANCHES.  605 

helpless  and  useless  without  Him  as  is  a  bough  severed  from 
the  tree.  As  the  branch  is  made  fruitful  only  by  virtue  of 
the  nourishing  sap  it  receives  from  the  rooted  trunk,  and  if 
cut  away  or  broken  off  withers,  dries,  and  becomes  utterly 
worthless  except  as  fuel  for  the  burning,  so  those  men, 
though  ordained  to  the  Holy  Apostleship,  would  find  them- 
selves strong  and  fruitful  in  good  works,  only  as  they  re- 
mained in  steadfast  communion  with  the  Lord.  Without 
Christ  what  were  they,  but  unschooled  Galileans,  some  of 
them  fishermen,  one  a  publican,  the  rest  of  undistinguished 
attainments,  and  all  of  them  weak  mortals?  As  branches  of 
the  Vine  they  were  at  that  hour  clean  and  healthful,  through 
the  instructions  and  authoritative  ordinances  with  which  they 
had  been  blessed,  and  by  the  reverent  obedience  they  had 
manifested. 

"Abide  in  me,"  was  the  Lord's  forceful  admonition,  else 
they  would  become  but  withered  boughs.  "I  am  the  vine," 
He  added  in  explication  of  the  allegory  "ye  are  the  branches : 
He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit:  for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a  man 
abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered ; 
and  men  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they 
are  burned.  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you, 
ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you. 
Herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit :  so 
shall  ye  be  my  disciples."  Their  love  for  one  another  was 
again  specified  as  an  essential  to  their  continued  love  for 
Christ.0  In  that  love  would  they  find  joy.  Christ  had  been 
to  them  an  exemplar  of  righteous  love  from  the  day  of  their 
first  meeting ;  and  He  was  about  to  give  the  supreme  proof 
of  His  affection,  as  foreshadowed  in  His  words,  "Greater 
love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for 
his  friends."  And  that  those  men  were  the  Lord's  friends 
was  thus  graciously  affirmed ;  "Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do 


ojohn    15:9-17. 


606  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

whatsoever  I  command  you.  Henceforth  I  call  you  not 
servants ;  for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what  his  lord  doeth : 
but  I  have  called  you  friends ;  for  all  things  that  I  have  heard 
of  my  Father  I  have  made  known  unto  you."  This  intimate 
relationship  in  no  sense  modified  the  position  of  Christ  as 
their  Lord  and  Master,  for  by  Him  they  had  been  chosen  and 
ordained ;  and  it  was  His  will  that  they  should  so  live  that 
whatever  they  asked  in  the  name  of  the  holy  friendship 
which  He  acknowledged  should  be  granted  them  of  the 
Father. 

They  were  again  told  of  the  persecutions  that  awaited 
them,  and  of  their  apostolic  calling  as  special  and  individual 
witnesses  of  the  Lord/  That  the  world  then  did,  and  would 
yet  more  intensely  hate  them  was  a  fact  they  had  to  face; 
but  they  were  to  remember  that  the  world  had  hated  their 
Master  before  them,  and  that  they  had  been  chosen  and  by 
ordination  had  been  set  apart  from  the  world ;  therefore  they 
must  not  hope  to  escape  the  world's  hatred.  The  servant 
was  not  greater  than  his  master,  nor  the  apostle  than  his 
Lord,  as  on  general  principles  they  knew,  and  as  they  had 
been  specifically  told.  They  that  hated  them  hated  the 
Christ ;  and  they  that  hated  the  Son  hated  the  Father ;  great 
shall  be  the  condemnation  of  such.  Had  the  wicked  Jews 
not  closed  their  eyes  and  stopped  their  ears  to  the  mighty 
works  and  gracious  words  of  the  Messiah,  they  would  have 
been  convinced  of  the  truth,  and  the  truth  would  have  saved 
them ;  but  they  were  left  without  cloak  or  excuse  for  their 
sin;  and  Christ  affirmed  that  in  their  evil  course  had  the 
scriptures  been  fulfilled  in  that  they  had  hated  Him  without 
a  cause.?  Then,  reverting  to  the  great  and  cheering  promise 
of  support  through  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord 
said :  "But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send 
unto  you  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which 


/•John    15:18-27. 

« Verse  25;   compare   Psalms   35:19;   69:4;   109:3. 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  TRUTH — THE   HOLY  GHOST.  607 

proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  testify  of  me :  and  ye 
also  shall  bear  witness,  because  ye  have  been  with  me  from 
the  beginning." 

These  things  had  Jesus  declared  unto  them  that  they 
might  not  "be  offended,"  or  in  other  words,  taken  by  sur- 
prize, misled,  and  caused  to  doubt  and  stumble  by  the  un- 
precedented events  then  impending.  The  apostles  were  fore- 
warned of  persecution,  of  their  expulsion  from  the  synagogs, 
and  of  a  time  in  which  hatred  against  them  should  be  so 
bitter  and  the  Satanic  darkness  of  mind  and  spirit  so  dense 
that  whosoever  succeeded  in  killing  one  of  them  would  pro- 
fess that  his  foul  deed  had  been  done  in  God's  service.  In 
view  of  their  overwhelming  sorrow  at  the  Lord's  departure, 
He  sought  again  to  cheer  them,  saying:  "Nevertheless  I 
tell  you  the  truth ;  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away : 
for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you ; 
but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you." 

The  assured  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  whom 
they  should  be  made  strong  to  meet  every  need  and  emer- 
gency, was  the  inspiring  theme  of  this  part  of  the  Lord's  dis- 
course. Many  things  which  Christ  yet  had  to  say  to  His 
apostles,  but  which  they  were  at  that  time  unable  to  under- 
stand, the  Holy  Ghost  would  teach  them.  "Howbeit,"  said 
Jesus,  "when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide 
you  into  all  truth :  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself ;  but 
whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak:  and  he  will 
shew  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me :  for  he  shall 
receive  of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you.  All  things  that 
the  Father  hath  are  mine :  therefore  said  I,  that  he  shall  take 
of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you."r 

Turning  again  to  the  matter  of  His  departure,  then  so 
near  as  to  be  reckoned  by  hours,  the  Lord  said,  in  amplified 
form  of  what  He  had  before  affirmed :  "A  little  while,  and 
ye  shall  not  see  me :  and  again,  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall 


rjohn    16:13-15;    read    verses    1-15. 


608  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

see  me,  because  I  go  to  the  Father."-*  The  apostles  pondered 
and  some  questioned  among  themselves  as  to  the  Lord's 
meaning,  yet  so  deep  was  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  that 
they  ventured  no  open  inquiry.  Jesus  knew  of -their  per- 
plexity and  graciously  explained  that  they  would  soon  weep 
and  lament  while  the  world  rejoiced;  this  had  reference  to 
His  death;  but  He  promised  that  their  sorrow  should  be 
turned  into  joy;  and  this  was  based  on  His  resurrection  to 
which  they  should  be  witnesses.  He  compared  their  then 
present  and  prospective  state  to  that  of  a  woman  in  travail, 
who  in  the  after  joy  of  blessed  motherhood  forgets  her 
anguish.  The  happiness  that  awaited  them  would  be  beyond 
the  power  of  man  to  take  away  ;  and  thenceforth  they  should 
ask  not  of  Christ  alone,  but  of  the  Father  in  Christ's  name  ; 
''And,"  said  the  Lord,  "in  that  day  ye  shall  ask  me  nothing. 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the 
Father  in  my  name,  he  will  give  it  you.  Hitherto  have  ye 
asked  nothing  in  my  name :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive,  that 
your  joy  may  be  full."*  They  were  to  be  advanced  to  such 
honor  and  exalted  recognition  that  they  should  approach  the 
Father  in  prayer  direct,  but  in  the  name  of  the  Son ;  for  they 
were  beloved  of  the  Father  because  they  had  loved  Jesus, 
the  Son,  and  had  accepted  Him  as  One  sent  by  the  Father. 

The  Lord  again  solemnly  averred :  "I  came  forth  from 
the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world :  again,  I  leave  the 
world,  and  go  to  the  Father."  The  disciples  were  gratified 
at  this  plain  avouchment,  and  exclaimed :  "Lo,  now  speakest 
thou  plainly,  and  speakest  no  proverb.  Now  are  we  sure 
that  thou  knowest  all  things,  and  needest  not  that  any  man 
should  ask  thee:  by  this  we  believe  that  thou  earnest  forth 
from  God."  Their  satisfaction  threatened  danger  through 
over-confidence;  and  the  Lord  cautioned  them,  saying,  that 
in  an  hour  then  close  they  should  all  be  scattered,  every  man 


jjohn    16:16;    compare   7:33;    13:33;    14:19. 
/John   16:17,  23,  24;  read  verses   17-28. 


THE  LORD'S   HIGH-PRIESTLY   PRAYER.  609 

to  his  own,  leaving  Jesus  alone,  except  for  the  Father's 
presence.  In  the  same  connection  He  told  them  that  before 
the  night  had  passed  every  one  of  them  would  be  offended 
because  of  Him,  even  as  it  had  been  written :  "I  will  smite 
the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock  shall  be  scattered 
abroad.""  Peter,  the  most  vehement  of  all  in  his  protesta- 
tions, had  been  told,  as  we  have  seen,  that  by  cock-crow  that 
night  he  would  have  thrice  denied  his  L,ord ;  but  all  of  them 
had  declared  they  would  be  faithful  whatever  the  trials  In 
further  affirmation  of  the  material  actuality  of  His  resurrec- 
tion, Jesus  promised  the  apostles  that  after  He  had  risen 
from  the  grave  He  would  go  before  them  into  Galilee.w 

In  conclusion  of  this  last  and  most  solemn  of  the  dis- 
courses delivered  by  Christ  in  the  flesh,  the  L,ord  said: 
"These  things  I  have  spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  might 
have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation :  but  be 
of  good  cheer ;  I  have  overcome  the  world. "* 

THE   CONCLUDING   PRAYER. 

The  impressive  discourse  to  the  apostles  was  followed  by 
a  prayer  such  as  could  be  addressed  to  none  but  the  Eternal 
Father,  and  such  as  none  but  the  Son  of  that  Father  could 
offer.^  It  has  been  called,  and  not  inappropriately,  the  Lord's 
High-Priestly  Prayer.  In  it  Jesus  acknowledged  the  Father 
as  the  source  of  His  power  and  authority,  which  authority 
extends  even  to  the  giving  of  eternal  life  to  all  who  are 
worthy:  "And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know 
thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast 
sent."  By  way  of  reverent  report  as  to  the  work  assigned 
Him,  the  Son  said:  "I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth:  I 
have  finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do.  And 
now,  O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self  with  the 

«Matt.   26:31;   Mark   14:27;    compare   Zech.    13:7;   see   also  Matt.    11:6. 

fMatt.    26:31-35;    Mark    14:29-31. 

wMatt.   26:32;    Mark   14:28;    compare   16:7. 

*John    16:33. 

y  John   17. 

20 


610  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was."  With 
unfathomable  love  the  Lord  pleaded  for  those  whom  the 
Father  had  given  Him,  the  apostles  then  present,  who  had 
been  called  out  from  the  world,  and  who  had  been  true  to 
their  testimony  of  Himself  as  the  Son  of  God.  Of  them  but 
one,  the  son  of  perdition,  had  been  lost.  In  the  fervor  of 
devoted  supplication,  the  Lord  pleaded : 

"I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldest  take  them  out  of  the 
world,  but  that  thou  shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil. 
They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world. 
Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth  :  thy  wrord  is  truth.  As  thou 
hast  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I  also  sent  them 
into  the  world.  And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that 
they  also  might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth.  Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  be- 
lieve on  me  through  their  word ;  that  they  all  may  be  one ; 
as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may 
be  one  in  us :  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent 
me.  And  the  glory  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them  ; 
that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one:  I  in  them,  and 
thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one ;  and  that 
the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved 
them,  as  thou  hast  loved  me.  Father,  I  will  that  they  also, 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am ;  that 
they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me :  for 
thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  O 
righteous  Father,  the  world  hath  not  known  thee:  but  I 
have  known  thee,  and  these  have  known  that  thou  hast 
sent  me.  And  I  have  declared  unto  them  thy  name,  and 
will  declare  it:  that  the  love  wherewith  thou  hast  loved 
me  may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them." 

When  they  had  sung  a  hymn,  Jesus  and  the  Eleven  went  out 
to  the  Mount  of  Olives/ 

THE   LORD'S   AGONY   IN    GETHSEMANE.0 

Jesus  and  the  eleven  apostles  went  forth  from  the  house 
in  which  they  had  eaten,  passed  through  the  city  gate,  which 

z  Note   4,   end   of   chapter. 

a  Matt.  26:36-46;   Mark  14:32-42;   Luke  22:39-46. 


IN  GETHSEMANE.  611 

was  usually  left  open  at  night  during  a  public  festival, 
crossed  the  ravine  of  the  Cedron,  or  more  accurately  Kidron, 
brook,  and  entered  an  olive  orchard  known  as  Gethsemane,& 
on  the  slope  of  Mount  Olivet.  Eight  of  the  apostles  He  left 
at  or  near  the  entrance,  with  the  instruction :  "Sit  ye  here, 
while  I  go  and  pray  yonder" ;  and  with  the  earnest  injunc- 
tion :  "Pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation."  Accom- 
panied by  Peter,  James  and  John,  He  went  farther ;  and  was 
soon  enveloped  by  deep  sorrow,  which  appears  to  have  been, 
in  a  measure,  surprizing  to  Himself,  for  we  read  that  He 
"began  to  be  sore  amazed,  and  to  be  very  heavy."  He  was 
impelled  to  deny  Himself  the  companionship  of  even  the 
chosen  three ;  and,  "Saith  he  unto  them,  My  soul  is  exceed- 
ing sorrowful,  even  unto  death :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch 
with  me.  And  he  went  a  little  farther,  and  fell  on  his  face, 
and  prayed,  saying,  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this 
cup  pass  from  me :  nevertheless  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou 
wilt."  Mark's  version  of  the  prayer  is :  "Abba,  Father,  all 
things  are  possible  unto  thee ;  take  away  this  cup  from  me : 
nevertheless  not  what  I  will,  but  what  thou  wilt."c 

This  part  of  His  impassioned  supplication  was  heard  by 
at  least  one  of  the  waiting  three ;  but  all  of  them  soon  yielded 
to  weariness  and  ceased  to  watch.  As  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration,  when  the  Lord  appeared  in  glory,  so  now  in 
the  hour  of  His  deepest  humiliation,  these  three  slumbered. 
Returning  to  them  in  an  agony  of  soul  Jesus  found  them 
sleeping ;  and  addressing  Peter,  who  so  short  a  time  before 
had  loudly  proclaimed  his  readiness  to  follow  the  Lord  even 
to  prison  and  death,  Jesus  exclaimed :  "What,  could  ye  not 
watch  with  me  one  hour?  Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter 
not  into  temptation" ;  but  in  tenderness  added,  "the  spirit  in- 
deed is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  The  admonition  to 


b  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 

c  "Abba"  is  expressive  of  combined  affection  and  honor,  and  signifies 
"Father."  It  is  applied  to  the  Eternal  Father  by  Jesus  in  the  passage 
above,  and  by  Paul  (Rom.  8:15;  Gal.  4:6). 


612  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

;he  apostles  to  pray  at  that  time  lest  they  be  led  into  tempta- 
tion may  have  been  prompted  by  the  exigencies  of  the  hour, 
under  which,  if  left  to  themselves,  they  would  be  tempted  to 
prematurely  desert  their  Lord. 

Aroused  from  slumber  the  three  apostles  saw  the  Lord 
again  retire,  and  heard  Him  pleading  in  agony:  "O  my 
Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me,  except  I 
drink  it,  thy  will  be  done."  Returning  a  second  time  He 
found  those  whom  He  had  so  sorrowfully  requested  to  w^tch 
with  Him  sleeping  again,  "for  their  eyes  were  heavy" ;  and 
when  awakened  they  were  embarrassed  or  ashamed  so  that 
they  wist  not  what  to  say.  A  third  time  He  went  to  His 
lonely  vigil  and  individual  struggle,  and  was  heard  to  im- 
plore the  Father  with  the  same  words  of  yearning  entreaty. 
Luke  tells  us  that  "there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him  from 
heaven,  strengthening  him";  but  not  even  the  presence  of 
this  super-earthly  visitant  could  dispel  the  awful  anguish  of 
His  soul.  "And  being  in  an  agony  he  prayed  more  earnestly : 
and  his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling 
down  to  the  ground."** 

Peter  had  had  a  glimpse  of  the  darksome  road  which  he 
had  professed  himself  so  ready  to  tread ;  and  the  brothers 
James  and  John  knew  now  better  than  before  how  unpre- 
pared they  were  to  drink  of  the  cup  which  the  Lord  would 
drain  to  its  dregs/ 

When  for  the  last  time  Jesus  came  back  to  the  disciples 
left  on  guard,  He  said :  "Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest : 
behold,  the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed 
into  the  hands  of  sinners."  There  was  no  use  of  further 
watching ;  already  the  torches  of  the  approaching  band  con- 
ducted by  Judas  were  observable  in  the  distance.  Jesus  ex- 
claimed :  "Rise,  let  us  be  going :  behold,  he  is  at  hand  that 
doth  betray  me."  Standing  with  the  Eleven,  the  Lord 
calmly  awaited  the  traitor's  coming. 

d  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

e  John  13:37;  Matt.  20:22;  Mark  10:38,  39. 


THE  AGONY  AND  BLOODY  SWEAT.  613 

Christ's  agony  in  the  garden  is  unfathomable  by  the  finite 
mind,  both  as  to  intensity  and  cause.  The  thought  that  He 
suffered  through  fear  of  death  is  untenable.  Death  to  Him 
was  preliminary  to  resurrection  and  triumphal  return  to  the 
Father  from  whom  He  had  come,  and  to  a  state  of  glory 
even  beyond  what  He  had  before  possessed ;  and,  moreover, 
it  was  within  His  power  to  lay  down  His  life  voluntarily/ 
He  struggled  and  groaned  under  a  burden  such  as  no  other 
being  who  has  lived  on  earth  might  even  conceive  as  possible. 
It  was  not  physical  pain,  nor  mental  anguish  alone,  that 
caused  Him  to  suffer  such  torture  as  to  produce  an  extrusion 
of  blood  from  every  pore ;  but  a  spiritual  agony  of  soul  such 
as  only  God  was  capable  of  experiencing.  No  other  man, 
however  great  his  powers  of  physical  or  mental  endurance, 
could  have  suffered  so ;  for  his  human  organism  would  have 
succumbed,  and  syncope  would  have  produced  unconscious- 
ness and  welcome  oblivion.  In  that  hour  of  anguish  Christ 
met  and  overcame  all  the  horrors  that  Satan,  "the  prince  of 
this  world"^  could  inflict.  The  frightful  struggle  incident 
to  the  temptations  immediately  following  the  Lord's  bap- 
tism11 was  surpassed  and  overshadowed  by  this  supreme 
contest  with  the  powers  of  evil. 

In  some  manner,  actual  and  terribly  real  though  to  man 
incomprehensible,  the  Savior  took  upon  Himself  the  burden 
of  the  sins  of  mankind  from  Adam  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Modern  revelation  assists  us  to  a  partial  understanding  of 
the  awful  experience.  In  March  1830,  the  glorified  Lord, 
Jesus  Christ,  thus  spake:  "For  behold,  I,  God,  have  suffered 
these  things  for  all,  that  they  might  not  suffer  if  they  would 
repent,  but  if  they  would  not  repent,  they  must  suffer  even 
as  I,  which  suffering  caused  myself,  even  God,  the  greatest 
of  all,  to  tremble  because  of  pain,  and  to  bleed  at  every  pore, 
and  to  suffer  both  body  and  spirit :  and  would  that  I  might 


/John  5:26,  27;   and  10:17,   18;   also  page  418  herein, 
fir  John   14:30. 
h  Page  127. 


614  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

not  drink  the  bitter  cup  and  shrink — nevertheless,  glory  be 
to  the  Father,  and  I  partook  and  finished  my  preparations 
unto  the  children  of  men."* 

From  the  terrible  conflict  in  Gethsemane,  Christ  emerged 
a  victor.  Though  in  the  dark  tribulation  of  that  fearful  hour 
He  had  pleaded  that  the  bitter  cup  be  removed  from  His  lips, 
the  request,  however  oft  repeated,  was  always  conditional ; 
the  accomplishment  of  the  Father's  will  \vas  never  lost  sight 
of  as  the  object  of  the  Son's  supreme  desire.  The  further 
tragedy  of  the  night,  and  the  cruel  inflictions  that  awaited 
Him  on  the  morrow,  to  culminate  in  the  frightful  tortures 
of  the  cross,  could  not  exceed  the  bitter  anguish  through 
which  He  had  successfully  passed. 

THE    BETRAYAL   AND   THE   ARREST.'' 

During  the  period  of  the  Lord's  last  and  most  loving  com- 
munion with  the  Eleven,  Judas  had  been  busy  in  his  treach- 
erous conspiracy  with  the  priestly  authorities.  It  is  probable 
that  the  determination  to  make  the  arrest  that  night  was 
reached  when  Judas  reported  that  Jesus  was  within  the  city 
walls  and  might  easily  be  apprehended.  The  Jewish  rulers 
assembled  a  body  of  temple  guardsmen  or  police,  and  ob- 
tained a  band  of  Roman  soldiers  under  command  of  a  trib- 
une ;  this  band  or  cohort  was  probably  a  detachment  from  the 
garrison  of  Antonia  commissioned  for  the  work  of  the  night 
on  requisition  of  the  chief  priests.*  This  company  of  men 
and  officers  representing  a  combination  of  ecclesiastical  and 
military  authority,  set  forth  in  the  night  with  Judas  at  their 
head,  intent  on  the  arrest  of  Jesus.  They  were  equipped 
with  lanterns,  torches,  and  weapons.  It  is  probable  that  they 
were  first  conducted  to  the  house  in  which  Judas  had  left 

t'Doc.  and  Cov.  19:16-19;  compare  18:11.  See  also  B.  of  M.,  2  Nephi  9:5, 
7,  21;  Mosiah  3:7-14;  15:12;  Alma  7:11-13;  11:40;  22:14;  34:8-15;  3  Nephi 
11:11;  27:14,  15;  and  chapter  4  herein. 

/Matt.    26:47-56;    Mark    14:43-52;    Luke    22:47-53;    John    18:1-12. 

k  "Cohort,"  a  term  descriptive  of  a  Roman  body,  and  "military  tribune" 
are  more  literal  renderings  of  the  Greek  original  than  "band"  and  "cap- 
tain" in  John  18:3,  12.  See  revised  version,  margin. 


615 

his  fellow  apostles  and  the  Lord,  when  the  traitor  had  been 
dismissed ;  and  that  finding  the  little  company  had  gone  out, 
Judas  led  the  multitude  to  Gethsemane,  for  he  knew  the 
place,  and  knew  also  that  "Jesus  ofttimes  resorted  thither 
with  his  disciples." 

While  Jesus  was  yet  speaking  to  the  Eleven  whom  He 
had  roused  from  .slumber  with  the  announcement  that  the 
betrayer  was  at  hand,  Judas  and  the  multitude  approached. 
As  a  preconcerted  sign  of  identification  the  recreant  Iscariot, 
with  treacherous  duplicity,  came  up  with  a  hypocritical  show 
of  affection,  saying,  "Hail,  master,"  and  profaned  his  Lord';, 
sacred  face  with  a  kiss.'  That  Jesus  understood  the  trea  Ji- 
erous  significance  of  the  act  appears  in  His  pathetk,  yet 
piercing  and  condemning  reproach:  "Judas,  betrayest  thou 
the  Son  of  man  with  a  kiss  ?"  Then,  applying  the  title  with 
which  the  other  apostles  had  been  honored,  the  Lord  said : 
Friend,  do  that  for  which  thou  art  come.™  It  was  a  reiter- 
ation of  the  behest  given  at  the  supper  table,  "That  thou 
doest,  do  quickly." 

The  armed  band  hesitated,  though  their  guide  had  given 
the  signal  agreed  upon.  Jesus  walked  toward  the  officers, 
with  whom  stood  Judas,  and  asked,  "Whom  seek  ye?"  To 
their  reply,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  the  Lord  rejoined:  "I  am 
he."  Instead  of  advancing  to  take  Him,  the  crowd  pressed 
backward,  and  many  of  them  fell  to  the  ground  in  fright. 
The  simple  dignity  and  gentle  yet  compelling  force  of 
Christ's  presence  proved  more  potent  than  strong  arms  and 
weapons  of  violence.  Again  He  put  the  question,  "Whom 
seek  ye?"  and  again  they  answered,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth." 
Then  said  Jesus :  "I  have  told  you  that  I  am  he ;  if  there- 
fore ye  seek  me,  let  these  go  their  way."  The  last  remark 
had  reference  to  the  apostles,  who  were  in  danger  of  arrest ; 


/The  Greek  text  of  Matt.  26:49,  and  Mark  14:45  clearly  implies  that 
Judas  "kissed  him  much,"  that  is  many  times,  or  effusively.  See  margin 
of  revised  version. 

m  This  is  a  more  nearly  correct  translation  than  "wherefore  art  thou 
come?"  in  the  common  version.  See  revised  version,  Matt.  26:50. 


616  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

and  in  this  evidence  of  Christ's  solicitude  for  their  personal 
safety,  John  saw  a  fulfilment  of  the  Lord's  then  recent  utter- 
ance in  prayer,  "Of  them  which  thou  gavest  me  have  I  lost 
none.""  It  is  possible  that  had  any  of  the  Eleven  been  ap- 
prehended with  Jesus  and  made  to  share  the  cruel  abuse  and 
torturing  humiliation  of  the  next  few  hours,  their  faith  might 
have  failed  them,  relatively  immature  and  untried  as  it  then 
was ;  even  as  in  succeeding  years  many  who  took  upon  them- 
selves the  name  of  Christ  yielded  to  persecution  and  went 
into  apostasy. ° 

When  the  officers  approached  and  seized  Jesus,  some  of 
th .-*  apostles,  ready  to  fight  and  die  for  their  beloved  Master, 
askeJ.  "Lord,  shall  we  smite  with  the  sword?"  Peter,  wait- 
ing not  for  a  reply,  drew  his  sword  and  delivered  a  poorly 
aimed  stroke  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  nearest  of  the  crowd, 
whose  ear  was  severed  by  the  blade.  The  man  thus  wounded 
was  Malchus,  a  servant  of  the  high  priest.  Jesus,  asking 
liberty  of  His  captors  by  the  simple  request,  "Suffer  ye  thus 
far,"**  stepped  forward  and  healed  the  injured  man  by  a 
touch.  Turning  to  Peter  the  Lord  rebuked  his  rashness, 
and  commanded  him  to  return  the  sword  to  its  scabbard,  with 
the  reminder  that  "all  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish 
with  the  sword."  Then,  to  show  the  needlessness  of  armed 
resistance,  and  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  He  was  submitting 
voluntarily  and  in  accordance  with  foreseen  and  predicted 
developments,  the  Lord  continued :  "Thinkest  thou  that  I 
cannot  now  pray  to  my  Father,  and  he  shall  presently  give 
me  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels?  But  how  then  shall 
the  scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  must  be?"?  And 
further,  "the  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I 
not  drink  it?"r 

But,  though  surrendering  Himself  unresistingly,  Jesus 


nTohn     18:9:     compare     17:12. 

o  See  "The  Great  Apostasy,"  chaps.  4  and  5. 

p  Note   7,    end    of    chapter. 

q  Compare    Isa.    53:8. 

r  Note  8,   end  of  chapter. 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  JEWS.  617 

was  not  unmindful  of  His  rights ;  and  to  the  priestly  officials, 
chief  priests,  captain  of  the  temple  guard,  and  elders  of  the 
people  who  were  present,  He  voiced  this  interrogative  protest 
against  the  illegal  night  seizure :  "Are  ye  come  out  as  against 
a  thief  with  swords  and  staves  for  to  take  me?  I  sat  daily 
with  you  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  ye  laid  no  hold  on  me. 
But  all  this  was  done,  that  the  scriptures  of  the  prophets 
might  be  fulfilled."  Luke  records  the  Lord's  concluding 
words  thus :  "but  this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  dark- 
ness." Unheeding  His  question,  and  without  deference  to 
His  submissive  demeanor,  the  captain  and  the  officers  of  the 
Jews  bound  Jesus  with  cords  and  led  Him  away,  a  Prisoner 
at  the  mercy  of  His  deadliest  enemies. 

The  eleven  apostles,  seeing  that  resistance  was  useless, 
not  only  on  account  of  disparity  of  numbers  and  supply  of 
weapons  but  chiefly  because  of  Christ's  determination  to  sub- 
mit, turned  and  fled.  Every  one  of  them  forsook  Him,  even 
as  He  had  foretold.  That  they  were  really  in  jeopardy  is 
shown  by  an  incident  preserved  by  Mark  alone.  An  un- 
named young  man,  aroused  from  sleep  by  the  tumult  of  the 
marching  band,  had  sallied  forth  with  no  outer  covering  but 
a  linen  sheet.  His  interest  in  the  arrest  of  Jesus  and  his 
close  approach  caused  some  of  the  guardsmen  or  soldiers  to 
seize  him ;  but  he  broke  loose  and  escaped  leaving  the  sheet 
in  their  hands. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  33. 

i.  The  Day  of  the  Passover  Feast. — Controversy  has  been 
rife  for  many  centuries  as  to  the  day  of  the  passover  feast  in 
the  week  of  our  Lord's  death.  That  He  was  crucified  on  Friday, 
the  day  before  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  and  that  He  rose  a  resur- 
rected Being  on  Sunday,  the  day  following  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Jews,  are  facts  attested  by  the  four  Gospel-writers.  From  the 
three  synoptists  we  infer  that  the  last  supper  occurred  on  the 
evening  of  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  and  therefore  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Jewish  Friday.  That  the  Lord's  last  supper 
was  regarded  by  Himself  and  the  apostles  as  a  passover  meal 
appears  from  Matt.  26:2,  17,  18,  19  and  parallel  passages,  Mark 
14:14-16;  Luke  22:11-13;  as  also  from  Luke  22:7,  15.  John,  how- 


618  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

ever,  who  wrote  after  the  synoptists  and  who  probably  had  their 
writings  before  him,  as  is  indicated  by  the  supplementary  char- 
acter of  his  testimony  or  "Gospel",  intimates  that  the  last  supper 
of  which  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  partook  together  occurred  be- 
fore the  Feast  of  the  Passover  (John  13:1,  2);  and  the  same 
writer  informs  us  that  on  the  following  day,  Friday,  the  Jews 
refrained  from  entering  the  Roman  hall  of  judgment,  lest  they 
be  defiled  and  so  become  unfit  to  eat  the  Passover  (18:28).  It 
should  be  remembered  that  by  common  usage  the  term  "Pass- 
over" was  applied  not  only  to  the  day  or  season  of  the  observ- 
ance, but  to  the  meal  itself,  and  particularly  to  the  slain  lamb 
(Matt.  26:17;  Mark  14:12,  14,  16;  Luke  22:8,  n,  13,  15;  John  18:28; 
compare  I  Cor.  5:7).  John  also  specifies  that  the  day  of  the 
crucifixion  was  "the  preparation  of  the  passover"  (19:14),  and 
that  the  next  day,  which  was  Saturday,  the  Sabbath,  "was  an 
high  day"  (verse  31),  that  is  a  Sabbath  rendered  doubly  sacred 
because  of  its  being  also  a  feast  day. 

Much  has  been  written  by  way  of  attempt  to  explain  this 
seeming  discrepancy.  No  analysis  of  the  divergent  views  of 
Biblical  scholars  on  this  subject  will  be  attempted  here;  the  mat- 
ter is  of  incidental  importance  in  connection  with  the  funda- 
mental facts  of  pur  Lord's  betrayal  and  crucifixion;  for  brief 
summaries  of  opinions  and  concise  arguments  the  student  may 
be  referred  to  Smith's  Comprehensive  Bible  Dictionary,  article 
"Passover" ;  Edersheim's  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  pp. 
480-2,  and  566-8 ;  Farrar's  Life  of  Christ,  Appendix,  Excursus  10 ; 
Andrews'  Life  of  our  Lord,  and  Gresswell's  Dissertations.  Suffice 
it  here  to  say  that  the  apparent  inconsistency  may  be  explained 
by  any  of  several  assumptions.  Thus,  first,  and  very  probably, 
the  Passover  referred  to  by  John,  for  the  eating  of  which  the 
priests  were  desirous  of  keeping  themselves  free  from  Levitical 
defilement,  may  not  have  been  the  supper  at  which  the  paschal 
lamb  was  eaten,  but  the  supplementary  meal,  the  Chagigah. 
This  later  meal,  the  flesh  part  of  which  was  designated  as  a 
sacrifice,  had  come  to  be  regarded  with  veneration  equal  to  that 
attaching  to  the  paschal  supper.  Secondly;  it  is  held  by  many 
authorities  on  Jewish  antiquities  that  before,  at,  and  after  the 
time  of  Christ,  two  nights  were  devoted  yearly  to  the  paschal 
observance,  during  either  of  which  the  lamb  might  be  eaten,  and 
that  this  extension  of  time  had  been  made  in  consideration  of  the 
increased  population,  which  necessitated  the  ceremonial  slaugh- 
tering of  more  lambs  than  could  be  slain  on  a  single  day;  and  in 
this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  Josephus  (Wars,  vi, 
ch.  9:3)  records  the  number  of  lambs  slain  at  a  single  Passover  as 
256,500.  In  the  same  paragraph,  Josephus  states  that  the  lambs 
had  to  be  slain  between  the  ninth  and  the  eleventh  hour  (3  to  5 
p.  m.).  According  to  this  explanation,  Jesus  and  the  Twelve 
may  have  partaken  of  the  passover  meal  on  the  first  of  the  two 
evenings,  and  the  Jews  who  next  day  feared  defilement  may  have 
deferred  their  observance  until  the  second.  Thirdly;  the  Lord's 
last  paschal  supper  may  have  been  eaten  _  earlier  than  ^  the  time 
of  general  observance,  He  knowing  that  night  to  be  His  last  in 


NOTES.  619 

mortality.  Supporters  of  this  view  explain  the  message  to  the 
man  who  provided  the  chamber  for  the  last  supper,  "My  time  is 
at  hand"  (Matt.  26:18)  as  indicating  a  special  urgency  for  the 
passover  observance  by  Christ  and  the  apostles,  before  the  reg- 
ularly appointed  day.  Some  authorities  assert  that  an  error  of 
one  day  had  crept  into  the  Jewish  reckoning  of  time,  and  that 
Jesus  ate  the  passover  on  the  true  date,  while  the  Jews  were  a 
day  behind.  If  "the  preparation  of  the  passover"  (John  19:14) 
on  Friday,  the  day  of  Christ's  crucifixion,  means  the  slaughtering 
of  the  paschal  lambs,  our  Lord,  the  real  sacrifice  of  which  all 
earlier  altar  victims  had  been  but  prototypes,  died  on  the  cross 
while  the  passover  lambs  were  being  slain  at  the  temple. 

2.  Did  Judas   Iscariot   Partake   of   the   Sacrament   of  the 
Lord's    Supper? — This    question    cannot   be    definitely    answered 
from   the  brief   accounts   we   have   of   the   proceedings   at  the   last 
supper.       At    best,    only    inference,    not    conclusion,    is     possible. 
According  to  the  records  made  by  Matthew  and  Mark,  the  Lord's 
announcement    that   there    was    a    traitor    among   the    Twelve    was 
made  early  in  the  course  of  the  meal ;   and  the  institution  of  the 
Sacrament     occurred     later.       Luke     records     the     prediction     of 
treachery     as     following     the     administering    of     the     sacramental 
bread   and   wine.     All  the  synoptists   agree  that  the   Sacrament  of 
the    Lord's    Supper    was    administered    before    the    sitting    at    the 
ordinary  meal  had  broken  up ;  though  the  Sacrament  was  plainly 
made  a  separate   and   distinct   feature.     John    (13:2-5)    states   that 
the  washing  of   feet  occurred   when   supper  was  ended,   and  gives 
us  good  reason  for  inferring  that  Judas  was  washed  with  the  rest 
(verses   10,   n),  and  that  he   later    (verses.  26-30)    went  out  into 
the   night   for  the  purpose   of   betraying  Je^us.     The   giving   of   a 
"sop"    to    Judas    (verses    26,    27)    even    though    supper    was    prac- 
tically   over,    is    not    inconsistent    with    John's    statement    that    the 
supper   proper   was   ended   before   the   washing   of    feet   was   per- 
formed;  the  act  does  not  appear  to  have  been  so  unusual  as  to 
cause    surprize.        To    many    it    has    appeared    plausible,    that    be- 
cause of  his  utter  baseness  Judas  would  not  be  permitted  to  par- 
ticipate   with    the    other    apostles    in    the    holy    ordinance    of    the 
Sacrament;    others    infer   that   he    was    allowed    to    partake,    as    a 
possible  means  of  moving  him  to  abandon  his  evil  purpose  even 
at  that  late  hour,  or  of  filling  his  cup  of  iniquity  to  overflowing. 
The    writer's    personal    opinion    is    based    on    the    last    conception. 

3.  Washing  of  Feet. — The  ordinance  of  the  washing  of  feet 
was   reestablished  through   revelation   December  27,    1832.     It   was 
made  a  feature  of  admission  to  the   school   of  the  prophets,   and 
detailed    instructions    relating    to    its    administration    were    given 
(see   Doc.    and    Cov.   88:140,    141).      Further    direction    as    to    the 
ordinances  involving  washing  were  revealed  January  19,  1841   (see 
Doc.   and   Cov.    124:37-39). 

4.  Discontinuity  of  the  Lord's  Last  Discourse  to  the  Apos- 
tles.— It  is  certain  that  part  of  the  discourse  following  the  last 
supper    was    delivered    in    the    upper    room    where    Christ    and    the 
Twelve    had    eaten;    it    is    possible    that    the    latter    portion    was 
spoken    and    the    prayer    offered    (John    15,    16,    17)    outdoors    as 


620  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    33. 

Jesus  and  Ae  Eleven  wended  their  way  toward  the  Mount  of 
Olives.  The  I4th  chapter  of  John  ends  with  "Arise,  let  us  go 
hence";  the  next  chapter  opens  with  another  section  of  the  dis- 
course. From  Matt.  26:30-35,  and  Mark  14:26-31  we  may  infer 
that  the  prediction  of  Peter's  denial  of  his  Lord  was  made  as 
the  little  company  walked  from  the  city  to  the  mount.  On  the 
other  hand,  John  (18:1)  states  that  "When  Jesus  had  spoken 
these  words",  namely,  the  whole  discourse,  and  the  concluding 
prayer,  "he  went  forth  with  his  disciples  over  the  brook  Cedron". 
Not  one  of  our  Lord's  sublime  utterances  on  that  night  of  solemn 
converse  with  His  own,  and  of  communion  between  Himself  and 
the  Father,  is  affected  by  the  circumstance  of  place. 

5.  Gethsemane. — The  name  means  "oil-press"  and  probably 
has  reference  to  a  mill  maintained  at  the  place  for  the  extraction 
of  oil   from  the  olives  there  cultivated.     John   refers   to   the   spot 
as    a   garden,    from    which    designation    we    may    regard    it    as    an 
enclosed   space   of   private   ownership.     That   it   was    a   place    fre- 
quented by  Jesus   when   He   sought  retirement   for  prayer,  or  op- 
portunity for  confidential  converse  with  the  disciples,  is  indicated 
by  the  same  writer   (John  18:1,  2). 

6.  The  Bloody  Sweat. — Luke,  the  only  Gospel-writer  who 
mentions   sweat  and   blood   in   connection   with   our   Lord's   agony 
in  Gethsemane,  states  that  "his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops 
of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground"   (22:44).     Many  critical  ex- 
positors deny  that  there  was  an  actual  extrusion  of  blood,  on  the 
grounds  that  the  evangelist  does  not  positively  affirm  it,  and  that 
the    three    apostles,    who    were    the    only   human    witnesses,    could 
not    have    distinguished    blood    from    sweat    falling    in    drops,    as 
they   watched    from    a   distance   in   the   night,   even   if   the   moon, 
which    at    the    passover    season    was    full,    had    been    unobscured. 
Modern  scripture  removes  all  doubt.     See  Doc.  and  Cov.  19:16-19 
quoted  in  the  text   (page  613),  also  18:11.     See  further  a  specific 
prediction  of  the  bloody  sweat,  B.  of  M.,  Mosiah  3  7. 

7.  "Suffer  Ye  thus  Far." — Many  understand   these  words, 
uttered   by   Jesus    as    He    raised   His   hand   to   heal   the    wounded 
Malchus,    to    have    been    addressed    to    the    disciples,    forbidding 
their   further  interference.     Trench    (Miracles,  355)    considers  the 
meaning  to  be  as  follows :     'Hold  now ;  thus  far  ye  have  gone  in 
resistance,  but  let  it  be  no    further ;   no  more   of  this.'     The   dis- 
puted  interpretation   is   of  little  importance  as   to   the  bearing  of 
the  incident  on  the  events  that  followed. 

8.  The  Cup  as  a  Symbol. — Our  Lord's  frequent  mention  of 
His    foreseen   sufferings   as   the   cup   of   which   the    Father   would 
have  Him  drink  (Matt.  26:39,  42;  Mark  14:36;  Luke  22:42;  John 
18:11;  compare  Matt.  20:22;  Mark  10:38;  i  Cor.  10:21)  is  in  line 
with  Old  Testament  usage  of  the  term   "cup"  as  a  symbolic  ex- 
pression   for   a   bitter    or   poisonous    potion    typifying   experiences 
of    suffering.      See    Psa.    11:6;    75:8;    Isa.    51:17,    22;    Jer.    25:15, 
17;  49:12.     In  contrast,   the   opposite  meaning  is   attached  to   the 
use  of  the  term  in  some  passages,  e.  g.  Psa.  16:5;  23:5;  116:13; 
Jer.   16:7. 


BEFORE  ANNAS  AND  CAIAPHAS.  621 


CHAPTER   34- 
THE  TRIAL  AND   CONDEMNATION. 

THE   JEWISH    TRIAL. 

From  Gethsemane  the  bound  and  captive  Christ  was 
haled  before  the  Jewish  rulers.  John  alone  informs  us  that 
the  Lord  was  taken  first  to  Annas,  who  sent  Him,  still 
bound,  to  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest  ;a  the  synoptists  record 
the  arraignment  before  Caiaphas  only.&  No  details  of  the 
interview  with  Annas  are  of  record ;  and  the  bringing  of 
Jesus  before  him  at  all  was  as  truly  irregular  and  illegal,  ac- 
cording to  Hebrew  law,  as  were  all  the  subsequent  proceed- 
ings of  that  night.  Annas,  who  was  father-in-law  to 
Caiaphas,  had  been  deposed  from  the  high-priestly  ofBce 
over  twenty  years  before ;  but  throughout  this  period  he  had 
exerted  a  potent  influence  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  hierarchy/ 
Caiaphas,  as  John  is  careful  to  remind  us,  "was  he,  which 
gave  counsel  to  the  Jews,  that  it  was  expedient  that  one 
man  should  die  for  the  people."6* 

At  the  palace  of  Caiaphas,  the  chief  priests,  scribes,  and 
elders  of  the  people  were  assembled,  in  a  meeting  of  the 
Sanhedrin,  informal  or  otherwise,  all  eagerly  awaiting  the 
result  of  the  expedition  led  by  Judas.  When  Jesus,  the 
object  of  their  bitter  hatred  and  their  predetermined  victim, 
was  brought  in,  a  bound  Prisoner,  He  was  immediately  put 
upon  trial  in  contravention  of  the  law,  both  written  and  tra- 
ditional, of  which  those  congregated  rulers  of  the  Jews  pro- 
fessed to  be  such  zealous  supporters.  No  legal  hearing  on 

ojohn    18:13,    24. 

&  Matt.    26:57;    Mark    14:53;    Luke   22:54. 

c  Note   1,   end  of   chapter. 

djohn   18:14;   compare   11:49,   50. 


622  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

a  capital  charge  could  lawfully  be  held  except  in  the  ap- 
pointed and  official  courtroom  of  the  Sanhedrin.  From  the 
account  given  in  the  fourth  Gospel  we  infer  that  the  Pris- 
oner was  first  subjected  to  an  interrogative  examination  by 
the  high  priest  in  person/  That  functionary,  whether  Annas, 
or  Caiaphas  is  a  matter  of  inference,  inquired  of  Jesus 
concerning  His  disciples  and  His  doctrines.  Such  a  prelim- 
inary inquiry  was  utterly  unlawful ;  for  the  Hebrew  code 
provided  that  the  accusing  witnesses  in  any  cause  before  the 
court  should  define  their  charge  against  the  accused,  and 
that  the  latter  should  be  protected  from  any  effort  to  make 
him  testify  against  himself.  The  Lord's  reply  should  have 
been  a  sufficient  protest  to  the  high  priest  against  further 
illegal  procedure.  "Jesus  answered  him,  I  spake  openly  to 
the  world ;  I  ever  taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  tem- 
ple, whither  the  Jews  always  resort ;  and  in  secret  have  I  said 
nothing.  Why  askest  thou  me  ? — ask  them  which  heard  me, 
what  I  have  said  unto  them :  behold,  they  know  what  I 
said."  This  was  a  lawful  objection  against  denying  to  a 
prisoner  on  trial  his  right  to  be  confronted  by  his  accusers. 
It  was  received  with  open  disdain ;  and  one  of  the  officers 
who  stood  by,  hoping  perhaps  to  curry  favor  with  his  superi- 
ors, actually  struck  Jesus  a  vicious  blow/  accompanied  by 
the  question,  ""Answerest  thou  the  high  priest  so  ?"  To  this 
cowardly  assault  the  Lord  replied  with  almost  superhuman 
gentleness:^  "If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the 
evil:  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me?"  Combined  with 
submissiveness,  however,  this  constituted  another  appeal  to 
the  principles  of  justice ;  if  what  Jesus  had  said  was  evil, 
why  did  not  the  assailant  accuse  Him ;  and  if  He  had  spoken 
well,  what  right  had  a  police  officer  to  judge,  condemn, 


ejohn   18:19-23. 

/The  common  text  of  John  18:22,  says  that  the  man  "struck  Jesus  with 
the  palm  of  his  hand,"  that  is  to  say  slapped  Him;  such  an  act  added 
humiliating  insult  to  violence;  the  marginal  reading  of  the  revised  version 
is  "with  a  rod."  There  is  lack  of  agreement  on  this  point  in  the  early  Mss. 

g  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SEARCH   FOR  FALSE  WITNESSES.  623 

and  punish,  and  that  too  in  the  presence  of  the  high  priest? 
Law  and  justice  had  been  dethroned  that  night. 

"Now  the  chief  priests,  and  elders,  and  all  the  council, 
sought  false  witness  against  Jesus,  to  put  him  to  death."1* 
Whether  "all  the  council"  means  a  legal  quorum,  which 
would  be  twenty-three  or  more,  or  a  full  attendance  of  the 
seventy-two  Sanhedrists,  is  of  small  importance.  Any  sit- 
ting of  the  Sanhedrin  at  night,  and  more  particularly  for  the 
consideration  of  a  capital  charge,  was  directly  in  violation 
of  Jewish  law.  Likewise  was  it  unlawful  for  the  council  to 
consider  such  a  charge  on  a  Sabbath,  a  feast  day,  or  on  the 
eve  of  any  such  day.  In  the  Sanhedrin,  every  member  was 
a  judge;  the  judicial  body  was  to  hear  the  testimony,  and, 
according  to  that  testimony  and  nought  else,  render  a  de- 
cision on  every  case  duly  presented.  The  accusers  were  re- 
quired to  appear  in  person ;  and  they  were  to  receive  a  pre- 
liminary warning  against  bearing  false  witness.  Every  de- 
fendant was  to  be  regarded  and  treated  as  innocent  until 
convicted  in  due  course.  But  in  the  so-called  trial  of  Jesus, 
the  judges  not  only  sought  witnesses,  but  specifically  tried 
to  find  false  witnesses.  Though  many  false  witnesses  came, 
yet  there  was  no  "witness"  or  testimony  against  the  Pris- 
oner, for  the  suborned  perjurers  failed  to  agree  among 
themselves;  and  even  the  lawless  Sanhedrists  hesitated  to 
openly  violate  the  fundamental  requirement  that  at  least  two 
concordant  witnesses  must  testify  against  an  accused  person, 
for,  otherwise,  the  case  had  to  be  dismissed. 

That  Jesus  was  to  be  convicted  on  some  charge  or  other, 
and  be  put  to  death,  had  been  already  determined  by  the 
priestly  judges ;  their  failure  to  find  witnesses  against  Him 
threatened  to  delay  the  carrying  out  of  their  nefarious 
scheme.  Haste  and  precipitancy  characterized  their  pro- 
cedure throughout ;  they  had  unlawfully  caused  Jesus  to  be 
arrested  at  night ;  they  were  illegally  going  through  the 


h  Matt.   26:59-61;    Mark   14:55-59. 


624  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3-4. 

semblance  of  a  trial  at  night;  their  purpose  was  to  convict 
the  Prisoner  in  time  to  have  Him  brought  before  the  Roman 
authorities  as  early  as  possible  in  the  morning — as  a  criminal 
duly  tried  and  adjudged  worthy  of  death.  The  lack  of  two 
hostile  witnesses  who  would  tell  the  same  falsehoods  was  a 
serious  hindrance.  But,  "at  the  last  came  two  false  wit- 
nesses, and  said,  This  fellow  said,  I  am  able  to  destroy  the 
temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three  days."  Others,  how- 
ever, testified :  "We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy  this  tem- 
ple that  is  made  with  hands,  and  within  three  days  I  will 
build  another  made  without  hands."1  And  so,  as  Mark  ob- 
serves, even  in  this  particular  their  "witness"  or  testimony 
did  not  agree.  Surely  in  a  case  at  bar,  such  discrepancy  as 
appears  between  "I  am  able  to"  and  "I  will,"  as  alleged  ut- 
terances of  the  accused,  is  of  vital  importance.  Yet  this 
semblance  of  formal  accusation  was  the  sole  basis  of  a  charge 
against  Christ  up  to  this  stage  of  the  trial.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  in  connection  with  the  first  clearing  of  the 
temple,  near  the  commencement  of  Christ's  ministry,  He  had 
answered  the  clamorous  demand  of  the  Jews  for  a  sign  of 
His  authority  by  saying  "Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three 
days  I  will  raise  it  up."  He  spoke  not  at  all  of  Himself  as 
the  one  who  would  destroy  ;  the  Jews  were  to  be  the  destroy- 
ers, He  the  restorer.  But  the  inspired  writer  is  particular 
to  explain  that  Jesus  "spake  of  the  temple  of  his  body,"  and 
not  at  all  of  those  buildings  reared  by  many 
•  One  may  reasonably  inquire  as  to  what  serious  import 
could  be  attached  to  even  such  a  declaration  as  the  perjured 
witnesses  claimed  to  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  Christ. 
The  veneration  with  which  the  Jews  professed  to  regard  the 
Holy  House,  however  wantonly  they  profaned  its  precincts, 
offers  a  partial  but  insufficient  answer.  The  plan  of  the  con- 
spiring rulers  appears  to  have  been  that  of  convicting  Christ 
on  a  charge  of  sedition,  making  Him  out  to  be  a  dangerous 

iMatt.    26:61    and    Mark    14:58. 

/John   2:18-22;   see   pages   156,   157  herein. 


THE  HIGH  PRIEST'S  UNRIGHTEOUS  ADJURATION.      625 

disturber  of  the  nation's  peace,  an  assailant  of  established 
institutions,  and  consequently  an  inciter  of  opposition  against 
the  vassal  autonomy  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  the  supreme 
dominion  of  Rome.* 

The  vaguely  defined  shadow  of  formal  accusation  pro- 
duced by  the  dark  and  inconsistent  testimony  of  the  false 
witnesses,  was  enough  to  embolden  the  iniquitous  court. 
Caiaphas,  rising  from  his  seat  to  give  dramatic  emphasis  to 
his  question,  demanded  of  Jesus :  "Answerest  thou  nothing? 
what  is  it  which  these  witness  against  thee?"  There  was 
nothing  to  answer.  No  consistent  or  valid  testimony  had 
been  presented  against  Him ;  therefore  He  stood  in  dignified 
silence.  Then  Caiaphas,  in  violation  of  the  legal  proscription 
against  requiring  any  person  to  testify  in  his  own  case  except 
voluntarily  and  on  his  own  initiative,  not  only  demanded  an 
answer  from  the  Prisoner,  but  exercized  the  potent  prerog- 
ative of  the  high-priestly  office,  to  put  the  accused  under 
oath,  as  a  witness  before  the  sacerdotal  court.  "And  the 
high  priest  answered  and  said  unto  him,  I  adjure  thee  by 
the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  be  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God."'  The  fact  of  a  distinct  specification  of 
"the  Christ"  and  "the  Son  of  God"  is  significant,  in  that  it 
implies  the  Jewish  expectation  of  a  Messiah,  but  does  not 
acknowledge  that  He  was  to  be  distinctively  of  divine  origin. 
Nothing  that  had  gone  before  can  be  construed  as  a  proper 
foundation  for  this  inquiry.  The  charge  of  sedition  was 
about  to  be  superseded  by  one  of  greater  enormity — that  of 
blasphemy.™ 

To  the  utterly  unjust  yet  official  adjuration  of  the  high 
priest,  Jesus  answered :  "Thou  hast  said :  nevertheless  I  say 
unto  you :  Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on 
the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven."  This,  expression  "Thou  hast  said"  was  equivalent 

k  Note  the  accusation  reported  to  Pilate  that  Jesus  was  guilty  of  "per- 
verting the  nation,"  Luke  23:2. 

/Matt.    26:63-66;    compare   Mark    14:61-64. 
m  Pages    191,   201. 


626  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

to — I  am  what  thou  hast  said."  It  was  an  unqualified  avowal 
of  divine  parentage,  and  inherent  Godship.  "Then  the  high 
priest  rent  his  clothes,  saying,  He  hath  spoken  blasphemy; 
what  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses?  behold,  now  ye 
have  heard  his  blasphemy.  What  think  ye  ?  They  answered 
and  said,  He  is  guilty  of  death."0 

Thus  the  judges  in  Israel,  comprizing  the  high  priest, 
the  chief  priests,  the  scribes  and  elders  of  the  people,  the 
Great  Sanhedrin,  unlawfully  assembled,  decreed  that  the  Son 
of  God  was  deserving  of  death,  on  no  evidence  save  that  of 
His  own  acknowledgment.  By  express  provision  the  Jew- 
ish code  forbade  the  conviction,  specifically  on  a  capital 
charge,  of  any  person  on  his  own  confession,  unless  that  was 
amply  supported  by  the  testimony  of  trustworthy  witnesses. 
As  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  Jesus  had  voluntarily  sur- 
rendered Himself,  so  before  the  judges  did  He  personally 
and  voluntarily  furnish  the  evidence  upon  which  they  un- 
righteously declared  Him  deserving  of  death.  There  could 
be  no  crime  in  the  claim  of  Messiahship  or  divine  Sonship, 
except  that  claim  was  false.  We  vainly  search  the  record  for 
even  an  intimation  that  inquiry  was  made  or  suggested  as 
to  the  grounds  upon  which  Jesus  based  His  exalted  claims. 
The  action  of  the  high  priest  in  rending  his  garments  was  a 
dramatic  affectation  of  pious  horror  at  the  blasphemy  with 
which  his  ears  had  been  assailed.  It  was  expressly  forbid- 
den in  the  law  that  the  high  priest  rend  his  clothes  f  but 
from  extra-scriptural  writings  we  learn  that  the  rending  of 
garments  as  an  attestation  of  most  grievous  guilt,  such  as 
that  of  blasphemy,  was  allowable  under  traditional  rule.? 
There  is  no  indication  that  the  vote  of  the  judges  was  taken 
and  recorded  in  the  precise  and  orderly  manner  required  by 
the  law. 


n  Compare  Mark   14:62. 

o  Matt.  26:65,  66.     Revised  version  reads:    "He  is  worthy  of  death,"  and 
gives   in   margin   a   yet   more   literal   rendering:    "liable   to"   death. 
£Lev.    21:10. 
gjosephus,    Wars,    ii,    15:2,    4;    also    1    Maccabees    11:71. 


BLASPHEMOUS  INDIGNITIES.  627 

Jesus  stood  convicted  of  the  most  heinous  offense  known 
in  Jewry.  However  unjustly,  He  had  been  pronounced 
guilty  of  blasphemy  by  the  supreme  tribunal  of  the  nation. 
In  strict  accuracy  we  cannot  say  that  the  Sanhedrists  sen- 
tenced Christ  to  death,  inasmuch  as  the  power  to  authori- 
tatively pronounce  capital  sentences  had  been  taken  from  the 
Jewish  council  by  Roman  decree.  The  high-priestly  court, 
however,  decided  that  Jesus  was  worthy  of  death,  and  so 
certified  when  they  handed  Him  over  to  Pilate.  In  their  ex- 
cess of  malignant  hate,  Israel's  judges  abandoned  their  Lord 
to  the  wanton  will  of  the  attendant  varlets,  who  heaped  upon 
Him  every  indignity  their  brutish  instincts  could  suggest. 
They  spurted  their  foul  spittle  into  His  face  \r  and  then,  hav- 
ing blindfolded  Him,  amused  themselves  by  smiting  Him 
again  and  again,  saying  the  while ;  "Prophesy  unto  us, 
thou  Christ,  Who  is  he  that  smote  thee?"  The  miscreant 
crowd  mocked  Him,  and  railed  upon  Him  with  jeers  and 
taunts,  and  branded  themselves  as  blasphemers  in  fact/ 

The  law  and  the  practise  of  the  time  required  that  any 
person  found  guilty  of  a  capital  offense,  after  due  trial  be- 
fore a  Jewish  tribunal,  should  be  given  a  second  trial  on 
the  following  day ;  and  at  this  later  hearing  any  or  all  of  the 
judges  who  had  before  voted  for  conviction  could  reverse 
themselves;  but  no  one  who  had  once  voted  for  acquittal 
could  change  his  ballot.  A  bare  majority  was  sufficient  for 
acquittal,  but  more  than  a  majority  was  required  for  convic- 
tion. By  a  provision  that  must  appear  to  us  most  unusual, 
if  all  the  judges  voted  for  conviction  on  a  capital  charge  the 
verdict  was  not  to  stand  and  the  accused  had  to  be  set  at 
liberty ;  for,  it  was  argued,  a  unanimous  vote  against  a  pris- 
oner indicated  that  he  had  had  no  friend  or  defender  in 
court,  and  that  the  judges  might  have  been  in  conspiracy 
against  Him.  Under  this  rule  in  Hebrew  jurisprudence  the 
verdict  against  Jesus,  rendered  at  the  illegal  night  session 


rMatt.    26:67;    Mark    14:65;    compare    Luke    18:32;    see    also    Isa.    50:6. 
jMatt.    26:68;    Luke    22:62-65, 


628'  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

of  the  Sanhedrists,  was  void,  for  we  are  specifically  told  that 
"they  all  condemned  him  to  be  guilty  of  death."* 

Apparently  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  shadowy 
pretext  of  legality  in  their  procedure,  the  Sanhedrists  ad- 
journed to  meet  again  in  early  daylight.  Thus  they  tech- 
nically complied  with  the  requirement — that  on  every  case  in 
which  the  death  sentence  had  been  decreed  the  court  should 
hear  and  judge  a  second  time  in  a  later  session — but  they 
completely  ignored  the  equally  mandatory  provision  that  the 
second  trial  must  be  conducted  on  the  day  following  that  of 
the  first  hearing.  Between  the  two  sittings  on  consecutive 
days  the  judges  were  required  to  fast  and  pray,  and  to  give 
the  case  on  trial  calm  and  earnest  consideration. 

Luke,  who  records  no  details  of  the  night  trial  of  Jesus, 
is  the  only  Gospel-writer  to  give  place  to  a  circumstantial 
report  of  the  morning  session.  He  says :  "And  as  soon  as  it 
was  day,  the  elders  of  the  people  and  the  chief  priests  and 
the  scribes  came  together,  and  led  him  into  their  council."" 
Some  Biblical  scholars  have  construed  the  expression,  "led 
him  into  their  council,"  as  signifying  that  Jesus  was  con- 
demned by  the  Sanhedrin  in  the  appointed  meeting-place  of 
the  court,  viz.  Gazith  or  the  Hall  of  Hewn  Stones,  as  the  law 
of  the  time  required ;  but  against  this  we  have  the  statement 
of  John  that  they  led  Jesus  directly  from  Caiaphas  to  the 
Roman  hall  of  judgments 

It  is  probable,  that  at  this  early  daylight  session,  the 
irregular  proceedings  of  the  dark  hours  were  approved,  and 
the  details  of  further  procedure  decided  upon.  They  "took 
counsel  against  Jesus  to  put  him  to  death"  ;  nevertheless  they 
went  through  the  form  of  a  second  trial,  the  issue  of  which 
was  greatly  facilitated  by  the  Prisoner's  voluntary  affirma- 
tions. The  judges  stand  without  semblance  of  justification 
for  calling  upon  the  Accused  to  testify ;  they  should  have 


fMark  14:64. 
«Luke  22:66. 
vjohn  18:28. 


THE  SON  OF  MAN  FALSELY  CONVICTED  OF  BLASPHEMY.  629 

examined  anew  the  witnesses  against  Him.  The  first  ques- 
tion put  to  Him  was,  "Art  thou  the  Christ?  tell  us."  The 
Lord  made  dignified  reply :  "If  I  tell  you,  ye  will  not  be- 
lieve :  and  if  I  also  ask  you,  ye  will  not  answer  me,  nor  let 
me  go.  Hereafter  shall  the  Son  of  man  sit  on  the  right  hand 
of  the  power  of  God."  Neither  did  the  question  imply  nor 
the  answer  furnish  cause  for  condemnation.  The  whole  na- 
tion was  looking  for  the  Messiah ;  and  if  Jesus  claimed  to  be 
He,  the  only  proper  judicial  action  would  be  that  of  inquir- 
ing into  the  merit  of  the  claim.  The  crucial  question  fol- 
lowed immediately :  "Art  thou  then  the  Son  of  God  ?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Ye  say  that  I  am.  And  they  said,  What 
need  we  any  further  witness?  for  we  ourselves  have  heard 
of  his  own  mouth. "w 

Jehovah  was  convicted  of  blasphemy  against  Jehovah. 
The  only  mortal  Being  to  whom  the  awful  crime  of  blas- 
phemy, in  claiming  divine  attributes  and  powers,  was  im- 
possible, stood  before  the  judges  of  Israel  condemned  as  a 
blasphemer.  The  "whole  council,"  by  which  expression  we 
may  possibly  understand  a  legal  quorum,  was  concerned  in 
the  final  action.  Thus  ended  the  miscalled  "trial"  of  Jesus 
before  the  high-priest  and  elders*  of  His  people.  "Arid 
straightway  in  the  morning  the  chief  priests  held  a  consul- 
tation with  the  elders  and  scribes  and  the  whole  council,  and 
bound  Jesus,  and  carried  him  away,  and  delivered  him  to 
Pilate."^  During  the  few  hours  that  remained  to  Him  in 
mortality,  He  would  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles,  betrayed 
and  delivered  up  by  His  own.2 

PETER'S  DENIAL  OF  HIS  LORD." 

When  Jesus  was  taken  into  custody  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  all  the  Eleven  forsook  Him  and  fled.  This  is 


wLuke    22:66-71. 

x  Note   3,    end    of   chapter. 

yMark   15:1;   compare   Matt.   27:1,  2;   John   18:28. 

s  Note  4,  end  of  chapter,  gives  further  details  of  the  unlawful  irregu- 
larities of  the  Jewish  trial  of  Jesus. 

a  Matt.  26:58,  69-75;  Mark  14:54,  66-72;  Luke  22:54-62;  John  18:15-18, 
25-27. 


630  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

not  to  be  accounted  as  certain  evidence  of  cowardice,  for 
the  Lord  had  indicated  that  they  should  go.&  Peter  and  at 
least  one  other  disciple  followed  afar  off;  and,  after  the 
armed  guard  had  entered  the  palace  of  the  high  priest  with 
their  Prisoner,  Peter  "went  in,  and  sat  with  the  servants  to 
see  the  end."  He  was  assisted  in  securing  admittance  by  the 
unnamed  disciple,  who  was  on  terms  of  acquaintanceship 
with  the  high  priest.  That  other  disciple  was  in  all  probabil- 
ity John,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  is  men- 
tioned only  in  the  fourth  Gospel,  the  author  of  which  charac- 
teristically refers  to  himself  anonymously/ 

While  Jesus  was  before  the  Sanhedrists,  Peter  remained 
below  with  the  servants.  The  attendant  at  the  door  was  a 
young  woman ;  her  feminine  suspicions  had  been  aroused 
when  she  admitted  Peter,  and  as  he  sat  with  a  crowd  in  the 
palace  court  she  came  up,  and  having  intently  observed  him, 
said:  "Thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Galilee."  But  Peter 
denied,  averring  he  did  not  know  Jesus.  Peter  was  restless ; 
his  conscience  and  the  fear  of  identification  as  one  of  the 
Lord's  disciples  troubled  him.  He  left  the  crowd  and  sought 
partial  seclusion  in  the  porch ;  but  there  another  maid  spied 
him  out,  and  said  to  those  nearby :  "This  fellow  was  also 
with  Jesus  of  Nazareth" ;  to  which  accusation  Peter  replied 
with  an  oath :  "I  do  not  know  the  man." 

The  April  night  was  chilly,  and  an  open  fire  had  been 
made  in  the  hall  or  court  of  the  palace.  Peter  sat  with  oth- 
ers at  the  fire,  thinking,  perhaps,  that  brazen  openness  was 
better  than  skulking  caution  as  a  possible  safeguard  against 
detection.  About  an  hour  after  his  former  denials,  some  of 
the  men  around  the  fire  charged  him  with  being  a  disciple 
of  Jesus,  and  referred  to  his  Galilean  dialect  as  evidence  that 
he  was  at  least  a  fellow  countryman  with  the  high  priest's 
Prisoner;  but,  most  threatening  of  all,  a  kinsman  of  Mal- 


fcjohn    18:8,    9;    page    615    herein. 

cjohn    1:35,   40;    13:23;    19:26;   20:2;   21:7,   20,   24. 


631 

chus,  whose  ear  Peter  had  slashed  with  the  sword,  asked  per- 
emptorily :  "Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him  ?" 
Then  Peter  went  so  far  in  the  course  of  falsehood  upon 
which  he  had  entered  as  to  curse  and  swear,  and  to  vehem- 
ently declare  for  the  third  time,  "I  know  not  the  man." 
As  the  last  profane  falsehood  left  his  lips,  the  clear  notes  of 
a  crowing  cock  broke  upon  his  ears,rf  and  the  remembrance 
of  his  Lord's  prediction  welled  up  in  his  mind.  Trembling 
in  wretched  realization  of  his  perfidious  cowardice,  he  turned 
from  the  crowd  and  met  the  gaze  of  the  suffering  Christ, 
who  from  the  midst  of  the  insolent  mob  looked  into  the  face 
of  His  boastful,  yet  loving  but  weak  apostle.  Hastening 
from  the  palace,  Peter  went  out  into  the  night,  weeping  bit- 
terly. As  his  later  life  attests,  his  tears  were  those  of  real 
contrition  and  true  repentance. 

CHRIST'S  FIRST  APPEARANCE  BEFORE  PILATE. 

As  we  have  already  learned,  no  Jewish  tribunal  had 
authority  to  inflict  the  death  penalty ;  imperial  Rome  had 
reserved  this  prerogative  as  her  own.  The  united  acclaim 
of  the  Sanhedrists,  that  Jesus  was  deserving  of  death,  would 
be  ineffective  until  sanctioned  by  the  emperor's  deputy,  who 
at  that  time  was  Pontius  Pilate,  the  governor,  or  more  prop- 
erly, procurator,  of  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Idumea.  Pilate 
maintained  his  official  residence  at  Csesarea/  on  the  Medi- 
terranean shore ;  but  it  was  his  custom  to  be  present  in 
Jerusalem  at  the  times  of  the  great  Hebrew  feasts,  probably 
in  the  interest  of  preserving  order,  or  of  promptly  quelling 
any  disturbance  amongst  the  vast  and  heterogeneous  multi- 
tudes by  which  the  city  was  thronged  on  these  festive  occa- 
sions. The  governor  with  his  attendants  was  in  Jerusalem 
at  this  momentous  Passover  season.  Early  on  Friday  morn- 

d  Observe  that  Mark,  who  alone  states  that  the  Lord  said  to  Peter 
before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice,"  (14  ;30)  records 
a  first  crowing  of  the  cock  after  Peter's  first  denial  (v.  68)  and  a  second 
crowing  after  the  third  denial  (v.  72). 

e  Cxsarea   Palestina,   not    Caesarea   Philippi. 


632  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34 

ing,  the  "whole  council,"  that  is  to  say,  the  Sanhedrin,  led 
Jesus,  bound,  to  the  judgment  hall  of  Pontius  Pilate;  but 
with  strict  scrupulosity  they  refrained  from  entering  the  hall 
lest  they  become  defiled;  for  the  judgment  chamber  was 
part  of  the  house  of  a  Gentile,  and  somewhere  therein  might 
be  leavened  bread,  even  to  be  near  which  would  render  them 
ceremonially  unclean.  Let  every  one  designate  for  himself 
the  character  of  men  afraid  of  the  mere  proximity  of  leaven, 
while  thirsting  for  innocent  blood ! 

In  deference  to  their  scruples  Pilate  came  out  from  the 
palace ;  and,  as  they  delivered  up  to  him  their  Prisoner, 
asked  :  "What  accusation  bring  ye  against  this  man  ?"  The 
question,  though  strictly  proper  and  judicially  necessary, 
surprized  and  disappointed  the  priestly  rulers,  who  evidently 
had  expected  that  the  governor  would  simply  approve  their 
verdict  as  a  matter  of  form  and  give  sentence  accordingly ; 
but  instead  of  doing  so,  Pilate  was  apparently  about  to  exer- 
cize his  authority  of  original  jurisdiction.  With  poorly  con- 
cealed chagrin,  their  spokesman,  probably  Caiaphas,  an- 
swered :  "If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have 
delivered  him  up  unto  thee."  It  was  now  Pilate's  turn  to 
feel  or  at  least  to  feign  umbrage,  and  he  replied  in  effect : 
Oh,  very  well ;  if  you  don't  care  to  present  the  charge  in 
proper  order,  take  ye  him,  and  judge  him  according  to  your 
law;  don't  trouble  me  with  the  matter.  But  the  Jews  re- 
joined :  "It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death." 

John  the  apostle  intimates  in  this  last  remark  a  deter- 
mination on  the  part  of  the  Jews  to  have  Jesus  put  to  death 
not  only  by  the  Roman  sanction  but  by  Roman  executioners  •/ 
for,  as  we  readily  may  see,  had  Pilate  approved  the  death 
sentence  and  handed  the  Prisoner  over  to  the  Jews  for  its 
infliction,  Jesus  would  have  been  stoned,  in  accordance  with 
the  Hebrew  penalty  for  blasphemy ;  whereas  the  Lord  had 
plainly  foretold  that  His  death  would  be  by  crucifixion, 


/John    18:28-32. 


CHRIST    FALSELY   ACCUSED   BEFORE    PILATE.  633 

which  was  a  Roman  method  of  execution,  but  one  never 
practised  by  the  Jews.  Furthermore,  if  Jesus  had  been  put 
to  death  by  the  Jewish  rulers,  even  with  governmental  sanc- 
tion, an  insurrection  among  the  people  might  have  resulted, 
for  there  were  many  who  believed  on  Him.  The  crafty 
hierarchs  were  determined  to  bring  about  His  death  under 
Roman  condemnation. 

"And  they  began  to  accuse  him,  saying,  We  found  this 
fellow  perverting  the  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute 
to  Csesar,  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  King."^  It  is 
important  to  note  that  no  accusation  of  blasphemy  was  made 
to  Pilate ;  had  such  been  presented,  the  governor,  thoroughly 
pagan  in  heart  and  mind,  would  probably  have  dismissed  the 
charge  as  utterly  unworthy  of  a  hearing ;  for  Rome  with  her 
many  gods,  whose  number  was  being  steadily  increased  by 
current  heathen  deification  of  mortals,  knew  no  such  offense 
as  blasphemy  in  the  Jewish  sense.  The  accusing  Sanhedrists 
hesitated  not  to  substitute  for  blasphemy,  which  was  the 
greatest  crime  known  to  the  Hebrew  code,  the  charge  of 
high  treason,  which  was  the  gravest  offense  listed  in  the 
Roman  category  of  crimes.  To  the  vociferous  accusations 
of  the  chief  priests  and  elders,  the  calm  and  dignified  Christ 
deigned  no  reply.  To  them  He  had  spoken  for  the  last  time 
— until  the  appointed  season  of  another  trial,  in  which  He 
shall  be  the  Judge,  and  they  the  prisoners  at  the  bar. 

Pilate  was  surprized  at  the  submissive  yet  majestic  de- 
meanor of  Jesus ;  there  was  certainly  much  that  was  kingly 
about  the  Man ;  never  before  had  such  a  One  stood  before 
him  -  The  charge,  however,  was  a  serious  one ;  men  who 
claimed  title  to  kingship  might  prove  dangerous  to  Rome ; 
yet  to  the  charge  the  Accused  answered  nothing.  Entering 
the  judgment  hall,  Pilate  had  Jesus  called.'1  That  some  of 
the  disciples,  and  among  them  almost  certainly  John,  alsc 

q  Luke  23:2. 

h  John    18:33-38;    compare    Matt.    27:11;    Mark    15:2;    Luke   23:3,    4. 


634  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

went. in,  is  apparent  from  the  detailed  accounts  of  the  pro- 
ceedings preserved  in  the  fourth  Gospel.  Anyone  was  at 
liberty  to  enter,  for  publicity  was  an  actual  and  a  widely  pro- 
claimed feature  of  Roman  trials. 

Pilate,  plainly  without  animosity  or  prejudice  against 
Jesus,  asked:  ''Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?  Jesus 
answered  him,  Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  did  oth- 
ers tell  it  thee  of  me?"  The  Lord's  counter-question,  as  Pi- 
late's rejoinder  shows,  meant,  and  was  understood  to  mean, 
as  we  might  state  it :  Do  you  ask  this  in  the  Roman  and  lit- 
eral sense — as  to  whether  I  am  a  king  of  an  earthly  king- 
dom— or  with  the  Jewish  and  more  spiritual  meaning?  A 
direct  answer  "Yes"  would  have  been  true  in  the  Messianic 
sense,  but  untrue  in  the  worldly  signification ;  and  "No" 
could  have  been  inversely  construed  as  true  or  untrue.  "Pi- 
late answered,  Am  I  a  Jew  ?  Thine  own  nation  and  the  chief 
priests  have  delivered  thee  unto  me:  what  hast  thou  done? 
Jesus  answered,  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world :  if  my 
kingdom  were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight, 
that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews :  but  now  is  my 
kingdom  not  from  hence.  Pilate  therefore  said  unto  him, 
Art  thou  a  king  then?  Jesus  answered,  Thou  sayest  that  I 
am  a  king.  To  this  end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came 
I  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth. 
Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice." 

It  was  clear  to  the  Roman  governor  that  this  wonderful 
Man,  with  His  exalted  views  of  a  kingdom  not  of  this 
world,  and  an  empire  of  truth  in  which  He  was  to  reign,  was 
no  political  insurrectionist ;  and  that  to  consider  Him  a 
menace  to  Roman  institutions  would  be  absurd.  Those  last 
words — about  truth — were  of  all  the  most  puzzling;  Pilate 
was  restive,  and  perhaps  a  little  frightened  under  their  im- 
port. "What  is  truth?"  he  rather  exclaimed  in  apprehen- 
sion than  inquired  in  expectation  of  an  answer,  as  he  started 
to  leave  the  hall.  To  the  Jews  without  he  announced  offi- 


CHRIST  IN  DIGNIFIED  SILENCE  BEFORE  HEROD.  635 

cially  the  acquittal  of  the  Prisoner.    "I  find  in  him  no  fault 
at  all"  was  the  verdict. 

But  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  and  elders  of  the  people 
were  undeterred.  Their  thirst  for  the  blood  of  the  Holy 
One  had  developed  into  mania.  Wildly  and  fiercely  they 
shrieked :  "He  stirreth  up  the  people,  teaching  throughout 
all  Jewry,  beginning  from  Galilee  to  this  place."  The  men- 
tion of  Galilee  suggested  to  Pilate  a  new  course  of  procedure. 
Having  confirmed  by  inquiry  that  Jesus  was  a  Galilean,  he 
determined  to  send  the  Prisoner  to  Herod,  the  vassal  ruler 
of  that  province,  who  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time.1  By 
this  action  Pilate  hoped  to  rid  himself  of  further  responsi- 
bility in  the  case,  and  moreover,  Herod,  with  whom  he  had 
been  at  enmity,  might  be  placated  thereby. 

CHRIST  BEFORF,  HEROD.'* 

Herod  Antipas,  the  degenerate  son  of  his  infamous  sire, 
Herod  the  Great,*  was  at  this  time  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and 
Perea,  and  by  popular  usage,  though  without  imperial  sanc- 
tion, was  flatteringly  called  king.  He  it  was  who,  in  fulfil- 
ment of  an  unholy  vow  inspired  by  a  woman's  voluptuous 
blandishments,  had  ordered  the  murder  of  John  the  Baptist. 
He  ruled  as  a  Roman  vassal,  and  professed  to  be  orthodox 
in  the  observances  of  Judaism.  He  had  come  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem, in  state,  to  keep  the  feast  of  the  Passover.  Herod  was 
pleased  to  have  Jesus  sent  to  him  by  Pilate;  for,  not  only 
was  the  action  a  gracious  one  on  the  part  of  the  procurator, 
constituting  as  after  events  proved  a  preliminary  to  recon- 
ciliation between  the  two  rulers/  but  it  was  a  means  of  grat- 
ifying Herod's  curiosity  to  see  Jesus,  of  whom  he  had  heard 
so  much,  whose  fame  had  terrified  him,  and  by  whom  he 
now  hoped  to  see  some  interesting  miracle  wrought."1 

iLuke  23:5-7. 

/Luke    23:8-12. 

k  Pages    110,    118;    see   also   page   106. 

/Luke   23:12. 

m  Matt.    14:1;    Mark  6:14;    Luke  9:7,   9, 


636  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

Whatever  fear  Herod  had  once  felt  regarding  Jesus, 
whom  he  had  superstitiously  thought  to  be  the  reincarna- 
tion of  his  murdered  victim,  John  the  Baptist,  was  replaced 
by  amused  interest  when  he  saw  the  far-famed  Prophet  of 
Galilee  in  bonds  before  him,  attended  by  a  Roman  guard, 
and  accompanied  by  ecclesiastical  officials.  Herod  began  to 
question  the  Prisoner ;  but  Jesus  remained  silent.  The  chief 
priests  and  scribes  vehemently  voiced'  their  accusations ;  but 
not  a  word  was  uttered  by  the  Lord.  Herod  is  the  only  char- 
acter in  history  to  whom  Jesus  is  known  to  have  applied  a  per- 
sonal epithet  of  contempt.  "Go  ye  and  tell  that  fox"  He  once 
said  to  certain  Pharisees  who  had  come  to  Him  with  the 
story  that  Herod  intended  to  kill  Him."  As  far  as  we  know, 
Herod  is  further  distinguished  as  the  only  being  who  saw 
Christ  face  to  face  and  spoke  to  Him,  yet  never  heard  His 
voice.  For  penitent  sinners,  weeping  women,  prattling  chil- 
dren, for  the  scribes,  the  Pharisees,  the  Sadducees,  the  rab- 
bis, for  the  perjured  high  priest  and  his  obsequious  and  inso- 
lent underling,  and  for  Pilate  the  pagan,  Christ  had  words — 
of  comfort  or  instruction,  of  warning  or  rebuke,  of  protest  or 
denunciation — yet  for  Herod  the  fox  He  had  but  disdainful 
and  kingly  silence.  Thoroughly  piqued,  Herod  turned  from 
insulting  questions  to  acts  of  malignant  derision.  He  and  his 
men-at-arms  made  sport  of  the  suffering  Christ,  "set  him  at 
nought  and  mocked  him" ;  then  in  travesty  they  "arrayed 
him  in  a  gorgeous  robe  and  sent  him  again  to  Pilate."0  Her- 
od had  found  nothing  in  Jesus  to  warrant  condemnation. 

CHRIST  AGAIN    BEFORE  P 

The  Roman  procurator,  finding  tnat  he  could  not  evade 
further  consideration  of  the  case,  "called  together  the  chief 
priests  and  the  rulers  of  the  people,"  and  "said  unto  them, 

n  Luke  13:31,  32;  page  446  herein. 

o  Luke  23:11.  Revised  version  reads,  "arraying  him  in  gorgeous  ap- 
parel." Clarke  ("Commentaries")  and  many  other  writers  assume  that  the 
robe  was  white,  that  being  the  usual  color  of  dress  amongst  the  Jewish 
nobility. 

/>Luke    23:13-25;    Matt.    27:15-31;    Mark    15:6-20;    John    18:39,    40;    19:1-16. 


PILATE  PRONOUNCES  JESUS   INNOCENT.  637 

Ye  have  brought  this  man  unto  me,  as  one  that  perverteth 
the  people:  and,  behold,  I,  having  examined  him  before 
you,  have  found  no  fault  in  this  man  touching  those  things 
vvhereof  ye  accuse  him :  No,  nor  yet  Herod :  for  I  sent  you 
to  him;  and,  lo,  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done  unto  him. 
I  will  therefore  chastise  him,  and  release  him."  Pilate's 
desire  to  save  Jesus  from  death  was  just  and  genuine;  his 
intention  of  scourging  the  Prisoner,  whose  innocence  he 
had  affirmed  and  reaffirmed,  was  an  infamous  concession  to 
Jewish  prejudice.  He  knew  that  the  charge  of  sedition  and 
treason  was  without  foundation ;  and  that  even  the  framing 
of  such  an  accusation  by  the  Jewish  hierarchy,. whose  simu- 
lated loyalty  to  Caesar  was  but  a  cloak  for  inherent  and  un- 
dying hatred,  was  ridiculous  in  the  extreme ;  and  he  fully 
realized  that  the  priestly  rulers  had  delivered  Jesus  into  his 
hands  because  of  envy  and  malice. ? 

It  was  the  custom  for  the  governor  at  the  Passover  sea- 
son to  pardon  and  release  any  one  condemned  prisoner 
whom  the  people  might  name.  On  that  day  there  lay  in  dur- 
ance, awaiting  execution,  "a  notable  prisoner,  called  Barab- 
bas/' who  had  been  found  guilty  of  sedition,  in  that  he  had 
incited  the  people  to  insurrection,  and  had  committed  mur- 
der. This  man  stood  convicted  of  the  very  charge  on  which 
Pilate  specifically  and  Herod  by  implication  had  pronounced 
Jesus  innocent,  and  Barabbas  was  a  murderer  in  addition. 
Pilate  thought  to  pacify  the  priests  and  people  by  releasing 
Jesus  as  the  subject  of  Passover  leniency;  this  would  be  a 
tacit  recognition  of  Christ's  conviction  before  the  ecclesias- 
tical court,  and  practically  an  endorsement  of  the  death  sen- 
tence, superseded  by  official  pardon.  Therefore  he  asked  of 
them :  "Whom  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ?  Barabbas,  or 
Jesus  which  is  called  Christ?"  There  appears  to  have  been 
a  brief  interval  between  Pilate's  question  and  the  people's 
answer,  during  which  the  chief  priests  and  elders  busied 


qMatt.  27:18;  Mark  15:10. 


638  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

themselves  amongst  the  multitude,  urging  them  to  demand 
the  release  of  the  insurrectionist  and  murderer.  So,  when 
Pilate  reiterated  the  question :  "Whether  of  the  twain  will 
ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ?"  assembled  Israel  cried  "Barab- 
bas."  Pilate,  surprized,  disappointed,  and  angered,  then 
asked:  "What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus  which  is  called 
Christ?  They  all  say  unto  him,  Let  him  be  crucified.  And 
the  governor  said,  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done?  But  they 
cried  out  the  more,  saying,  Let  him  be  crucified." 

The  Roman  governor  was  sorely  troubled  and  inwardly 
afraid.  To  add  to  his  perplexity  he  received  a  warning  mes- 
sage from  his  wife,  even  as  he  sat  on  the  judgment  seat: 
"Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man :  for  I  have 
suffered  many  things  this  day  in  a  dream  because  of  him." 
Those  who  know  not  God  are  characteristically  superstitious. 
Pilate  feared  to  think  what  dread  portent  his  wife's  dream 
might  presage.  But,  finding  that  he  could  not  prevail,  and 
foreseeing  a  tumult  among  the  people  if  he  persisted  in  the 
defense  of  Christ,  he  called  for  water  and  washed  his  hands 
before  the  multitude — a  symbolic  act  of  disclaiming  respon- 
sibility, which  they  all  understood — proclaiming  the  while : 
"I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person :  see  ye  to  it." 
Then  rose  that  awful  self-condemnatory  cry  of  the  covenant 
people  :  "His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children."  History 
bears  an  appalling  testimony  to  the  literal  fulfilment  of  that 
dread  invocation/  Pilate  released  Barabbas,  and  gave  Jesus 
into  the  custody  of  the  soldiers  to  be  scourged. 

Scourging  was  a  frightful  preliminary  to  death  on  the 
cross.  The  instrument  of  punishment  was  a  whip  of  many 
thongs,  loaded  with  metal  and  edged  with  jagged  pieces  of 
bone.  Instances  are  of  record  in  which  the  condemned  died 
under  the  lash  and  so  escaped  the  horrors  of  living  cruci- 
fixion. In  accordance  with  the  brutal  customs  of  the  time, 
Jesus,  weak  and  bleeding  from  the  fearful  scourging  He  had 

r  Note   5.    end   of   chanter. 


JESUS  SUBJECTED  TO  TORTURE  AND  RIBALD  MOCKERY.  639 

undergone,  was  given  over  to  the  half-savage  soldiers  for 
their  amusement.  He  was  no  ordinary  victim,  so  the  whole 
band  came  together  in  the  Pretorium,  or  great  hall  of  the 
palace,  to  take  part  in  the  diabolical  sport.  They  stripped 
Jesus  of  His  outer  raiment,  and  placed  upon  Him  a  purple 
robe/  Then  with  a  sense  of  fiendish  realism  they  platted  a 
crown  of  thorns,  and  placed  it  about  the  Sufferer's  brows; 
a  reed  was  put  into  His  right  hand  as  a  royal  scepter ;  and, 
as  they  bowed  in  a  mockery  of  homage,  they  saluted  Him 
with :  "Hail,  King  of  the  Jews !"  Snatching  away  the  reed 
or  rod,  they  brutally  smote  Him  with  it  upon  the  head,  driv- 
ing the  cruel  thorns  into  His  quivering  flesh;  they  slapped 
Him  with  their  hands,  and  spat  upon  Him  in  vile  and  vicious 
abandonment/ 

Pilate  had  probably  been  a  silent  observer  of  this  bar- 
barous scene.  He  stopped  it,  and  determined  to  make  an- 
other attempt  to  touch  the  springs  of  Jewish  pity,  if  such  ex- 
isted. He  went  outside,  and  to  the  multitude  said :  "Behold, 
I  bring  him  forth  to  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  find  no 
fault  in  him."  This  was  the  governor's  third  definite  procla- 
mation of  the  Prisoner's  innocence.  "Then  came  Jesus  forth, 
wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  purple  robe.  And  Pi- 
late saith  unto  them,  Behold  the  man  !"M  Pilate  seems  to  have 
counted  on  the  pitiful  sight  of  the  scourged  and  bleeding 
Christ  to  soften  the  hearts  of  the  maddened  Jews.  But  the 
effect  failed.  Think  of  the  awful  fact — a  heathen,  a  pagan, 
who  knew  not  God,  pleading  with  the  priests  and  people  of 
Israel  for  the  life  of  their  Lord  and  King !  When,  unmoved 
by  the  sight,  the  chief  priests  and  officers  cried  with  increas- 
ing vindictiveness,  "crucify  him,  crucify  him,"  Pilate  pro- 
nounced the  fatal  sentence,  "Take  ye  him  and  crucify  him," 
but  added  with  bitter  emphasis :  "I  find  no  fault  in  him." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  only  charge  preferred 


s  Matthew    says   "scarlet,"   Mark  and   John   say   "purple." 
t  Compare    Luke    18:32. 
u  "Ecce  Homo." 


640  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

against  Christ  before  the  Roman  governor  was  that  of  sedi- 
tion ;  the  Jewish  persecutors  had  carefully  avoided  even  the 
mention  of  blasphemy,  which  was  the  offense  for  which  they 
had  adjudged  Jesus  worthy  of  death.  Now  that  sentence 
of  crucifixion  had  been  extorted  from  Pilate,  they  brazenly 
attempted  to  make  it  appear  that  the  governor's  mandate 
was  but  a  ratification  of  their  own  decree  of  death ;  there- 
fore they  said :  "We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought 
to  die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God."  What 
did  it  mean?  That  awe-inspiring  title,  Son  of  God,  struck 
yet  deeper  into  Pilate's  troubled  conscience.  Once  more  he 
took  Jesus  into  the  judgment  hall,  and  in  trepidation  asked, 
"Whence  art  thou?"  The  inquiry  was  as  to  whether  Jesus 
was  human  or  superhuman.  A  direct  avowal  of  the  Lord's 
divinity  would  have  frightened  but  could  not  have  enlight- 
ened the  heathen  ruler ;  therefore  Jesus  gave  no  answer.  Pi- 
late was  further  surprized,  and  perhaps  somewhat  offended 
at  this  seeming  disregard  of  his  authority.  He  demanded  an 
explanation,  saying:  "Speakest  thou  not  unto  me?  knowest 
thou  not  that  I  have  power  to  crucify  thee,  and  have  power 
to  release  thee  ?"  Then  Jesus  replied  :  "Thou  couldest  have 
no  power  at  all  against  me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from 
above :  therefore  he  that  delivered  me  unto  thee  hath  the 
greater  sin."  The  positions  were  reversed ;  Christ  was  the 
Judge,  and  Pilate  the  subject  of  His  decision.  Though  not 
found  guiltless,  the  Roman  was  pronounced  less  culpable 
than  he  or  those  who  had  forced  Jesus  into  his  power,  and 
who  had  demanded  of  him  an  unrighteous  committal. 

The  governor,  though  having  pronounced  sentence,  yet 
sought  means  of  releasing  the  submissive  Sufferer.  His  first 
evidence  of  wavering  was  greeted  by  the  Jews  with  the  cry, 
"If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend :  who- 
soever maketh  himself  a  king  speaketh  against  Caesar."  Pi- 
late took  his  place  in  the  judgment  seat,  which  was  set  up 
in  the  place  of  the  Pavement,  or  Gabbatha,  outside  the  hall. 


"NO  KING  BUT  CAESAR."  641 

He  was  resentful  against  those  Jews  who  had  dared  to  inti- 
mate that  he  was  no  friend  of  Caesar,  and  whose  intimation 
might  lead  to  an  embassy  of  complaint  being  sent  to  Rome 
to  misrepresent  him  in  exaggerated  accusation.  Pointing 
to  Jesus,  he  exclaimed  with  unveiled  sarcasm :  "Behold  your 
King !"  But  the  Jews  answered  in  threatening  and  ominous 
shouts :  "Away  with  him,  away  with  him,  crucify  him."  In 
stinging  reminder  of  their  national  subjugation,  Pilate  asked 
with  yet  more  cutting  irony,  "Shall  I  crucify  your  King?" 
And  the  chief  priests  cried  aloud :  "We  have  no  king  but 
Caesar." 

Even  so  was  it  and  was  to  be.  The  people  who  had  by 
covenant  accepted  Jehovah  as  their  King,  now  rejected  Him 
in  Person,  and  acknowledged  no  sovereign  but  Caesar. 
Caesar's  subjects  and  serfs  have  they  been  through  all  the 
centuries  since.  Pitiable  is  the  state  of  man  or  nation  who  in 
heart  and  spirit  will  have  no  king  but  Caesar  lv 

Wherein  lay  the  cause  of  Pilate's  weakness?  He  was 
the  emperor's  representative,  the  imperial  procurator  with 
power  to  crucify  or  to  save ;  officially  he  was  an  autocrat. 
His  conviction  of  Christ's  blamelessness  and  his  desire  to 
save  Him  from  the  cross  are  beyond  question.  Why  did 
Pilate  waver,  hesitate,  vacillate,  and  at  length  yield  contrary 
to  his  conscience  and  his  will?  Because,  after  all,  he  was 
more  slave  than  freeman.  He  was  in  servitude  to  his  past. 
He  knew  that  should  complaint  be  made  of  him  at  Rome,  his 
corruption  and  cruelties,  his  extortions  and  the  unjustifiable 
slaughter  he  had  caused  would  all  be  brought  against  him. 
He  was  the  Roman  ruler,  but  the  people  over  whom  he  exer- 
cized official  dominion  delighted  in  seeing  him  cringe,  when 
they  cracked,  with  vicious  snap  above  his  head,  the  whip  of 
a  threatened  report  about  him  to  his  imperial  master, 
Tiberius.™ 


v  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 
w  Note  7,  end  of  chapter, 

21 


642  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 


JUDAS  ISCARIOT  * 

When  Judas  Iscariot  saw  how  terribly  effective  had  been 
the  outcome  of  his  treachery,  he  became  wildly  remorseful. 
During  Christ's  trial  before  the  Jewish  authorities,  with  its 
associated  humiliation  and  cruelty,  the  traitor  had  seen  the 
seriousness  of  his  action ;  and  when  the  unresisting  Sufferer 
had  been  delivered  up  to  the  Romans,  and  the  fatal  consum- 
mation had  become  a  certainty,  the  enormity  of  his  crime 
filled  Judas  with  nameless  horror.  Rushing  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  chief  priests  and  elders,  while  the  final  prepara- 
tions for  the  crucifixion  of  the  Lord  were  in  progress,  he 
implored  the  priestly  rulers  to  take  back  the  accursed  wage 
they  had  paid  him,  crying  in  an  agony  of  despair :  "I  have 
sinned,  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  innocent  blood."  He  may 
have  vaguely  expected  a  word  of  sympathy  from  the  con- 
spirators in  whose  wickedly  sinful  hands  he  had  been  so 
ready  and  serviceable  a  tool ;  possibly  he  hoped  that  his 
avowal  might  stem  the  current  of  their  malignancy,  and  that 
they  would  ask  for  a  reversal  of  the  sentence.  But  the  rulers 
in  Israel  repulsed  him  with  disgust.  "What  is  that  to  us?" 
they  sneered,  "see  thou  to  that."  He  had  served  their  pur- 
pose ;  they  had  paid  him  his  price  ;  they  wished  never  to  look 
upon  his  face  again ;  and  pitilessly  they  flung  him  back  into 
the  haunted  blackness  of  his  maddened  conscience.  Still 
clutching  the  bag  of  silver,  the  all  too  real  remembrancer  of 
his  frightful  sin,  he  rushed  into  the  temple,  penetrating  even 
to  the  precincts  of  priestly  reservation,  and  dashed  the  silver 
pieces  upon  the  floor  of  the  sanctuary .y  Then,  under  the 
goading  impulse  of  his  master,  the  devil,  to  whom  he  had  be- 
come a  bond-slave,  body  and  soul,  he  went  out  and  hanged 
himself. 

*Matt.   27:3-10;   compare  Acts   1:16-20. 

y  Revised  version  of  Matt.  27:5  reads,  "And  he  cast  down  the  pieces  of 
silver  into  the  sanctuary"  instead  of  "in  the  temple,"  signifying  that  he 
flung  the  money  into  the  Porch  of  the  Holy  House,  as  distinguished  from 
the  outer  and  public  courts. 


NOTES.  643 

The  chief  priests  gathered  up  the  pieces  of  silver,  and  in 
sacrilegious  scrupulosity,  held  a  solemn  council  to  deter- 
mine what  they  should  do  with  the  "price  of  blood."  As 
they  deemed  it  unlawful  to  add  the  attainted  coin  to  the  sa- 
cred treasury,  they  bought  with  it  a  certain  clay-yard,  once 
the  property  of  a  potter,  and  the  very  place  in  which  Judas 
had  made  of  himself  a  suicide;  this  tract  of  ground  they  set 
apart  as  a  burial  place  for  aliens,  strangers,  and  pagans. 
The  body  of  Judas,  the  betrayer  of  the  Christ,  was  probably 
the  first  to  be  there  interred.  And  that  field  was  called 
"Aceldama,  that  is  to  say,  The  field  of  blood."* 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  34. 

i.  Annas,  and  His  Interview  with  Jesus. — "No  figure  is  bet- 
ter known  in  contemporary  Jewish  history  than  that  of  Annas; 
no  person  deemed  more  fortunate  or  successful,  but  also  none 
more  generally  execrated  than  the  late  high  priest.  He  had  held 
the  pontificate  for  only  six  or  seven  years;  but  it  was  filled  by 
not  fewer  than  five  of  his  sons,  by  his  son-in-law  Caiaphas,  and 
by  a  grandson.  And  in  those  days  it  was,  at  least  for  one  of 
Annas'  disposition,  much  better  to  have  been  than  to  be  high 
priest.  He  enjoyed  all  the  dignity  of  the  office,  and  all  its  influ- 
ence also,  since  he  was  able  to  promote  to  it  those  most  closely 
connected  with  him.  And  while  they  acted  publicly,  he  really 
directed  affairs,  without  either  the  responsibility  or  the  restraints 
which  the  office  imposed.  His  influence  with  the  Romans  he 
owed  to  the  religious  views  which  he  professed,  to  his  open 
partisanship  of  the  foreigner,  and  to  his  enormous  wealth.  .  .  . 
We  have  seen  what  immense  revenues  the  family  of  Annas  must 
have  derived  from  the  Temple  booths,  and  how  nefarious  and 
unpopular  was  the  traffic.  The  names  of  those  bold,  licentious, 
unscrupulous,  degenerate  sons  of  Aaron  were  spoken  with  whis- 
pered curses.  Without  referring  to  Christ's  interference  with 
that  Temple-traffic,  which,  if  His  authority  had  prevailed,  would 
of  course  have  been  fatal  to  it,  we  can  understand  how  antithetic 
in  every  respect  a  Messiah,  and  such  a  Messiah  as  Jesus,  must 

have   been   to    Annas No   account   is   given   of 

what  passed  before  Annas.  Even  the  fact  of  Christ's  being  first 
brought  to  him  is  only  mentioned  in  the  fourth  Gospel.  As  the 
disciples  had  all  forsaken  Him  and  fled,  we  can  understand  that 
they  were  in  ignorance  of  what  actually  passed,  till  they  had 
again  rallied,  at  least  so  far,  that  Peter  and  'another  disciple', 
evidently  John,  'followed  Him  into  the  palace  of  the  high  priest' 
— that  is,  into  the  palace  of  Caiaphas,  not  of  Annas.  For  as, 

z  Acts   1:19;   Matt.   27:8.    Note  8,   end  of  chapter. 


644  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

according  to  the  three  synoptic  Gospels,  the  palace  of  the  high 
priest  Caiaphas  was  the  scene  of  Peter's  denial,  the  account  of  it 
in  the  fourth  Gospel  must  refer  to  the  same  locality,  and  not  to 
the  palace  of  Annas." — Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the 
Messiah;  vol.  2,  pp.  547-8. 

2.  Christ's  Forbearance  when  Smitten. — That  Jesus  main- 
tained His  equanimity  and   submissiveness   even   under   the   provo- 
cation of  a  blow  dealt  by  a  brutish  underling  in   the  presence  of 
the  high  priest,  is  confirmatory  of  our  Lord's  affirmation  that  He 
had    "overcome   the   world"    (John    16:33).     One    cannot    read   the 
passage  without  comparing,  perhaps   involuntarily,   the   divine   sub- 
missiveness   of    Jesus    on    this    occasion,    with    the    wholly    natural 
and    human    indignation    of    Paul    under    somewhat    similar    condi- 
tions   at    a    later    time    (Acts    23:1-5).      The    high    priest    Ananias, 
displeased   at   Paul's   remarks,   ordered   someone   who   stood   by   to 
smite    him    on    the    mouth.      Paul    broke    forth    in    angry    protest: 
"God  shall  smite  thee,  thou  whited  wall:   for  sittest  thou  to  judge 
me  after  the  law,  and  commandest  me  to  be  smitten  contrary  to 
the    law?"     Afterward    he    apologized,    saying    that    he    knew    not 
that  it  was  the  high  priest  who  had  given  the  command  that  he 
be  smitten.     See  Articles  of  Faith,  xxiii,  n,  and  Note  I   following 
the  same  lecture;  and  Farrar's  Life  and  Works  of  St.  Paul,  pp. 
539-540. 

3.  High  Priests  and  Elders. — These  titles  as  held  by  officials 
of  the  Jewish  hierarchy  in  the  time   of   Christ  must  not  be  con- 
fused   with   the    same    designations    as    applied    to    holders    of    the 
Higher  or  Melchizedck  Priesthood.     The  high  priest  of  the  Jews 
was  the  presiding  priest;   he  had  to  be  of  Aaronic  descent  to  be 
a    priest    at    all ;    he    became    high    priest    by    Roman    appointment. 
The  elders,  as  the  name  indicates,  were  men  of  mature  years  and 
experience,    who    were    appointed    to    act    as    magistrates    in    the 
towns,  and  as  judges   in  the  ecclesiastical  tribunals,  either   in   the 
Lesser  Sanhedrins  of  the  provinces,  or  in  the  Great  Sanhedrin  at 
Jerusalem.      The    term    "elder"    as    commonly    used    among    the 
Jews  in  the  days  of  Jesus  had  no  closer  relation  to  eldership   in 
the    Melchizedck    Priesthood    than    had    the    title    "scribe".       The 
duties   of   Jewish   high   priests    and    elders    combined   both    ecclesi- 
astical and  secular   functions ;  indeed  both  offices  had  come  to  be 
in    large    measure    political    perquisites.      See    "Elder"    in    Smith's 
Bible   Dictionary.      From    the    departure    o£    Moses   to   the    coming 
of  Christ,  the  organized  theocracy  of  Israel  was  that  of  the  Lesser 
or  Aaronic  Priesthood,  comprizing  the  office  of  priest,  which  was 
confined  to  the  lineage  of  Aaron,  and  the  lesser  offices  of  teacher 
and    deacon,    which    were    combined    in    the    Levitical    order.      See 
"Orders    and    Offices    in    the    Priesthood"    by    the    author    in    "The 
Articles  of  Faith,  xi:i3-24. 

4.  Illegalities  of  the  Jewish  Trial  of  Jesus. — Many  volumes 
have  been   written   on   the   so-called   trial   of   Jesus.     Only  a  brief 
summary   of   the   principal   items    of    fact    and    law    can    be    incor- 
porated here.     For   further  consideration   reference   may  be   made 
to  the  following  treatments  :   Edersheim,  Life  and   Times  of  Jesus 
the  Messiah;  Andrews,  Life   of  Our  Lord;   Dupin,  Jesus  before 


NOTES.  G45 

Caiaphas  and  Pilate;  Mendelsohn,  Criminal  Jurisprudence  of  the 
Ancient  Hebrews;  Salvador,  Institutions  of  Moses;  Innes,  The 
Trial  of  Jesus  Christ;  Maimonides,  Sanhedrin;  MM.  Lemann, 
Jesus  before  the  Sanhedrin;  Benny,  Criminal  Code  of  the  Jews;  and 
Walter  M.  Chandler,  of  the  New  York  Bar,  The  Trial  of  Jesus 
from  a  Lawyer's  Standpoint.  The  last  named  is  a  two  volume 
work  treating  respectively,  "The  Hebrew  Trial"  and  "The  Roman 
Trial",  and  contains  citations  from  the  foregoing  and  other 
works. 

Edersheim  (vol.  2,  pp.  556-8)  contends  that  the  night  ar- 
raignment of  Jesus  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas  was  not  a  trial  be- 
fore the  Sanhedrin,  and  notes  the  irregularities  and  illegalities 
of  the  procedure  as  proof  that  the  Sanhedrin  could  not  have  done 
what  was  done  that  night.  With  ample  citations  in  corrobor- 
ation  of  the  legal  requirements  specified,  the  author  says :  "But 
besides,  the  trial  and  sentence  of  Jesus  in  the  palace  of  Caiaphas 
would  have  outraged  every  principle  of  Jewish  criminal  law  and 
procedure.  Such  causes  could  only  be  tried,  and  capital  sentence 
pronounced,  in  the  regular  meeting-place  of  the  Sanhedrin,  not, 
as  here,  in  the  high  priest's  palace ;  no  process,  least  of  all  such 
an  one,  might  be  begun  in  the  night,  nor  even  in  the  afternoon, 
although  if  the  discussion  had  gone  on  all  day,  sentence  might 
be  pronounced  at  night.  Again,  no  process  could  take  place  on 
Sabbaths  or  feast-days,  or  even  on  the  eves  of  them,  although 
this  would  not  have  nullified  proceedings ;  and  it  might  be  argued 
on  the  other  side,  that  a  process  against  one  who  had  seduced 
the  people  should  preferably  be  carried  on,  and  sentence  exe- 
cuted, on  public  feast-days,  for  the  warning  of  all.  Lastly,  in 
capital  causes  there  was  a  very  elaborate  system  of  warning,  and 
cautioning  witnesses ;  while  it  may  safely  be  affirmed  that  at  a 
regular  trial  Jewish  judges,  however  prejudiced,  would  not  have 
acted  as  the  Sanhedrists  and  Caiaphas  did  on  this  occasion.  .  . 
.  .  .  *  .  .  But  although  Christ  was  not  tried  and  sentenced  in 
a  formal  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin,  there  can,  alas !  be  no  que:- 
tion  that  His  condemnation  and  death  were  the  work,  if  not  of 
the  Sanhedrin,  yet  of  the  Sanhedrists — of  the  whole  body  of  them 
('all  the  council')  in  the  sense  of  expressing  what  was  the  judg- 
ment and  purpose  of  all  the  supreme  council  and  leaders  of 
Israel,  with  only  very  few  exceptions.  We  bear  in  mind  that  the 
resolution  to  sacrifice  Christ  had  for  some  time  been  taken." 

The  purpose  in  quoting  the  foregoing  is  to  show  on  acknowl- 
edged and  eminent  authority,  some  of  the  illegalities  of  the  night 
trial  of  Jesus,  which,  as  shown  by  the  above,  and  by  the  scrip- 
tural record,  was  conducted  by  the  high  priest  and  "the  council" 
or  Sanhedrin,  in  admittedly  irregular  and  unlawful  manner.  If 
the  Sanhedrists  tried  and  condemned,  yet  were  not  in  session 
as  the  Sanhedrin,  the  enormity  of  the  proceeding  is,  if  possible, 
deeper  and  blacker  than  ever. 

In  Chandler's  excellent  work  (vol.  I,  "The  Hebrew  Trial"), 
the  record  of  fact  in  the  case,  and  the  Hebrew  criminal  law  bear- 
ing thereon  are  exhaustively  considered.  Then  follows  an  elab*- 
orate  "Brief",  in  which  the  following  points  are  set  forth  in  order,. 


646  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

"Point  i:  The  Arrest  of  Jesus  was  illegal",  since  it  was  effect- 
ed by  night,  and  through  the  treachery  of  Judas,  an  accomplice, 
both  of  which  features  were  expressly  forbidden  in  the  Jewish 
law  of  that  day. 

"Point  2:  The  private  examination  of  Jesus  before  Annas  or 
Caiaphas  was  illegal";  for  (i)  it  was  made  by  night;  (2)  the  hear- 
ing of  any  cause  by  a  'sole  judge'  was  expressly  forbidden;  (3) 
as  quoted  from  Salvador,  'A  principle  perpetually  reproduced  in 
the  Hebrew  scriptures  relates  to  the  two  conditions  of  publicity 
and  liberty/ 

"Point  3:  The  indictment  against  Jesus  was,  in  form,  illegal. 
'The  entire  criminal  procedure  of  the  Mosaic  code  rests  upon 
four  rules :  certainty  in  the  indictment ;  publicity  in  the  discus- 
sion ;  full  freedom  granted  to  the  accused ;  and  assurance  against 
all  dangers  or  errors  of  testimony' — Salvador,  p.  365.  'The  San- 
hedrin  did  not  and  could  not  originate  charges ;  it  only  investi- 
gated those  brought  before  it.' — Edersheim,  vol.  I,  p.  309.  'The 
evidence  of  the  leading  witnesses  constituted  the  charge.  There 
was  no  other  charge;  no  more  formal  indictment.  Until  they 
spoke  and  spoke  in  the  public  assembly,  the  prisoner  was  scarcely 
an  accused  man.' — Innes,  p.  41.  'The  only  prosecutors  known  to 
Talmudic  criminal  jurisprudence  are  the  witnesses  to  the  crime. 
Their  duty  is  to  bring  the  matter  to  the  cognizance  of  the  court, 
and  to  bear  witness  against  the  criminal.  In  capital  cases  they 
are  the  legal  executioners  also.  Of  an  official  accuser  or  prose- 
cutor there  is  nowhere  any  trace  in  the  laws  of  the  ancient  He- 
brews.'— Mendelsohn,  p.  no. 

"Point  4:  The  proceedings  of  the  Sanhedrin  against  Jesus  were 
illegal  because  they  were  conducted  at  night.  'Let  a  capital  offense 
be  tried  during  the  day,  but  suspend  it  at  night.' — Mishna,  San- 
hedrin  4:1.  'Criminal  cases  can  be  acted  upon  by  the  various 
courts  during  daytime  only,  by  the  Lesser  Sanhedrions  from 
the  close  of  the  morning  service  till  noon,  and  by  the  Great  San- 
hedrion  till  evening.' — Mendelsohn,  p.  112. 

"Point  5:  The  proceedings  of  the  Sanhcdrin  against  Jesus  were 
illegal  because  the  court  convened  before  the  offering  of  the  morning 
sacrifice.  'The  Sanhedrin  sat  from  the  close  of  the  morning  sac- 
rifice to  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice.' — Talmud,  Jer.  San. 
1:19.  'No  session  of  the  court  could  take  place  before  the  offer- 
ing of  the  morning  sacrifice'. — MM.  Lemann,  p.  109.  'Since  the 
morning  sacrifice  was  offered  at  the  dawn  of  day,  it  was  hardly 
possible  for  the  Sanhedrin  to  assemble  until  the  hour  after  that 
time.' — Mishna,  Tamid,  ch.  3. 

"Point  6:  The  proceedings  against  Jesus  were  illegal  because 
they  were  conducted  on  the  day  preceding  a  Jewish  Sabbath;  also 
on  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread  and  the  eve  of  the  Passorer. 
'They  shall  not  judge  on  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath  nor  on  that  of 
any  festival.'— Mishna,  San.  4:1.  'No  court  of  justice  in  Israel 
was  permitted  to  hold  sessions  on  the  Sabbath  or  any  of  the 
seven  Biblical  holidays.  In  cases  of  capital  crime,  no  trial  could 
be  commenced  on  Friday  or  the  day  previous  to  any  holiday, 
because  it  was  not  lawful  either  to  adjourn  such  cases  longer 


NOTES.  647. 

than  over  night,  or  to  continue  them  on  the  Sabbath  or  holiday.' 
— Rabbi  Wise,  'Martyrdom  of  Jesus',  p.  67. 

"Point  7 :  The  trial  of  Jesus  was  illegal  because  it  was  con- 
cluded within  one  day.  'A  criminal  case  resulting  in  the  acquittal 
of  the  accused  may  terminate  the  same  day  on  which  the  trial 
began.  But  if  a  sentence  of  death  is  to  be  pronounced,  it  cannot 
be  concluded  before  the  following  day.' — Mishna,  San.  4:1. 

"Point  8:  The  sentence  of  condemnation  pronounced  against 
Jesus  by  the  Sanhedrin  was  illegal  because  it  was  founded  upon  His 
uncorroborated  confession.  'We  have  it  as  a  fundamental  prin- 
ciple of  our  jurisprudence  that  no  one  can  bring  an  accusation 
against  himself.  Should  a  man  make  confession  of  guilt  before 
a  legally  constituted  tribunal,  such  confession  is  not  to  be  used 
against  him  unless  properly  attested  by  two  other  witnesses.'— 
Maimonides,  4:2.  'Not  only  is  self-condemnation  never  extorted 
from  the  defendant  by  means  of  torture,  but  no  attempt  is  ever 
made  to  lead  him  on  to  self-incrimination.  Moreover,  a  volun- 
tary confession  on  his  part  is  not  admitted  in  evidence,  and 
therefore  not  competent  to  convict  him,  unless  a  legal  number 
of  witnesses  minutely  corroborate  his  self -accusation.' — Mendel- 
sohn, p.  133. 

"Point  9:  •  The  condemnation  of  Jesus  was  illegal  because  the 
•verdict  of  the  Sanhedrin  was  unanimous.  'A  simultaneous  and 
unanimous  verdict  of  guilt  rendered  on  the  day  of  the  trial  has 
the  effect  of  an  acquittal.' — Mendelsohn,  p.  141.  'If  none  of  the 
judges  defend  the  culprit,  i.  e.,  all  pronounce  him  guilty,  having 
no  defender  in  the  court,  the  verdict  of  guilty  was  invalid  and 
the  sentence  of  death  could  not  be  executed.' — Rabbi  Wise, 
'Martyrdom  of  Jesus',  p.  74. 

'Point  10 :  The  proceedings  against  Jesus  were  illegal  in  that: 
(i)  The  sentence  of  condemnation  was  pronounced  in  a  place  for- 
bidden by  law;  (2)  The  high  priest  rent  his  clothes;  (3)  The  ballot- 
ing was  irregular.  'After  leaving  the  hall  Gazith  no  sentence  of 
death  can  be  passed  upon  any  one  soever.' — Talmud,  Bab.  'Of 
Idolatry'  i  :8.  'A  sentence  of  death  can  be  pronounced  only  so 
long  as  the  Sanhedrin  holds  its  sessions  in  the  appointed  place.' 
— Maimonides,  14.  See  further  Levit.  21:10;  compare  10:6.  'Let 
the  judges  each  in  his  turn  absolve  or  condemn.' — Mishna, 
San.  15:5.  'The  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  seated  in  the 
form  of  a  semicircle,  at  the  extremity  of  which  a  secretary  was 
placed,  whose  business  it  was  to  record  the  votes.  One  of  these 
secretaries  recorded  the  votes  in  favor  of  the  accused,  the  other 
those  against  him.'— Mishna,  San.  4:3.  'In  ordinary  cases  the 
judges  voted  according  to  seniority,  the  oldest  commencing;  in 
a  capital  case  the  reverse  order  was  followed.' — Benny,  p.  73. 

"Point  ii. •  The  members  of  the  Great  Sanhedrin  were  legally 
disqualified  to  try  Jesus.  'Nor  must  there  be  on  the  judicial  bench 
either  a  relation  of  a  particular  friend,  or  an  enemy  of  either  the 
accused  or  of  the  accuser.— Mendelsohn,  p.  108.  'Nor  under  any 
circumstances  was  a  man  known  to  be  at  enmity  with  the  ac- 
cused person  permitted  to  occupy  a  position  among  the  judges/ 
—Benny,  p.  37. 


648  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    34. 

"Point  12:  The  condemnation  of  Jesus  was  illegal  because  the 
merits  of  the  defense  were  not  considered.  'Then  shalt  thou  enquire, 
and  make  search,  and  ask  diligently.' — Deut.  13:14.  'The  judges 
shall  weigh  the  matter  in  the  sincerity  of  their  conscience.' — 
Mishna,  San.  4:5.  'The  primary  object  of  the  Hebrew  judicial 
system  was  to  render  the  conviction  of  an  innocent  person  im- 
possible. All  the  ingenuity  of  the  Jewish  legists  was  directed 
to  the  attainment  of  this  end.' — Benny,  p.  56." 

Chandler's  masterly  statements  of  fact  and  his  arguments 
on  each  of  the  foregoing  points  are  commended  to  the  investi- 
gator. The  author  tersely  avers :  "The  pages  of  human  history 
present  no  stronger  case  of  judicial  murder  than  the  trial  and 
crucifixion  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  for  the  simple  reason  that  all 
forms  of  law  were  outraged  and  trampled  under  foot  in  the  pro- 
ceedings instituted  against  Him."  (p.  216.) 

5.  "His  Blood  be  on  us,  and  on  Our  Children." — Edersheim 
(vol.  2,  p.  578)   thus   forcefully  comments  on  the  acknowledgment 
of    responsibility   for   the   death  of    Christ :    "The    Mishna   tells   us 
that,  after  the  solemn   washing  of  hands  of  the  elders   and   their 
disclaimer   of   guilt,   priests    responded   with   this   prayer :    'Forgive 
it  to  thy  people   Israel,   whom   thou  hast  redeemed,   O   Lord,   and 
lay  not  innocent  blood  upon  thy  people  Israel.'     But  here,  in  an- 
swer  to    Pilate's    words,    came    back    that    deep,   hoarse    cry:    'His 
blood  be  upon  us,'  and — God  help  us ! — 'on  our  children.'     Some 
thirty    years    later,    and    on    that    very    spot,    was    judgment    pro- 
nounced  against   some  of   the  best  in   Jerusalem;    and  among   the 
3,600  victims   of  the  governor's    fury,  of   whom  not  a   few   were 
scourged    and    crucified    right    over    against    the    Pretorium,    were 
many    of    the    noblest    of    the    citizens    of    Jerusalem.      (Josephus, 
Wars,    xiv,    chap.    8:9).      A    few    years    more,    and    hundreds    of 
crosses    bore   Jewish   mangled   bodies    within    sight    of    Jerusalem. 
And  still  have  these  wanderers  seemed  to  bear,  from  century  to 
century,   and   from   land   to   land,   that  burden  of  blood;   and   still 
does  it  seem  to  weigh  'on  us  and  on  our  children'." 

6.  "We  Have  no  King  but  Caesar." — "With  this  cry  Juda- 
ism was,  in  the  person  of  its  representatives,  guilty  of   denial  of 
God,  of  blasphemy,  of  apostasy.     It  committed  suicide;  and  ever 
since  has  its  dead  body  been  carried  in   show   from  land  to  land, 
and    from   century   to   century, — to   be    dead    and   to    remain    dead, 
till  He  come  a  second  time,  who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
— Edersheim,  vol.  2,  p.  581. 

7.  The  Underlying  Cause  of  Pilate's  Surrender  to  the  Jew- 
ish Demands. — Pilate  knew  what  was  right  but  lacked  the  moral 
courage  to  do  it.     He  was  afraid  of  the  Jews,  and  more  afraid  of 
hostile  influence   at  Rome.     He  was   afraid   of  his  conscience,  but 
more  afraid   of   losing  his   official   position.     It  was   the  policy  of 
Rome    to    be    gracious    and    conciliatory    in    dealing    with    the    re- 
ligions and  social  customs   of  conquered  nations.     Pontius   Pilate 
had  violated  this  liberal  policy   from   the  early  days   of  his   pro- 
curatorship.     In  utter  disregard  of  the  Hebrew  antipathy  against 
images   and   heathen   insignia,   he   had  the   legionaries   enter  Jeru- 
salem   at    night,    carrying    their    eagles    and    standards    decorated 


NOTES.  649 

with  the  effigy  of  the  emperor.  To  the  Jews  this  act  was  a 
defilement  of  the  Holy  City.  In  vast  multitudes  they  gathered 
at  Caesarea,  and  petitioned  the  procurator  that  the  standards  and 
other  images  be  removed  from  Jerusalem.  For  five  days  the 
people  demanded  and  Pilate  refused.  He  threatened  a  general 
slaughter,  and  was  amazed  to  see  the  people  offer  themselves  as 
victims  of  the  sword  rather  than  relinquish  their  demands.  Pi- 
late had  to  yield  (Josephus,  Ant.  xviii,  chap.  3:1;  also  Wars, 
ii,  chap.  9:2,  3).  Again  he  gave  offense  in  forcibly  appropriating 
the  Corban,  or  sacred  funds  of  the  temple,  to  the  construction 
of  an  aqueduct  for  supplying  Jerusalem  with  water  from  the 
pools  of  Solomon.  Anticipating  the  public  protest  of  the  people, 
he  had  caused  Roman  soldiers  to  disguise  themselves  as  Jews; 
and  with  weapons  concealed  to  mingle  with  the  crowds.  At  a 
given  signal  these  assassins  plied  their  weapons  and  great  num- 
bers of  defenceless  Jews  were  killed  or  wounded  (Josephus, 
Ant.  xviii,  chap.  3:2;  and  Wars,  ii,  chap.  9:3,  4).  On  another 
occasion,  Pilate  had  grossly  offended  the  people  by  setting  up  in 
his  official  residence  at  Jerusalem,  shields  that  had  been  dedi- 
cated to  Tiberius,  and  this  "less  for  the  honor 'of  Tiberius  than 
for  the  annoyance  of  the  Jewish  people."  A  petition  signed  by 
the  ecclesiastical  officials  of  the  nation,  and  by  others  of  influ- 
ence, including  four  Herodian  princes,  was  sent  to  the  emperor, 
who  reprimanded  Pilate  and  directed  that  the  shields  be  removed 
from  Jerusalem  to  Csesarea  (Philo.  De  L,egatione  ad  Caium ; 
sec.  38). 

These  outrages  on  national  feeling,  and  many  minor  acts  of 
violence,  extortion  and  cruelty,  the  Jews  held  against  the  pro- 
curator. He  realized  that  his  tenure  was  insecure,  and  he  dreaded 
exposure.  Such  wrongs  had  he  wrought  that  when  he  would 
have  done  good,  he  was  deterred  through  cowardly  fear  of  the 
accusing  past. 

8.  Judas  Iscariot. — Today  we  speak  of  a  traitor  as  a  "Judas" 
or  an  "Iscariot".  The  man  who  made  the  combined  name  in- 
famous had  been  for  ages  a  subject  of  discussion  among  theo- 
logians and  philosophers,  and  in  later  times  the  light  of  psycho- 
logical analysis  has  been  turned  upon  him.  German  philoso- 
phers were  among  the  earliest  to  assert  that  the  man  had  been 
judged  in  unrighteousness,  and  that  his  real  character  was  of 
brighter  tint  than  that  in  which  it  had  been  painted.  Indeed 
some  critics  hold  that  of  all  the  Twelve  Judas  was  the  one  most 
thoroughly  convinced  of  our  Lord's  divinity  in  the  flesh ;  and 
these  apologists  attempt  to  explain  the  betrayal  as  a  deliberate 
and  well-intended  move  to  force  Jesus  into  a  position  of  diffi- 
culty from  which  He  could  escape  only  by  the  exercize  of  His 
powers  of  Godship,  which,  up  to  that  time,  He  had  never  used 
in  His  own  behalf. 

We  are  not  the  invested  judges  of  Judas  nor  of  any  other; 
but  we  are  competent  to  frame  and  hold  opinions  as  to  the 
actions  of  any.  In  the  light  of  the  revealed  word  it  appears 
that  Judas  Iscariot  had  given  himself  up  to  the  cause  of  Satan 
while  ostensibly  serving  the  Christ  in  an  exalted  capacity.  Such 


650  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3-1. 

a  surrender  to  evil  powers  could  be  accomplished  only  through 
sin.  The  nature  and  extent  of  the  man's  transgressions  through 
the  years  are  not  told  us.  He  had  received  the  testimony  that 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God;  and  in  the  full  light  of  that  con- 
viction he  turned  against  his  Lord,  and  betrayed  Him  to  death. 
Modern  revelation  is  no  less  explicit  than  ancient  in  declaring  that 
the  path  of  sin  is  that  of  spiritual  darkness  leading  to  cer- 
tain destruction.  If  the  man  who  is  guilty  of  adultery,  even  in 
his  heart  only,  shall,  unless  he  repents,  surely  forfeit  the  com- 
panionship of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  "shall  deny  the  faith",  and 
so  the  voice  of  God  hath  affirmed  (see  Doc.  and  Cov.  63:16),  we 
cannot  doubt  that  any  and  all  forms  of  deadly  sin  shall  poison 
the  soul  and,  if  not  forsaken  through  true  repentance,  shall  bring 
that  soul  to  condemnation.  For  his  trained  and  skilful  servants, 
Satan  will  provide  opportunities  of  service  commensurate  with 
their  evil  ability.  Whatever  the  opinion  of  modern  critics  as 
to  the  good  character  of  Judas,  we  have  the  testimony  of  John, 
who  for  nearly  three  years  had  been  in  close  companionship  with 
him,  that  the  man  was  a  thief  (12:6)  ;  and  Jesus  referred  to  him 
as  a  devil  (6:70),  and  as  "the  son  of  perdition"  (17:12).  See  in 
this  connection  Doc.  and  Cov.  76:41-48. 

That  the  evil  proclivities  of  Judas  Iscariot  were  known  to 
Christ  is  evidenced  by  the  Lord's  direct  statement  that  among 
the  Twelve  was  one  who  was  a  devil;  (John  6:70;  compare  13:27; 
Luke  22:3);  and  furthermore  that  this  knowledge  was  His  when 
the  Twelve  were  selected  is  suggested  by  the  words  of  Jesus : 
"I  know  whom  I  have  chosen",  coupled  with  the  explanation 
that  in  the  choice  He  had  made  would  the  scriptures  be  fulfilled. 
As  the  sacrificial  death  of  the  Lamb  of  God  was  foreknown  and 
foretold  so  the  circumstances  of  the  betrayal  were  foreseen.  It 
would  be  contrary  to  both  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  revealed 
word  to  say  that  the  wretched  Iscariot  was  in  the  least  degree 
deprived  of  freedom  or  agency  in  the  course  he  followed  to  so 
execrable  an  end.  His  was  the  opportunity  and  privilege  com- 
mon to  the  Twelve,  to  live  in  the  light  of  the  Lord's  immediate 
presence,  and  to  receive  from  the  source  divine  the  revelation  of 
God's  purposes.  Judas  Iscariot  was  no  victim  of  circumstances, 
no  insensate  tool  guided  by  a  superhuman  power,  except  as  he 
by  personal  volition  gave  himself  up  to  Satan,  and  accepted  a 
wage  in  the  devil's  employ.  Had  Judas  been  true  to  the  right, 
other  means  than  his  perfidy  would  have  operated  to  bring  the 
Lamb  to  the  slaughter.  His  ordination  to  the  apostleship  placed 
him  in  possession  of  opportunity  and  privilege  above  that  of  the 
uncalled  and  unordained ;  and  with  such  blessed  possibility  of 
achievement  in  the  service  of  God  came  corresponding  capability 
to  fall.  A  trusted  and  exalted  officer  of  the  government;  can 
commit  acts  of  treachery  and  treason  such  as  are  impossible  to 
the  citizen  who  has  never  learned  the  secrets  of  State.  Ad- 
vancement implies  increased  accountability,  even  more  literally 
so  in  the  affairs  of  God's  kingdom  than  in  the  institutions  of 
men. 

There    is    an    apparent    discrepancy   between    the    account   of 


NOTES.  651 

Judas  Iscariot's  death  given  by  Matthew  (27:3-10)  and  that  in 
Acts  (1:16-20).  According  to  the  first,  Judas  hanged  himself; 
the  second  states  that  he  fell  headlong,  "and  all  his  bowels 
gushed  out."  If  both  records  be  accurate,  the  wretched  man 
probably  hanged  himself,  and  afterward  fell,  possibly  through 
the  breaking  of  the  cord  or  the  branch  to  which  it  was  attached. 
Matthew  says  the  Jewish  rulers  purchased  the  "field  of  blood" ; 
the  writer  of  the  Acts  quotes  Peter  as  saying  that  Judas  bought 
the  field  with  the  money  he  had  received  from  the  priests.  As 
the  ground  was  bought  with  the  money  that  had  belonged  to 
Iscariot,  and  as  this  money  had  never  been  formally  taken  back 
by  the  temple  officials,  the  field  bought  therewith  belonged  tech- 
nically to  the  estate  of  Judas.  The  variations  are  of  importance 
mainly  as  showing  independence  of  authorship.  The  accounts 
agree  in  the  essential  feature,  that  Judas  died  a  miserable 
suicide. 


652  JESUS   THE  'CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 


CHAPTER  35. 
DEATH  AND  BURIAL. 

ON    THE)    WAY    TO    CALVARY.0 

Pontius  Pilate,  having  reluctantly  surrendered  to  the 
clamorous  demands  of  the  Jews,  issued  the  fatal  order ;  and 
Jesus,  divested  of  the  purple  robe  and  arrayed  in  His  own 
apparel,  was  led  away  to  be  crucified.  A  body  of  Roman 
soldiers  had  the  condemned  Christ  in  charge ;  and  as  the 
procession  moved  out  from  the  governor's  palace,  a  motley 
crowd  comprizing  priestly  officials,  rulers  of  the  Jews,  and 
people  of  many  nationalities,  followed.  Two  convicted 
criminals,  who  had  been  sentenced  to  the  cross  for  robbery, 
were  led  forth  to  death  at  the  same  time ;  there  was  to  be  a 
triple  execution ;  and  the  prospective  scene  of  horror  at- 
tracted the  morbidly  minded,  such  as  delight  to  gloat  over 
the  sufferings  of  their  fellows.  In  the  crowd,  however, 
were  some  genuine  mourners,  as  shall  be  shown.  It  was 
the  Roman  custom  to  make  the  execution  of  convicts  as 
public  as  possible,  under  the  mistaken  and  anti-psychological 
assumption,  that  the  spectacle  of  dreadful  punishment  would 
be  of  deterrent  effect.  This  misconception  of  human  nature 
has  not  yet  become  entirely  obsolete. 

The  sentence  of  death  by  crucifixion  required  that  the 
condemned  person  carry  the  cross  upon  which  he  was  to 
suffer.  Jesus  started  on  the  way  bearing  His  cross.  The 
terrible  strain  of  the  preceding  hours,  the  agony  in  Gethse- 
mane,  the  barbarous  treatment  He  had  suffered  in  the  palace 
of  the  high  priest,  the  humiliation  and  cruel  usage  to  which 
He  had  been  subjected  before  Herod,  the  frightful  scourging 

a  Matt.   27:31-33;    Mark    15:20-22;    Luke   23:26-33;    John    19:16,    17. 


SIMON  BEARS  THE  CROSS  OF  JESUS.  '  653 

under  Pilate's  order,  the  brutal  treatment  by  the  inhuman 
soldiery,  together  with  the  extreme  humiliation  and  the 
mental  agony  of  it  all,  had  so  weakened  His  physical  organ- 
ism that  He  moved  but  slowly  under  the  burden  of  the  cross. 
The  soldiers,  impatient  at  the  delay,  peremptorily  impressed 
into  service  a  man  whom  they  met  coming  into  Jerusalem 
from  the  country,  and  him  they  compelled  to  carry  the  cross 
of  Jesus.  No  Roman  or  Jew  would  have  voluntarily  in- 
curred the  ignominy  of  bearing  such  a  gruesome  burden ; 
for  every  detail  connected  with  the  carrying  out  of  a  sentence 
of  crucifixion  was  regarded  as  degrading.  The  man  so 
forced  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  Jesus,  bearing  the  cross 
upon  which  the  Savior  of  the  world  was  to  consummate  His 
glorious  mission,  was  Simon,  a  native  of  Cyrene.  From 
Mark's  statement  that  Simon  was  the  father  of  Alexander 
and  Rufus  we  infer  that  the  two  sons  were  known  to  the 
evangelist's  readers  as  members  of  the  early  Church,  and 
there  is  some  indication  that  the  household  of  Simon  the 
Cyrenian  came  to  be  numbered  with  the  believers. b 

Among  those  who  followed  or  stood  and  watched  the 
death-procession  pass,  were  some,  women  particularly,  who 
bewailed  and  lamented  the  fate  to  which  Jesus  was  going. 
We  read  of  no  man  who  ventured  to  raise  his  voice  in  protest 
or  pity ;  but  on  this  dreadful  occasion  as  at  other  times, 
women  were  not  afraid  to  cry  out  in  commiseration  or 
praise.  Jesus,  who  had  been  silent  under  the  inquisition  of 
the  priests,  silent  under  the  humiliating  mockery  of  the  sen- 
sual Herod  and  his  coarse  underlings,  silent  when  buffeted 
and  beaten  by  the  brutal  legionaries  of  Pilate,  turned  to  the 
women  whose  sympathizing  lamentations  had  reached  His 
ears,  and  uttered  these  pathetic  and  portentous  words  of 
admonition  and  warning:  "Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep 
not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children. 
For,  behold,  the  days  are  coming,  in  the  which  they  shall 


b  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


654  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAF.    35. 

say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and  the  wombs  that  never  bare, 
and  the  paps  which  never  gave  suck.  Then  shall  they  begin 
to  say  to  the  mountains,  Fall  on  us ;  and  to  the  hills,  Cover 
us.  For  if  they  do  these  things  in  the  green  tree,  what  shall 
be  done  in  the  dry?"  It  was  the  Lord's  last  testimony  of 
the  impending  holocaust  of  destruction  that  was  to  follow 
the  nation's  rejection  of  her  King.  Although  motherhood 
was  the  glory  of  every  Jewish  woman's  life,  yet  in  the  terri- 
ble scenes  which  many  of  those  there  weeping  would  live 
to  witness,  barrenness  would  be  accounted  a  blessing;  for 
the  childless  would  have  fewer  to  weep  over,  and  at  least 
would  be  spared  the  horror  of  seeing  their  offspring  die  of 
starvation  or  by  violence ;  for  so  dreadful  would  be  that  day 
that  people  would  fain  welcome  the  falling  of  the  mountains 
upon  them  to  end  their  sufferings/  If  Israel's  oppressors 
could  do  what  was  then  in  process  of  doing  to  the  "Green 
Tree,"  who  bore  the  leafage  of  freedom  and  truth  and 
offered  the  priceless  fruit  of  life  eternal,  what  would  the 
powers  of  evil  not  do  to  the  withered  branches  and  dried 
trunk  of  apostate  Judaism  ? 

Along  the  city  streets,  out  through  the  portal  of  the 
massive  wall,  and  thence  to  a  place  beyond  but  yet  nigh  unto 
Jerusalem,  the  cortege  advanced.  The  destination  was  a 
spot  called  Golgotha,  or  Calvary,  meaning  "the  place  of  a 
skull,"1* 

THE)  CRUCIFIXION/ 

At  Calvary  the  official  crucifiers  proceeded  without  delay 
to  carry  into  effect  the  dread  sentence  pronounced  upon 
Jesus  and  upon  the  two  criminals.  Preparatory  to  affixing 
the  condemned  to  the  cross,  it  was  the  custom  to  offer  each 
a  narcotic  draught  of  sour  wine  or  vinegar  mingled  with 
myrrh  and  possibly  containing  other  anodyne  ingredients, 

c  Note    2,    end    of    chapter. 
d  Note  3,   end  of  chapter. 

t.   27:34-50;   Mark    15:23-37;   Luke  23:33-46;  John   19:18-30, 


CRUCIFIXION.  655 

for  the  merciful  purpose  of  deadening  the  sensibility  of  the 
victim.  This  was  no  Roman  practise,  but  was  allowed  as  a 
concession  to  Jewish  sentiment.  When  the  drugged  cup 
was  presented  to  Jesus  He  put  it  to  His  lips,  but  having 
ascertained  the  nature  of  its  contents  refused  to  drink,  and 
so  demonstrated  His  determination  to  meet  death  with  facul- 
ties alert  and  mind  unclouded. 

Then  they  crucified  Him,  on  the  central  cross  of  three, 
and  placed  one  of  the  condemned  malefactors  on  His  right 
hand,  the  other  on  His  left.  Thus  was  realized  Isaiah's 
vision  of  the  Messiah  numbered  among  the  transgressors/ 
But  few  details  of  the  actual  crucifixion  are  given  us.  We 
know  however  that  our  Lord  was  nailed  to  the  cross  by 
spikes  driven  through  the  hands  and  feet,  as  was  the  Roman 
method,  and  not  bound  only  by  cords  as  was  the  custom  in 
inflicting  this  form  of  punishment  among  some  other  na- 
tions. Death  by  crucifixion  was  at  once  the  most  lingering 
and  most  painful  of  all  forms  of  execution.  The  victim 
lived  in  ever  increasing  torture,  generally  for  many  hours, 
sometimes  for  days.  The  spikes  so  cruelly  driven  through 
hands  and  feet  penetrated  and  crushed  sensitive  nerves  and 
quivering  tendons,  yet  inflicted  no  mortal  wound.  The 
welcome  relief  of  death  came  through  the  exhaustion  caused 
by  intense  and  unremitting  pain,  through  localized  inflam- 
mation and  congestion  of  organs  incident  to  the  strained 
and  unnatural  posture  of  the  body.0 

As  the  crucifiers  proceeded  with  their  awful:  task,  not 
unlikely  with  roughness  and  taunts,  for  killing  was  their 
trade  and  to  scenes  of  anguish  they  had  grown  callous 
through  long  familiarity,  the  agonized  Sufferer,  void  of 
resentment  but  full  of  pity  for  their  heartlessness  and  ca- 
pacity for  cruelty,  voiced  the  first  of  the  seven  utterances 
delivered  from  the  cross.  In  the  spirit  of  God-like  mercy 


/Isa.   53:12;   compare  Mark   15:28;   Luke  22:37. 
g  Note  4,   end  of  chapter. 


£56  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

'He  prayed :  "Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do!'  Let  us  not  attempt  to  fix  the  limits  of  the  Lord's 
mercy;  that  it  would  be  extended  to  all  who  in  any  degree 
could  justly  come  under  the  blessed  boon  thereof  ought  to 
be  a  sufBcing  fact.  There  is  significance  in  the  form  in 
which  this  merciful  benediction  was  expressed.  Had  the 
Lord  said,  "I  forgive  you,"  His  gracious  pardon  may  have 
been  understood  to  be  but  a  remission  of  the  cruel  offense 
against  Himself  as  One  tortured  under  unrighteous  con- 
demnation ;  but  the  invocation  of  the  Father's  forgiveness 
was  a  plea  for  those  who  had  brought  anguish  and  death  to 
the  Father's  Well  Beloved  Son,  the  Savior  and  Redeemer 
of  the  world.  Moses  forgave  Miriam  for  her  offense 
against  himself  as  her  brother ;  but  God  alone  could  remit 
the  penalty  and  remove  the  leprosy  that  had  come  upon  her 
for  having  spoken  against  Jehovah's  high  priest.*1 

It  appears  that  under  Roman  rule,  the  clothes  worn  by 
a  condemned  person  at  the  time  of  execution  became  the 
perquisites  of  the  executioners.  The  four  soldiers  in  charge 
of  the  cross  upon  which  the  Lord  suffered  distributed-  parts 
of  His  raiment  among  themselves ;  and  there  remained  His 
coat,*  which  w"as  a  goodly  garment,  woven  throughout  in 
one  piece,  without  seam.  To  rend  it  would  be  to  spoil ;  so 
the  soldiers  cast  lots  to  determine  who  should  have  it;  and 
in  this  circumstance  the  Gospel- writers  saw  a  fulfilment  of 
the  psalmist's  prevision  :  "They  parted  my  garments  among 
them,  and  upon  my  vesture  did  they  cast  lots."'' 

To  the  cross  above  the  head  of  Jesus  was  affixed  a  title 
or  inscription,  prepared  by  order  of  Pilate  in  accordance 
with  the  custom  of  setting  forth  the  name  of  the  crucified 
and  the  nature  of  the  offense  for  which  he  had  been  con- 
demned to  death.  In  this  instance  the  title  was  inscribed  in 
three  languages,  Greek,  Latin,  and  Hebrew,  one  or  more  of 

h  Numb.    12. 

*  Revised    version,    marginal   reading,    "tunic." 

/Matt.    27:35;    Mark    15:24;    Luke    23:34;    John    19:23,    24;    compare    Psa. 
22:18. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS.  657 

which  would  be  understood  by  every  observer  who  could 
read.  The  title  so  exhibited  read :  "This  is  Jesus  the  King 
of  the  Jews";  or  in  the  more  extended  version  given  by  John 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  King  of  the  Jews."k  The  inscription 
was  read  by  many,  for  Calvary  was  close  to  the  public  thor- 
oughfare and  on  this  holiday  occasion  the  passers-by  were 
doubtless  numerous.  Comment  was  aroused ;  for,  if  literally 
construed,  the  inscription  was  an  official  declaration  that  the 
crucified  Jesus  was  in  fact  King  of  the  Jews.  When  this 
circumstance  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  chief 
priests,  they  excitedly  appealed  to  the  governor,  saying: 
"Write  not,  The  King  of  the  Jews ;  but  that  he  said,  I  am 
King  of  the  Jews.  Pilate  answered,  What  I  have  written 
I  have  written."  Pilate's  action  in  so  wording  the  title,  and 
his  blunt  refusal  to  permit  an  alteration,  may  have  been  an 
intended  rebuff  to  the  Jewish  officials  who  had  forced  him 
against  his  judgment  and  will  to  condemn  Jesus ;  possibly, 
however,  the  demeanor  of  the  submissive  Prisoner,  and  His 
avowal  of  Kingship  above  all  royalty  of  earth  had  impressed 
the  mind  if  not  the  heart  of  the  pagan  governor  with  a  con- 
viction of  Christ's  unique  superiority  and  of  His  inherent 
right  of  dominion;  but,  whatever  the  purpose  behind  the 
writing,  the  inscription  stands  in  history  as  testimony  of  a 
h.eathen's  consideration  in  contrast  with  Israel's  ruthless  re- 
jection of  Israel's  King.7 

The  soldiers  whose  duty  it  was  to  guard  the  crosses,  until 
loitering  death  would  relieve  the  crucified  of  their  increasing 
anguish,  jested  among  themselves,  and  derided  the  Christ, 
pledging  Him  in  their  cups  of  sour  wine  in  tragic  mockery. 
Looking  at  the  title  affixed  above  the  Sufferer's  head,  they 
bellowed  forth  the  devil-inspired  challenge :  "If  thou  be  the 
king  of  the  Jews,  save  thyself."  The  morbid  multitude,  and 
the  passers-by  "railed  on  him,  wagging  their  heads,  and 


k  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 
/  Pages  85  and  89. 


658  jfisus  THE  CHRIST.  [CHAP.  35. 

saying,  Ah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it 
in  three  days,  save  thyself,  and  come  down  from  the  cross." 
But  worst  of  all,  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes,  the  elders 
of  the  people,  the  unvenerable  Sanhedrists,  became  ring- 
leaders of  the  inhuman  mob  as  they  gloatingly  exulted  and 
cried  aloud :  "He  saved  others ;  himself  he  cannot  save, 
If  he  be  the  King  of  Israel,  let  him  now  come  down  from  the 
cross,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He  trusted  in  God !  let  him 
deliver  him  now,  if  he  will  have  him :  for  he  said,  I  am  the 
Son  of  God."m  Though  uttered  in  ribald  mockery,  the 
declaration  of  the  rulers  in  Israel  stands  as  an  attestation 
that  Christ  had  saved  others,  and  as  an  intended  ironical  but 
a  literally  true  proclamation  that  He  was  the  King  of  Israel. 
The  two  malefactors,  each  hanging  from  his  cross,  joined 
in  the  general  derision,  and  "cast  the  same  in  his  teeth." 
One  of  them,  in  the  desperation  incident  to  approaching 
death,  echoed  the  taunts  of  the  priests  and  people :  "If  thou 
be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us." 

The  dominant  note  in  all  the  railings  and  revilings,  the 
ribaldry  and  mockery,  with  which  the  patient  and  submissive 
Christ  was  assailed  while  He  hung,  "lifted  up"  as  He  had 
said  He  would  be,"  was  that  awful  "If"  hurled  at  Him  by  the 
devil's  emissaries  in  the  time  of  mortal  agony ;  as  in  the 
season  of  the  temptations  immediately  after  His  baptism  .it 
had  been  most  insidiously  pressed  upon  Him  by  the  devil 
himself.0  That  "If"  was  Satan's  last  shaft,  keenly  barbed  and 
doubly  envenomed,  and  it  sped  as  with  the  fierce  hiss  of  a 
viper.  Was  it  possible  in  this  the  final  and  most  dreadful 
stage  of  Christ's  mission,  to  make  Him  doubt  His  divine 
Sonship,  or,  failing  such,  to  taunt  or  anger  the  dying  Savior 
into  the  use  of  His  superhuman  powers  for  personal  relief 


w  Matt.  27:42,  43.  The  clause  "if  he  be  the  King  of  Israel"  in  verse  42 
of  the  common  text  is  admittedly  a  mistranslation;  it  should  read  "He  is 
the  King  of  Israel."  See  revised  version;  also  Edersheim,  vol.  2,  p.  598; 
compare  Mark  15:32. 

wjohn  3:14;  8:28;   12:32. 

oMatt.  4:3,  6;   see  pages  130,   137  herein. 


THE   PENITENT   MALEFACTOR.  659 

or  as  an  act  of  vengeance  upon  His  tormentors  ?  To  achieve 
such  a  victory  was  Satan's  desperate  purpose.  The  shaft 
failed.  Through  taunts  and  derision,  through  blasphemous 
challenge  and  diabolical  goading,  the  agonized  Christ  was 
silent. 

Then  one  of  the  crucified  thieves,  softened  into  penitence 
by  the  Savior's  uncomplaining  fortitude,  and  perceiving  in 
the  divine  Sufferer's  demeanor  something  more  than  human, 
rebuked  his  railing  fellow,  saying:  "Dost  not  thou  fear 
God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation?  And  we 
indeed  justly ;  for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our  deeds : 
but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss."  His  confession  of 
guilt  and  his  acknowledgment  of  the  justice  of  his  own  con- 
demnation led  to  incipient  repentance,  and  to  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  his  companion  in  agony.  "And  he  said  unto 
Jesus,  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  king- 
dom."*7 To  the  appeal  of  penitence  the  Lord  replied  with 
such  a  promise  as  He  alone  could  make  :  "Verily,  I  say  unto 
thee,  To  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise. "? 

Among  the  spectators  of  this,  the  greatest  tragedy  in 
history,  were  some  who  had  come  in  sympathy  and  sorrow. 
No  mention  is  found  of  the  presence  of  any  of  the  Twelve, 
save  one,  and  he,  the  disciple  "whom  Jesus  loved,"  John  the 
apostle,  evangelist,  and  revelator ;  but  specific  record  is  made 
of  certain  women  who,  first  at  a  distance,  and  then  close  by 
the  cross,  wept  in  the  anguish  of  love  and  sorrow.  "Now 
there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  his  mother,  and  his 
mother's  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  Mary  Mag- 
dalene."' 

In  addition  to  the  women  named  were  many  others,  some 
of  whom  had  ministered  unto  Jesus  in  the  course  of  His 
labors  in  Galilee,  and  who  were  among  those  that  had  come 


p  Luke  23:42;  the  revised  version  reads  "when  thou  comest  in  thy 
kingdom." 

q  See  chapter  36,   following. 

r  John  19:25;  compare  Matt.  27:55,  56;  Mark  15:40.  41;  Luke  23:48,  49.  See 
Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 


660  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

up  with  Him  to  Jerusalem/  First  in  point  of  consideration 
among  them  all  was  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  into  whose 
soul  the  sword  had  pierced  even  as  righteous  Simeon  had 
prophesied/  Jesus  looking  with  tender  compassion  upon 
His  weeping  mother,  as  she  stood  with  John  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross,  commended  her  to  the  care  and  protection  of  the 
beloved  disciple,- with  the  words,  "Woman,  behold  thy  son!'' 
and  to  John,  "Behold  thy  mother!"  The  disciple  tenderly 
led  the  heart-stricken  Mary  away  from  her  dying  Son,  and 
"took  her  into  his  own  home,"  thus  immediately  assuming 
the  new  relationship  established  by  his  dying  Master. 

Jesus  was  nailed  to  the  cross  during  the  forenoon  of  that 
fateful  Friday,  probably  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.1*  At 
noontide  the  light  of  the  sun  was  obscured,  and  black  dark- 
ness spread  over  the  whole  land.  The  terrifying  gloom  con- 
tinued for  a  period  of  three  hours.  This  remarkable  phe- 
nomenon has  received  no  satisfactory  explanation  from 
science.  It  could  not  have  been  due  to  a  solar  eclipse,  as 
has  been  suggested  in  ignorance,  for  the  time  was  that  of 
full  moon ;  indeed  the  Passover  season  was  determined  by 
the  first  occurrence  of  full  moon  after  the  spring  equinox. 
The  darkness  was  brought  about  by  miraculous  operation  of 
natural  laws  directed  by  divine  power.  It  was  a  fitting  sign 
of  the  earth's  deep  mourning  over  the  impending  death  of 
her  Creator."  Of  the  mortal  agony  through  which  the  L,ord 
passed  while  upon  the  cross  the  Gospel-scribes  are  reverently 
reticent. 

At  the  ninth  hour,  or  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  a  loud 
voice,  surpassing  the  most  anguished  cry  of  physical  suffer- 
ing issued  from  the  central  cross,  rending  the  dreadful  dark- 
ness. It  was  the  voice  of  the  Christ:  "Eloi,  Eloi,  lama 
sabachthani?  which  is,  being  interpreted,  My  God,  my  God, 


's  See  references  last  cited;  and  Luke  8:2,  3;  also  page  264  herein. 

*  Luke  2:34,  35;  page  97  herein. 

•u  Mark   15:25;   see   Note  7,   end   of  chapter. 

V  Compare  P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  7:37,  40,  48,  49,  56. 


661 

why  hast  tJwu  forsaken  me?"  What  mind  of  man  can 
fathom  the  significance  of  that  awful  cry  ?  It  seems,  that  in 
addition  to  the  fearful  suffering  incident  to  crucifixion,  the 
agony  of  Gethsemane  had  recurred,  intensified  beyond  hu- 
man power  to  endure.  In  that  bitterest  hour  the  dying 
Christ  was  alone,  alone  in  the  most  terrible  reality.  That  the 
supreme  sacrifice  of  the  Son  might  be  consummated  in  all 
its  fulness,  the  Father  seems  to  have  withdrawn  the  support 
of  His  immediate  Presence,  leaving  to  the  Savior  of  men  the 
glory  of  complete  victory  over  the  forces  of  sin  and  death. 
The  cry  from  the  cross,  though  heard  by  all  who  were  near, 
was  understood  by  few.  The  first  exclamation,  Eloi,  mean- 
ing My  God,  was  misunderstood  as  a  call  for  Elias. 

The  period  of  faintness,  the  conception  of  utter  forsaken- 
ness soon  passed,  and  the  natural  cravings  of  the  body  reas- 
serted themselves.  The  maddening  thirst,  which  constituted 
one  of  the  worst  of  the  crucifixion  agonies,  wrung  from  the 
Savior's  lips  His  once  recorded  utterance  expressive  of  phys- 
ical suffering.  "I  thirst"  He  said.  One  of  those  who  stood  by, 
whether  Roman  or  Jew,  disciple  or  skeptic,  we  are  not  told, 
hastily  saturated  a  sponge  with  vinegar,  a  vessel  of  which 
was  at  hand,  and  having  fastened  the  sponge  to  the  end  of 
a  reed,  or  stalk  of  hyssop,  pressed  it  to  the  Lord's  fevered 
lips.  Some  others  would  have  prevented  this  one  act  of 
human  response,  for  they  said :  "Let  be,  let  us  see  whether 
Elias  will  come  to  save  him."  John  affirms  that  Christ 
uttered  the  exclamation,  "I  thirst,"  only  when  He  knew  "that 
all  things  were  now  accomplished" ;  and  the  apostle  saw  in 
the  incident  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy .w 

Fully  realizing  that  He  was  no  longer  forsaken,  but  that 
His  atoning  sacrifice  had  been  accepted  by  the  Father,  and 
that  His  mission  in  the  flesh  had  been  carried  to  glorious 
consummation,  He  exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice  of  holy  tri- 
umph :  "It  is  finished."  In  reverence,  resignation,  and  re- 


tujohn  19:28;   compare  Psa.   69:21, 


662  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

lief,  He  addressed  the  Father  saying:  "Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit."*  He  bowed  His  head,  and 
voluntarily  gave  up  His  life. 

Jesus  the  Christ  was  dead.  His  life  had  not  been  taken 
from  Him  except  as  He  had  willed  to  permit.  Sweet  and 
welcome  as  would  have  been  the  relief  of  death  in  any  of  the 
earlier  stages  of  His  suffering  from  Gethsemane  to  the 
cross,  He  lived  until  all  things  were  accomplished  as  had 
been  appointed.  In  the  latter  days  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  has  been  heard  affirming  the  actuality  of  His  suffer- 
ing and  death,  and  the  eternal  purpose  thereby  accomplished. 
Hear  and  heed  His  words:  "For,  behold,  the  Lord  your 
Redeemer  suffered  death  in  the  flesh ;  wherefore  he  suffered 
the  pain  of  all  men,  that  all  men  might  repent  and  come  unto 
him."* 

IMPORTANT  OCCURRENCES   BETWEEN   THE  LORD'S  DEATH   AND 

BURIAL. 

The  death  of  Christ  was  accompanied  by  terrifying  phe- 
nomena. There  was  a  violent  earthquake ;  the  rocks  of  the 
mighty  hills  were  disrupted,  and  many  graves  were  torn 
open.  But,  most  portentous  of  all  in  Judaistic  minds,  the 
veil  of  the  temple  which  hung  between  the  Holy  Place  and 
the  Holy  of  Holies0  was  rent  from  top  to  bottom,  and  the 
interior,  which  none  but  the  high  priest  had  been  permitted 
to  see,  was  thrown  open  to  common  gaze.  It  was  the  rend- 
ing of  Judaism,  the  consummation  of  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tion, and  the  inauguration  of  Christianity  under  apostolic 
administration. 

The  Roman  centurion  and  the  soldiers  under  his  com- 
mand at  the  place  of  execution  were  amazed  and  greatly 


x  The  Gospel-writers  leave  us  in  some  uncertainty  as  to  which  of  the 
last  two  utterances  from  the  cross,— "It  is  finished,"  and  "Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit,"  was  spoken  first. 

y  Doc.  and  Coy.  18:11;  revelation  given  in  June  1829;  see  also  19:16-19, 
and  page  613  herein. 

a  See  "The  House  of  the  Lord,"  pages  59,  60. 


THE  MIRACLE  OF  THE  SAVIOR^S  DEATH.  663 

affrighted.  They  had  probably  witnessed  many  deaths  on 
the  cross,  but  never  before  had  they  seen  a  man  apparently 
die  of  his  own  volition,  and  able  to  cry  in  a  loud  voice  at  the 
moment  of  dissolution.  That  barbarous  and  inhuman  mode 
of  execution  induced  slow  and  progressive  exhaustion.  The 
actual  death  of  Jesus  appeared  to  all  who  were  present  to 
be  a  miracle,  as  in  fact  it  was.  This  marvel,  coupled  with 
the  earthquake  and  its  attendant  horrors,  so  impressed  the 
centurion  that  he  prayed  to  God,  and  solemnly  declared : 
"Certainly  this  was  a  righteous  man."  Others  joined  in 
fearsome  averment :  "Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God."  The 
terrified  ones  who  spoke  and  those  who  heard  left  the  place 
in  a  state  of  fear,  beating  their  breasts,  and  bewailing  what 
seemed  to  be  a  state  of  impending  destruction.6  A  few 
loving  women,  however,  watched  from  a  distant  point,  and 
saw  all  that  took  place  until  the  Lord's  body  was  laid  away. 
It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon;  at  sunset  the  Sabbath 
would  begin.  That  approaching  Sabbath  was  held  to  be 
more  than  ordinarily  sacred  for  it  was  a  high  day,  in  that  it 
was  the  weekly  Sabbath  and  a  paschal  holy  day.c  The 
Jewish  officials,  who  had  not  hesitated  to  slay  their  Lord, 
were  horrified  at  the  thought  of  men  left  hanging  on  crosses 
on  such  a  day,  for  thereby  the  land  would  be  defiled  ;d  so 
these  scrupulous  rulers  went  to  Pilate  and  begged  that  Jesus 
and  the  two  malefactors  be  summarily  dispatched  by  the 
brutal  Roman  method  of  breaking  their  legs,  the  shock  of 
which  violent  treatment  had  been  found  to  be  promptly  fatal 
to  the  crucified.  The  governor  gave  his  consent,  and  the 
soldiers  broke  the  limbs  of  the  two  thieves  with  cudgels. 
Jesus,  however,  was  found  to  be  already  dead,  so  they  broke 
not  His  bones.  Christ,  the  great  Passover  sacrifice,  of  whom 
all  altar  victims  had  been  but  suggestive  prototypes,  died 
through  violence  yet  without  a  bone  of  His  body  being 

&Matt.   27:51-54;   Mark   15:38,   39;   Luke  23:47-49. 
cjohn    19:31-37. 
JDeut.   21:23. 


664  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

broken,  as  was  a  prescribed  condition  of  the  slain  paschal 
lambs/  One  of  the  soldiers,  to  make  sure  that  Jesus  was 
actually  dead,  or  to  surely  kill  Him  if  He  was  yet  alive, 
drove  a  spear  into  His  side,  making  a  wound  large  enough 
to  permit  a  man's  hand  to  be  thrust  thereinto/  The  with- 
drawal of  the  spear  was  followed  by  an  outflow  of  blood  and 
water/  an  occurrence  so  surprizing  that  John,  who  was  an 
eye-witness,  bears  specific  personal  testimony  to  the  fact, 
and  cites  the  scriptures  thereby  fulfilled.*1 

THE:  BURIAL.* 

A  man  known  as  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  who  wras  at  heart 
a  disciple  of  Christ,  but  who  had  hesitated  to  openly  confess 
his  conversion  through  fear  of  the  Jews,  desired  to  give  the 
Lord's  body  a  decent  and  honorable  interment.  But  for 
some  such  divinely  directed  intervention,  the  body  of  Jesus 
might  have  been  cast  into  the  common  grave  of  executed 
criminals.  This  man,  Joseph,  was  "a  counsellor ;  and  he 
was  a  good  man,  and  a  just."  It  is  expressly  said  of  him 
that  he  "had  not  consented  to  the  counsel  and  deed  of 
them" ;  from  which  statement  we  infer  that  he  was  a  San- 
hedrist  and  had  been  opposed  to  the  action  of  his  colleagues 
in  condemning  Jesus  to  death,  or  at  least  had  refrained  from 
voting  with  the  rest.  Joseph  was  a  man  of  wealth,  station, 
and  influence.  He  went  in  boldly  unto  Pilate  and  begged 
the  body  of  Christ.  The  governor  was  surprized  to  learn 
that  Jesus  was  already  dead;  he  summoned  the  centurion 
and  inquired  as  to  how  long  Jesus  had  lived  on  the  cross. 
The  unusual  circumstance  seems  to  have  added  to  Pilate's 
troubled  concern.  He  gave  command  and  the  body  of 
Christ  was  delivered  to  Joseph. 

The  body  was  removed  from  the  cross;  and  in  prepar- 

e  Exo.  12:46;  Numb.  9:12;  Psa.  34:20;  John  19:36;  I  Cor.  5:7. 

/John    20:27;    B.    of   M.,    3   Nephi    11:14,    15. 

g  Note  8,   end  of  chapter. 

It  John    19:34-37;    compare    Psa.    22:16,    17;    Zech.    12:10;    Rev.    1:7. 

tMatt.  27:57-61;  Mark  15:42-47;  Luke  23:50-56*  John  19:38-42. 


DEAD  AND  BURIED.  CG5 

ing  it  for  the  tomb  Joseph  was  assisted  by  Nicodemus,  an- 
other member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the  same  who  had  come  to 
Jesus  by  night  three  years  before,  and  who  at  one  of  the 
conspiracy  meetings  of  the  council  had  protested  against  the 
unlawful  condemnation  of  Jesus  without  a  hearing.'  Nico- 
demus brought  a  large  quantity  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  about  a 
hundredweight.  The  odorous  mixture  was  highly  esteemed 
for  anointing  and  embalming,  but  its  cost  restricted  its  use 
to  the  wealthy.  These  two  revering  disciples  wrapped  the 
Lord's  body  in  clean  linen,  "with  the  spices,  as  the  manner 
of  the  Jews  is  to  bury" ;  and  then  laid  it  in  a  new  sepulchre, 
hewn  in  the  rock.  The  tomb  was  in  a  garden,  not  far  from 
Calvary,  and  was  the  property  of  Joseph.  Because  of  the 
nearness  of  the  Sabbath  the  interment  had  to  be  made  with 
haste;  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  was  closed,  a  large  stone 
was  rolled  against  it  ;k  and  thus  laid  away  the  body  was  left 
to  rest.  Some  of  the  devoted  women,  particularly  Mary 
Magdalene,  and  "the  other  Mary,"  who  was  the  mother  of 
James  and  Joses,  had  watched  the  entombment  from -a  dis- 
tance ;  and  when  it  was  completed  "they  returned,  and  pre- 
pared spices  and  ointments ;  and  rested  the  sabbath  day 
according  to  the  commandment." 

THE  SEPULCHRE  GUARDED.' 

On  the  day  following  the  "preparation,"  that  is  to  say  on 
Saturday,  the  Sabbath  and  "high-day, "m  the  chief  priests 
and  Pharisees  came  in  a  body  to  Pilate,  saying :  "Sir,  we 
remember  that  that  deceiver  said,  while  he  was  yet  alive, 
After  three  days  I  will  rise  again.  Command  therefore 
that  the  sepulchre  be  made  sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  his 
disciples  come  by  night,  and  steal  him  away,  and  say  unto 
the  people,  He  is  risen  from  the  dead :  so  the  last  error  shall 
be  worse  than  the  first."  It  is  evident  that  the  most  invet- 

;ee  pages   158 

k  See  revised  version,  Mark  15:46. 
/Matt.    27:62-66. 
m  Note  9,  end  of  chapter. 


666  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

erate  of  the  human  enemies  of  Christ  remembered  His  pre- 
dictions of  an  assured  resurrection  on  the  third  day  after 
His  death.  Pilate  answered  with  terse  assent:  "Ye  have 
a  watch :  go  your  way,  make  it  as  sure  as  ye  can."  So  the 
chief  priests  and  Pharisees  satisfied  themselves  that  the 
sepulchre  was  secure  by  seeing  that  the  official  seal  was 
affixed  at  the  junction  of  the  great  stone  and  the  portal,  and 
that  an  armed  guard  was  placed  in  charge. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  35. 

1.  Simon  the  Cyrenian. — Simon,  upon  whom  the  cross  of 
Jesus  was  laid,   was  a  member  of  the  Jewish   colony  in  northern 
Africa,   which  had   been   established   nearly  three  centuries   before 
the   birth   of    Christ   by   Ptolemeus    Lagi,    who    transported    thither 
great  numbers  of  Jews  from  Palestine   (Josephus,  Antiquities,  xii, 
chap.    i).      Cyrene,   the   home   of    Simon,    was   in   the   province   of 
Libya;   its   site  is   within   the   present  boundaries   of   Tunis.     That 
the  African  Jews   were  numerous   and  influential   is   evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  they  maintained  a  synagog  in  Jerusalem    (Acts  6:9) 
for   the    accommodation   of   such   of    their   number    as    visited    the 
city.     Rufus  and  his  mother  are  mentioned  in   friendly  reference 
by  Paul  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  after   the   death   of   Christ 
(Romans    16:13).      If   this    Rufus   be   one   of   the   sons    of    Simon 
named  by  Mark  (15:21),  as  tradition  indicates,  it  is  probable  that 
Simon's    family    was    prominently    identified    with    the    Primitive 
Church.     As  to  whether  Simon  had  become  a  disciple  before  the 
crucifixion,   or   was    converted   through   his   compulsory   service   in 
bearing  the   Lord's  cross,  or  became  a  member  of  the  Church  at 
a  later  date,  we  are  not  definitely  told. 

2.  Christ's  Words  to  the  Daughters  of  Jerusalem. — "The 
time   would   come,   when   the   Old   Testament  curse   of   barrenness 
(Hosea    9:14)    would   be    coveted    as    a    blessing.      To    show    the 
fulfilment   of   this   prophetic   lament   of   Jesus    it   is    not   necessary 
to   recall  the  harrowing  details   recorded  by  Josephus    (Wars,   vi, 
3:4),  when  a   frenzied  mother  roasted  her  own  child,  and  in  the 
mockery  of   desperateness   reserved   the  half  of  the  horrible  meal 
for  those  murderers  who  daily  broke  in  upon  her  to  rob  her  of 
what  scanty  food  had  been  left  her;  nor  yet  other  of  those  inci- 
dents,   too    revolting    for    needless    repetition,    which    the    historian 
of  the  last   siege  of  Jerusalem  chronicles.     But  how  often,   these 
many  centuries,  must  Israel's  women  have   felt  that  terrible  long- 
ing  for  childlessness,  and  how  often  must  the  prayer  of   despair 
for  the  quick  death  of  falling  mountains  and  burying  hills  rather 
than   prolonged   torture    (Hosea    10:8),   have   risen   to   the   lips   of 
Israel's    sufferers !        And    yet,    even    so,    these    words    were    also 
prophetic   of    a    still    more    terrible    future    (Rev.    6:10).      For,    if 
Israel  had  put  such  flame   to  its   'green   tree'  how  terribly  would 


NOTES.  667 

the  divine  judgment  burn  among  the  dry  wood  of  an  apostate 
and  rebellious  people,  that  had  so  delivered  up  its  Divine  King, 
and  pronounced  sentence  upon  itself  by  pronouncing  it  upon  Him !" 
— Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah  vol.  2,  p. 
588. 

Concerning  the  prayer  that  mountains  fall  to  crush  and  hide 
Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  p.  645,  note),  says:  "These  words  of 
Christ  met  with  a  painfully  literal  illustration  when  hundreds  of 
the  unhappy  Jews  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  hid  themselves  in 
the  darkest  and  vilest  subterranean  recesses,  and  when,  besides 
those  who  were  hunted  out,  no  less  than  two  thousand  were 
killed  by  being  buried  under  the  ruins  of  their  hiding  places." 
A  further  fulfilment  may  be  yet  future.  Consult  Josephus,  Wars, 
vi.  9:4.  See  also  Hos.  9:12-16;  10:8;  Isa.  2:10;  compare  Rev.  6:16.' 

3.  "The   Place   of  a   Skull."— The   Aramaic   Hebrew   name 
"Golgotha",    the    Greek    "Kranion",    and    the    Latin    "Calvaria"    or, 
as    Anglicized,    "Calvary",    have    the    same    meaning,    and    connote 
"a  skull".     The   name   may  have   been   applied   with   reference   to 
topographical    features,  as  we  speak  of  the  brow  of  a  hill;  or,  if 
the  spot  was  the  usual  place  of  execution,  it  may  have  been   so 
called   as   expressive   of   death,  just   as   we   call   a   skull   a   death's 
head.     It  is   probable  that  the   bodies   of   executed   convicts   were 
buried  near  the  place  of  death;   and  if  Golgotha  or  Calvary  was 
the  appointed  site  for  execution,  the  exposure  of  skulls  and  other 
human  bones  through  the  ravages  of  beasts  and  by  other  means, 
would    not    be    surprizing;    though    the    leaving   of    bodies    or    any 
of   their   parts    unburied    was    contrary   to    Jewish    law    and    senti- 
ment.    The  origin  of  the  name  is  of   as  little  importance  as   are 
the    many    divergent    suppositions    concerning    the    exact    location 
of   the   spot. 

4.  Crucifixion. — "It  was  unanimously  considered  the  most 
horrible    form   of    death.     Among   the    Romans    also    the   degrada- 
tion  was   a  part  of   the   infliction,   and   the   punishment   if   applied 
to    freeman    was    only   used    in    the    case    of    the    vilest    criminals. 

.  .  .  .  The  criminal  carried  his  own  cross,  or  at  any  rate 
a  part  of  it.  Hence,  figuratively,  to  take,  take  up  or  bear  one's 
cross  is  to  endure  suffering,  affliction,  or  shame,  like  a  criminal  on 
his  way  to  the  place  of  crucifixion  (Matt.  10:38;  16:24;  Luke 
14:27,  etc.)  The  place  of  execution  was  outside  the  city  (i  Kines 
21:13;  Acts  7:58;  Heb.  13:12),  often  in  some  public  road  or  other 
conspicuous  place.  Arrived  at  the  place  of  execution,  the  suf- 
ferer was  stripped  naked,  the  dress  being  the  perquisite  of  the 
soldiers  (Matt.  27:35).  The  cross  was  then  driven  in,to  the 
ground,  so  that  the  feet  of  the  condemned  were  a  foot  or  two 
above  the  earth,  and  he  was  lifted  upon  it;  or  else  stretched  upon 
it  on  the  ground  and  then  lifted  with  it."  It  was  the  custom  to 
station  soldiers  to  watch  the  cross,  so  as  to  prevent  the  removal 
of  the  sufferer  while  yet  alive.  "This  was  necessary  from  the 
lingering  character'  of  the  death,  which  sometimes  did  not  super- 
vene even  for  three  days,  and  was  at  last  the  result  of  gradual 
benumbing  and  starvation.  But  for  this  guard,  the  persons 


668  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    35. 

might  have  been  taken  down  and  recovered,  as  was  actually  done 
in  the  case  of  a  friend  of  Josephus.  ...  In  most  cases  the 
body  was  suffered  to  rot  on  the  cross  by  the  action  of  sun  and 
rain,  or  to  be  devoured  by  birds  and  beasts.  Sepulture  was  gen- 
erally therefore  forbidden ,  but  in  consequence  of  Deut.  21  :22,  23, 
an  express  national  exception  was  made  in  favor  of  the  Jews 
(Matt.  27:58).  This  accursed  and  awful  mode  of  punishment 
was  happily  abolished  by  Constantine."  Smith's  Bible  Diet. 

5.  Pilate's  Inscription — "The  King  of  the  Jews." — No  two 
of  the   Gospel-writers  give   the   same   wording   of   the   title   or   in- 
scription placed  by  Pilate's  order  above  the  head  of  Jesus  on  the 
cross ;  the  meaning,  however,  is  the  same  in  all,  and  the  unessen- 
tial   variation    is    evidence    of    individual    liberty    among    the    re- 
corders.    It    is    probable    that    there    was    actual    diversity    in    the 
trilingual    versions.      John's    version    is    followed    in    the    common 
abbreviations    used    in    connection    with    Roman    Catholic    figures 
of   Christ :   J.    N.    R.   J. ;    or,   inasmuch   as    "I"   used   to   be   an   or- 
dinary equivalent  of  "J", — I.   N.  R.  I. — "Jesus  of   Nazareth,  King 
[Rex]   of  the  Jews." 

6.  The  Women  at  the  Cross. — "According  to  the  authorized 
version    and    revised    version,    only   three    women    are    named,    but 
most    modern    critics    hold    that    four    are    intended.        Translate, 
therefore,    "His   mother,    and    His    mother's    sister,    (i.    e.    Salome, 
the    mother    of    the    evangelist    [John]);    and    Mary    the    wife    of 
Cleophas ;     and     Mary    Magdalene.' " — Taken     from     Dummelow's 
commentary  on  John  19 125. 

7.  The  Hour  of  the  Crucifixion. — Mark  (15:25)  says:    "And 
it  was  the  third  hour  and  they  crucified  him" ;   the  time  so  spec- 
ified  corresponds    to   the   hour    from   9   to    10   a.    m.     This    writer 
and  his  fellow  synoptists,  Matthew  and  Luke,  give  place  to  many 
incidents  that  occurred  between  the  nailing  of.  Christ  to  the  cross 
and  the  sixth  hour  or  the  hour   from   12  noon  to   I   p.  m.     From 
these  several  accounts  it  is  clear  that  Jesus  was  crucified  during 
the     forenoon.       A     discrepancy     plainly     appears     between     these 
records    and    John's    statement    (19:14)     that    it    was    "about    the 
sixth  hour"    (noon)    when   Pilate  gave  the  sentence  of  execution. 
All    attempts    to   harmonize   the    accounts    in   this   particular   have 
proved   futile   because   the   discrepancy  is   real.     Most   critics   and 
commentators   assume   that   "about   the   sixth   hour"   in   John's    ac- 
count  is   a  misstatement,    due   to   the   errors   of   early   copyists   of 
the   manuscript    Gospels,   who   mistook   the    sign   meaning   3rd    for 
that  signifying  6th. 

8.  The    Physical     Cause    of    Christ's    Death.— While,     as 
stated   in  the  text,   the   yielding  up  of   life   was   voluntary   on   the 
part  of   Jesus    Christ,   for   He   had   life   in   Himself   and   no   man 
could    take    His    life    except    as    He    willed    to    allow    it    to    be 
taken,   (John  1:4;  5:26:   10:15-18)   there  was  of  necessity  a  direct 
physical  cause  of  dissolution.     As   stated  also  the  crucified  some- 
times lived  for  days  upon  the  cross,  and  death  resulted,  not  from 
the    infliction    of    mortal    wounds,    but    from    internal    congestion, 
inflammations,    organic    disturbances,    and    consequent    exhaustion 
of  vital  energy.     Jesus,  though  weakened  by  long  torture  during 


NOTES.  669 

the  preceding  night  and  early  morning,  by  the  shock  of  the  cru- 
cifixion itself,  as  also  by  intense  mental  agony,  and  particularly 
through  spiritual  suffering  such  as  no  other  man  has  ever  en- 
dured, manifested  surprizing  vigor,  both  of  mind  and  body,  to 
the  last.  The  strong,  loud  utterance,  immediately  following 
which  He  bowed  His  head  and  "gave  up  the  ghost",  when  con- 
sidered in  connection  with  other  recorded  details,  points  to  a 
physical  rupture  of  the  heart  as  the  direct  cause  of  death.  If 
the  soldier's  spear  was  thrust  into  the  left  side  of  the  Lord's 
body  and  actually  penetrated  the  heart,  the  outrush  of  ''blood  and 
water"  observed  by  John  is  further  evidence  of  a  cardiac  rupture ; 
for  it  is  known  that  in  the  rare  instances  of  death  resulting  from 
a  breaking  of  any  part  of  the  wall  of  the  heart,  blood  accumu- 
lates within  the  pericardium,  and  there  undergoes  a  change  by 
which  the  corpuscles  separate  as  a  partially  clotted  mass  from 
the  almost  colorless,  watery  serum.  Similar  accumulations 
of  clotted  corpuscles  and  serum  occur  within  the  pleura.  Dr. 
Abercrombie  of  Edinburgh,  as  cited  by  Deems  (Light  of 
the  Nations,  p.  682),  "gives  a  case  of  the  sudden  death  of  a 
man  aged  seventy-seven  years,  owing  to  a  rupture  of  the 
heart.  In  his  case  'the  cavities  of  the  pleura  contained  about 
three  pounds  of  fluid,  but  the  lungs  were  sound.' "  Deems  also 
cites  the  following  instances :  "Dr.  Elliotson  relates  the  case  of  a 
woman  who  died  suddenly.  'On  opening  the  body  the  peri- 
cardium was  found  distended  with  clear  serum,  and  a  very  large 
coagulum  of  blood,  which  had  escaped  through  a  spontaneous 
rupture  of  the  aorta  near  its  origin,  without  any  other  morbid 
appearance.'  Many  cases  might  be  cited,  but  these  suffice."  For 
detailed  treatment  of  the  subject  the  student  may  be  referred  to 
Dr.  Wm.  Stroud's  work  On  the  Physical  Cause  of  the  Death  of 
Christ.  Great  mental  stress,  poignant  emotion  either  of  grief 
or  joy,  and  intense  spiritual  struggle  are  among  the  recognized 
causes  of  heart  rupture. 

The  present  writer  believes  that  the  Lord  Jesus  died  of  a 
broken  heart.  The  psalmist  sang  in  dolorous  measure  according 
to  his  inspired  prevision  of  the  Lord's  passion :  "Reproach  hath 
broken  my  heart;  and  I  am  full  of  heaviness:  and  I  looked  for 
Some  to  take  pity,  but  there  was  none;  and  for  comforters,  but 
I  found  none.  They  gave  me  also  gall  for  my  meat;  and  in  my 
thirst  they  gave  me  vinegar  to  drink."  (Psalm  69:20,  21;  see 
also  22:14.) 

9.  The  Request  that  Christ's  Tomb  be  Sealed. — Many  critics 
hold  that  the  deputation  called  upon  Pilate  on  Saturday  evening, 
after  the  Sabbath  had  ended.  This  assumption  is  made  on  the 
ground  that  to  do  what  these  priestly  officials  did,  in  personally 
supervizing  the  sealing  of  the  tomb,  would  have  been  to  incur 
defilement,  and  that  they  would  not  have  so  done  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Matthew's  statement  is  definite — that  the  application  was 
made  on  "the  next  day,  that  followed  the  day  of  the  prepara- 
tion." The  preparation  day  extended  from  sunset  on  Thursday 
to  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath  at  sunset  on  Friday. 


670  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    3(5. 


CHAPTER  36. 
IN  THE  REALM  OF  DISEMBODIED  SPIRITS. 

Jesus  the  Christ  died  in  the  literal  sense  in  which  all  men 
die.  He  underwent  a  physical  dissolution  by  which  His 
immortal  spirit  was  separated  from  His  body  of  flesh  and 
bones,  and  that  body  was  actually  dead.  While  the  corpse 
lay  in  Joseph's  rock-hewn  tomb,  the  living"  Christ  existed  as 
a  disembodied  Spirit.  We  are  justified  in  inquiring  where 
He  was  and  what  were  His  activities  during  the  interval 
between  His  death  on  the  cross  and  His  emergence  from  the 
sepulchre  with  spirit  and  body  reunited,  a  resurrected  Soul. 
The  assumption  that  most  naturally  suggests  itself  is  that 
He  went  where  the  spirits  of  the  dead  ordinarily  go ;  and 
that,  in  the  sense  in  which  while  in  the  flech  He  had  been  a 
Man  among  men,  He  was,  in  the  disembodied  str.te  a  Spirit 
among  spirits.  This  conception  is  confirmed  as  a  fact  by 
scriptural  attestation. 

As  heretofore  shown0  Jesus  Christ  was  the  chosen  and 
ordained  Redeemer  and  Savior  of  mankind ;  to  this  exalted 
mission  He  had  been  set  apart  in  the  beginning,  even  before 
the  earth  was  prepared  as  the  abode  of  mankind.  Unnum- 
bered hosts  who  had  never  heard  the  gospel,  lived  and  died 
upon  the  earth  before  the  birth  of  Jesus.  Of  those  departed 
myriads  many  had  passed  their  mortal  probation  with  vary- 
ing degrees  of  righteous  observance  of  the  law  of  God  so 
far  as  it  had  been  made  known  unto  them,  but  had  died  in 
unblamable  ignorance  of  the  gospel;  while  other  multitudes 
had  lived  and  died  as  transgressors  even  against  such  moiety 
of  God's  law  to  man  as  they  had  learned  and  such  as  they 
had  professed  to  obey.  Death  had  claimed  as  its  own  all  of 

a  Chapters  2  and  3  herein. 


THE  SAVIOR  IN  PARADISE.  671 

these,  both  just  and  unjust.  To  them  went  the  Christ,  bear- 
ing the  transcendently  glorious  tidings  of  redemption  from 
the  bondage  of  death,  and  of  possible  salvation  from  the 
effects  of  individual  sin.  This  labor  was  part  of  the  Savior's 
foreappointed  and  unique  service  to  the  human  family.  The 
shout  of  divine  exultation  from  the  cross,  "It  is  finished," 
signified  the  consummation  of  the  Lord's  mission  in  mor- 
tality ;  yet  there  remained  to  Him  other  ministry  to  be  ren- 
dered prior  to  His  return  to  the  Father. 

To  the  penitent  transgressor  crucified  by  His  side,  who 
reverently  craved  remembrance  when  the  L,ord  should  come 
into  His  kingdom,6  Christ  had  given  the  comforting  assur- 
ance :  "Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  Today  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  paradise."  The  spirit  of  Jesus  and  the  spirit  of  the  re- 
pentant thief  left  their  crucified  bodies  and  went  to  the  same 
place  in  the  realm  of  the  departed/  On  the  third  day  fol- 
lowing, Jesus,  then  a  resurrected  Being,  positively  stated  to 
the  weeping  Magdalene:  "I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my 
Father."  He  had  gone  to  paradise  but  not  to  the  place 
where  God  dwells.  Paradise,  therefore,  is  not  Heaven,  if 
by  the  latter  term  we  understand  the  abode  of  the  Eternal 
Father  and  His  celestialized  children/  Paradise  is  a  place 
where  dwell  righteous  and  repentant  spirits  between  bodily 
death  and  resurrection.  Another  division  of  the  spirit  world 
is  reserved  for  those  disembodied  beings  who  have  lived 
lives  of  wickedness  and  who  remain  impenitent  even  after 
death.  Alma,  a  Nephite  prophet,  thus  spake  of  the  condi- 
tions prevailing  among  the  departed : 

"Now  concerning  the  state  of  the  soul  between  death  and 
the  resurrection.  Behold,  it  has  been  made  known  unto  me, 
by  an  angel,  that  the  spirits  of  all  men,  as  soon  as  they  are 
departed  from  this  mortal  body ;  yea,  the  spirits  of  all  men, 
whether  they  be  good  or  evil,  are  taken  home  to  that  God 

b  Page  659. 

cNote    1,    end    of   chanter. 

JNote   the   distinction   made   by    Paul   2   Cor.    12:2-4. 


672  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    36. 

who  gave  them  life.  And  then  shall  it  come  to  pass  that 
the  spirits  of  those  who  are  righteous,  are  received  into  a 
state  of  happiness,  which  is  called  paradise ;  a  state  of  rest ; 
a  state  of  peace,  where  they  shall  rest  from  all  their  troubles 
and  from  all  care,  and  sorrow,  &c.  And  then  shall  it  come 
to  pass,  that  the  spirits  of  the  wicked,  yea,  who  are  evil ;  for 
behold,  they  have  no  part  nor  portion  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord ;  for  behold,  they  chose  evil  works  rather  than  good ; 
therefore  the  spirit  of  the  devil  did  enter  into  them,  and  take 
possession  of  their  house;  and  these  shall  be  cast  out  into 
outer  darkness;  there  shall  be  weeping,  and  wailing,  and 
gnashing  of  teeth ;  and  this  because  of  their  own  iniquity ; 
being  led  captive  by  the  will  of  the  devil.  Now  this  is  the 
state  of  the  souls  of  the  wicked :  yea,  in  darkness,  and  a  state 
of  awful,  fearful,  looking  for  the  fiery  indignation  of  the 
wrath  of  God  upon  them ;  thus  they  remain  in  this  state,  as 
well  as  the  righteous  in  paradise,  until  the  time  of  their  res- 
urrection.'^ 

While  divested  of  His  body  Christ  ministered  among  the 
departed,  both  in  paradise  and  in  the  prison  realm  where 
dwelt  in  a  state  of  durance  the  spirits  of  the  disobedient. 
To  this  effect  testified  Peter  nearly  three  decades  after  the 
great  event :  "For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God,  being 
put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit :  B} 
which  also  he  went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison ; 
Which  sometime  were  disobedient,  when  once  the  longsuffer- 
ing  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah,  while  the  ark  was 
a  preparing,  wherein  few,  that  is,  eight  souls  were  saved  by 
water."/ 

The  disobedient  who  had  lived  on  earth  in  the  Noachian 
period  are  especially  mentioned  as  beneficiaries  of  the  Lord's 
ministry  in  the  spirit  world.  They  had  been  guilty  of  gross 
offenses,  and  had  wantonly  rejected  the  teachings  and  ad- 
monitions of  Noah,  the  earthly  minister  of  Jehovah.  For  their 
flagrant  sin  they  had  been  destroyed  in  the  flesh,  and  their 

eE.  of  M.,  Alma  40:11-14. 

fl  Peter  3:18-20;   see  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  GOSPEL  PREACHED  TO  THE  DEAD.  673 

spirits  had  endured  in  a  condition  of  imprisonment,  without 
hope,  from  the  time  of  their  death  to  the  advent  of  Christ, 
who  came  as  a  Spirit  amongst  them.  We  are  not  to  assume 
from  Peter's  illustrative  mention  of  the  disobedient  ante- 
diluvians that  they  alone  were  included  in  the  blessed  oppor- 
tunities offered  through  Christ's  ministry  in  the  spirit  realm ; 
on  the  contrary,  we  conclude  in  reason  and  consistency  that 
all  whose  wickedness  in  the  flesh  had  brought  their  spirits 
into  the  prison  house  were  sharers  in  the  possibilities  of 
expiation,  repentance,  and  release.  Justice  demanded  that 
the  gospel  be  preached  among  the  dead  as  it  had  been  and 
was  to  be  yet  more  widely  preached  among  the  living.  L,et 
us  consider  the  further  affirmation  of  Peter,  as  part  of  his 
pastoral  admonition  to  the  members  of  the  Primitive  Church : 
"Who  shall  give  account  to  him  that  is  ready  to  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead.  For  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel 
preached  also  to  them  that  are  dead,  that  they  might  be 
judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  according  to 
God  in  the  spirit. "^ 

That  Jesus  knew,  while  yet  in  the  body,  that  His  mission 
as  the  universal  Redeemer  and  Savior  of  the  race  would  not 
be  complete  when  He  came  to  die  is  sufficiently  demonstrated 
by  His  words  to  the  casuistical  Jews,  following  the  Sabbath 
day  healing  at  Bethesda:  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you. 
The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear 
the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God:  and  they  that  hear  shall  live. 
For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself ;  so  hath  he  given  to 
the  Son  to  have  life  in  himself ;  and  hath  given  him  au- 
thority to  execute  judgment  also,  because  he  is  the  Son  of 
man.  Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the 
which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and 
shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  res- 
urrection of  damnation."^  The  solemn  truth,  that  through 

g  1   Peter  4:5,  6.     See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter, 
fi  John  5:25-29;    see  also  page  210  herein. 

22 


674  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    36. 

the  atonement  of  Christ  salvation  would  be  made  possible 
to  the  dead  as  well  as  to  the  living,  was  revealed  to  the 
prophets  centuries  before  the  meridian  of  time.  Isaiah  was 
permitted  to  foresee  the  fate  of  the  ungodly,  and  the  state 
prepared  for  haughty  and  rebellious  offenders  against  right- 
eousness; but  the  dread  vision  was  in  part  brightened  by 
the  deliverance  that  had  been  provided.  "And  it  shall  come 
to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  Lord  shall  punish  the  host  of  the 
high  ones  that  are  on  high,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  upon 
the  earth.  And  they  shall  be  gathered  together,  as  prisoners 
are  gathered  in  the  pit,  and  shall  be  shut  up  in  the  prison, 
and  after  many  days  shall  they  be  visited."*  To  the  same 
mighty  prophet  was  shown  the  universality  of  the  Savior's 
atoning  victory,  as  comprizing  the  redemption  of  Jew  and 
Gentile,  living  and  dead ;  and  convincingly  he  voiced  the 
word  of  revelation :  "Thus  saith  God  the  Lord,  he  that 
created  the  heavens,  and  stretched  them  out ;  he  that  spread 
forth  the  earth,  and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it;  he  that 
giveth  breath  unto  the  people  upon  it,  and  spirit  to  them 
that  walk  therein :  I  the  Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteous- 
ness, and  will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and  give 
thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles ; 
to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the 
prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison 
house."' 

David,  singing  the  praises  of  the  Redeemer  whose  do- 
minion should  extend  even  to  the  souls  in  hell,  shouted  in 
joy  at  the  prospect  of  deliverance :  "Therefore  my  heart  is 
glad,  and  my  glory  rejoiceth :  my  flesh  also,  shall  rest  in 
hope.  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell ;  neither  wilt 
thou  suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  corruption.  Thou  wilt 
shew  me  the  path  of  life :  in  thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy : 
at  thy  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for  evermore."* 


ilsa.   24:21,   22. 
/Isa.   42:5-7. 
k  Psalm   16:9-11. 


WHY  ARE  THEY  THEN  BAPTIZED  FOR  THE  DEAD?        675 

From  these  and  other  scriptures  it  is  evident  that  the 
ministry  of  Christ  among  the  disembodied  was  foreseen, 
predicted,  and  accomplished.  The  fact  that  the  gospel  was 
preached  to  the  dead  necessarily  implies  the  possibility  of  the 
dead  accepting  the  same  and  availing  themselves  of  the 
saving  opportunities  thereof.  In  the  merciful  providence 
of  the  Almighty,  provision  has  been  made  for  vicarious 
service  by  the  living  for  the  dead,  in  the  ordinances  essential 
to  salvation ;  so  that  all  who  in  the  spirit-world  accept  the 
word  of  God  as  preached  to  them,  develop  true  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ  as  the  one  and  only  Savior,  and  contritely 
repent  of  their  transgressions,  shall  be  brought  under  the 
saving  effect  of  baptism  by  water  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  be  recipients  of  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  or  the  bestowal 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. /  Paul  cites  the  principle  and  practise 
of  baptism  by  the  living  for  the  dead  as  proof  of  the  actuality 
of  the  resurrection :  "Else  what  shall  they  do  which  are 
baptized  for  the  dead,  if  the  dead  rise  not  at  all?  why  are 
they  then  baptized  for  the  dead  ?""*  Free  agency,  the  divine 
birthright  of  every  human  soul,  will  not  be  annulled  by  death. 
Only  as  the  spirits  of  the  dead  become  penitent  and  faithful 
will  they  be  benefited  by  the  vicarious  service  rendered  in 
their  behalf  on  earth. 

Missionary  labor  among  the  dead  was  inaugurated  by  the 
Christ;  who  of  us  can  doubt  that  it  has  been  continued  by 
His  authorized  servants,  the  disembodied,  who  while  in  the 
flesh  had  been  commissioned  to  preach  the  gospel  and  ad- 
minister in  the  ordinances  thereof  through  ordination  in  the 
Holy  Priesthood?  That  the  faithful  apostles  who  were  left 
to  build  up  the  Church  on  earth  following  the  departure  of 
its  divine  Founder,  that  other  ministers  of  the  word  of  God 
ordained  to  the  Priesthood  by  authority  in  the  Primitive  as 
well  as  in  the  L,atter-day  Church,  have  passed  from  minis- 


/See  page  124  herein;  also  "The  Articles  of  Faith,"  vii:18-33;  and  "The 
House  of  the  Lord,"  pages   63-93. 

ml  Cor.  15:29;  see  also  "House  of  the  Lord,"  p.  92. 


676  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    36. 

terial  service  among  mortals  to  a  continuation  of  such  labor 
among  the  disembodied,  is  so  abundantly  implied  in  scripture 
as  to  be  made  a  certainty.  They  are  called  to  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  Master,  ministering  here  among  the  living, 
and  beyond  among  the  dead. 

The  victory  of  Christ  over  death  and  sin  would  be  in- 
complete were  its  effects  confined  to  the  small  minority  who 
have  heard,  accepted,  and  lived  the  gospel  of  salvation  in  the 
flesh.  Compliance  with  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the 
gospel  is  essential  to  salvation.  Nowhere  in  scripture  is  a 
distinction  made  in  this  regard  between  the  living  and  the 
dead.  The  dead  are  those  who  have  lived  in  mortality  upon 
earth ;  the  living  are  mortals  who  yet  shall  pass  through  the 
ordained  change  which  we  call  death.  All  are  children  of 
the  same  Father,  all  to  be  judged  and  rewarded  or  punished 
by  the  same  unerring  justice,  with  the  same  interposition 
of  benign  mercy.  Christ's  atoning  sacrifice  was  offered, 
not  alone  for  the  few  who  lived  upon  the  earth  while  He  was 
in  the  flesh,  nor  for  those  who  were  to  be  born  in  mortality 
after  His  death,  but  for  all  inhabitants  of  earth  then  past, 
present,  and  future.  He  was  ordained  of  the  Father  to  be 
a  judge  of  both  quick  and  dead  ;n  He  is  Lord  alike  of  living 
and  dead,0  as  men  speak  of  dead  and  living,  though  all  are 
to  be  placed  in  the  same  position  before  Him ;  there  will  be 
but  a  single  class,  for  all  live  unto  Him/  While  His  body 
reposed  in  the  tomb,  Christ  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
further  accomplishment  of  the  Father's  purposes,  by  offer- 
ing the  boon  of  salvation  to  the  dead,  both  in  paradise  and 
in  hell. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  36. 

i.  Paradise. — The  scriptures  prove  that  at  the  time  of  the 
final  judgment  every  man  will  stand  before  the  bar  of  God, 
clothed  in  his  resurrected  body,  and  this,  irrespective  of  his  con- 
dition of  righteousness  or  guilt.  While  awaiting  resurrection, 

nActs   10:42;   2  Tim.   4:1;    1    Peter  4:5. 

o  Rom.    14:9. 

pLuke   20:36,    38;    "The    Articles   of   Faith,"    vii:18. 


NOTES. 

disembodied  spirits  exist  in  an  intermediate  state,  of  happiness 
and  rest  or  of  suffering  and  suspense,  according  to  the  course 
they  have  elected  to  follow  in  mortality.  Reference  to  paradise 
as  the  abode  .of  righteous  spirits  between  the  time  of  death  and 
that  of  the  resurrection  is  made  by  the  prophet  Nephi  (2  Nephi 
9:I3)>  by  a  later  prophet  of  the  same  name  (4  Nephi  14),  by 
Moroni  (Moroni  10:34);  as  also  by  Alma  whose  words  are 
quoted  in  the  text  (Alma  40:12,  14).  New  Testament  scripture 
is  of  analogous  import  (Luke  23:43;  2  Cor.  12:4;  Rev.  2:7).  The 
word  "paradise"  by  its  derivation  through  the  Greek  from  the 
Persian,  signifies  a  pleasant  place,  or  a  place  of  restful  enjoy- 
ment. (See  The  Articles  of  Faith,  xxi,  note  5).  By  many  the 
terms  "hades"  and  "sheol"  are  understood  to  designate  the  place 
of  departed  spirits,  comprizing  both  paradise  and  the  prison  realm ; 
by  others  the  terms  are  applied  only  to  the  latter,  the  place  of 
the  wicked,  which  is  apart  from  paradise,  the  abode  of  the 
just. 

The  assumption  that  the  gracious  assurance  given  by  Christ 
to  the  penitent  sinner  on  the  cross  was  a  remission  of  the  man's 
iins,  and  a  passport  into  heaven,  is  wholly  contrary  to  both  the 
letter  and  spirit  of  scripture,  reason,  and  justice.  Confidence  in 
the  efficacy  of  death-bed  professions  and  confessions  on  the 
basis  of  this  incident  is  of  the  most  insecure  foundation.  The 
trucified  malefactor  manifested  both  faith  and  repentance;  his 
promised  blessing  was  that  he  should  that  day  hear  the  gospel 
preached  in  paradise;  in  the  acceptance  or  rejection  of  the  word 
of  life  he  would  be  an  agent  unto  himself.  The  requirement  of 
obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  as  an  essen- 
tial to  salvation  was  not  waived,  suspended,  or  superseded  in 
his  case. 

2.  The  Scripture  Relating  to  Christ  Among  the  Spirits  in 
Prison. — The  revised  version  of  i  Peter  3:18-20  reads:  "Because 
Christ  also  suffered  for  sins  once,  the  righteous  for  the  unright- 
eous, that  he  might  bring  us  to  God ;  being  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  but  quickened  in  the  spirit ;  in  which  also  he  went  and 
preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison,  which  aforetime  were  dis- 
obedient, when  the  longsuffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of 
Noah,  while  the  ark  was  a  preparing,  wherein  few,  that  is  eight 
souls  were  saved  through  water."  This  is  regarded  by  scholars 
as  a  closer  approach  to  accuracy  in  translation  than  the  common 
version.  Certain  important  differences  between  the  two  ver- 
sions will  appear  to  the  studious  reader.  The  common  version 
of  the  latter  part  of  verse  18  and  the  whole  of  verse  19  reads : 
"being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  spirit: 
By  which  also  he  went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison." 
The  revised  text  expresses  the  true  thought  that  Christ  was 
quickened,  that  is  to  say,  was  active,  in  His  own  spirit  state, 
although  His  body  was  inert  and  in  reality  dead  at  the  time;  and 
that  in  that  disembodied  state  He  went  and  preached  to  the  dis- 
obedient spirits,  The  later  reading  fixes  the  time  of  our  Lord's 
ministry  among  the  departed  as  the  interval  between  His  death 
and  resurrection. 


678  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    36. 


CHAPTER  37. 
THE  RESURRECTION  AND  THE  ASCENSION. 

CHRIST  IS  RISEN. 

Saturday,  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  had  passed,  and  the  night 
preceding  the  dawn  of  the  most  memorable  Sunday  in  his- 
tory was  well  nigh  spent,  while  the  Roman  guard  kept  watch 
over  the  sealed  sepulchre  wherein  lay  the  body  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  While  it  was  yet  dark,  the  earth  began  to  quake ;  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  descended  in  glory,  rolled  back  the  mas- 
sive stone  from  the  portal  of  the  tomb,  and  sat  upon  it. 
His  countenance  was  brilliant  as  the  lightning,  and  his  rair 
ment  was  as  the  driven  snow  for  whiteness.  The  soldiers, 
paralyzed  with  fear,  fell  to  the  earth  as  dead  men.  When 
they  had  partially  recovered  from  their  fright,  they  fled  from 
the  place  in  terror.  Even  the  rigor  of  Roman  discipline, 
which  decreed  summary  death;  to  every  soldier  who  deserted 
his  post,  could  not  deter  them.  Moreover,  there  was  noth- 
ing left  for  them  to  guard ;  the  seal  of  authority  had  been 
broken,  the  sepulchre  was  open,  and  empty.0 

At  the  earliest  indication  of  dawn,  the  devoted  Mary 
Magdalene  and  other  faithful  women  set  out  for  the  tomb, 
bearing  spices  and  ointments  which  they  had  prepared  for 
the  further  anointing  of  the  body  of  Jesus.  Some  of  them 
had  been  witnesses  of  the  burial,  and  were  conscious  of  the 
necessary  haste  with  which  the  corpse  had  been  wrapped 
with  spicery  and  laid  away  by  Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  just 
before  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath ;  and  now  these  ador- 
ing women  came  early  to  render  loving  service  in  a  more 
thorough  anointing  and  external  embalmment  of  the  body. 

oMatt.   28:1-4,    see   also   verse   11. 


HE  IS  RISEN,  AS  HE  SAID.  679 

On  the  way  as  they  sorrowfully  conversed,  they  seemingly 
for  the  first  time  thought  of  the  difficulty  of  entering  the 
tomb.  "Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of 
the  sepulchre?"  they  asked  one  of  another.  Evidently  they 
knew  nothing  of  the  seal  and  the  guard  of  soldiery.  At  the 
tomb  they  saw  the  angel,  and  were  afraid ;  but  he  said  unto 
them :  "Fear  not  ye :  for  I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which 
was  crucified.  He  is  not  here :  for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said. 
Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay.  And  go  quickly, 
and  tell  his  disciples  that  he  is  risen  from  the  dead;  and, 
behold,  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee ;  there  shall  ye  see 
him :  lo,  I  have  told  you."& 

The  women,  though  favored  by  angelic  visitation  and 
assurance,  left  the  place  amazed  and  frightened.  Mary 
Magdalene  appears  to  have  been  the  first  to  carry  word  to 
the  disciples  concerning  the  empty  tomb.  She  had  failed  to 
comprehend  the  gladsome  meaning  of  the  angel's  proclama- 
tion "He  is  risen,  as  he  said" ;  in  her  agony  of  love  and 
grief  she  remembered  only  the  words  "He  is  not  here,"  the 
truth  of  which  had  been  so  forcefully  impressed  by  her  own 
hasty  glance  at  the  open  and  tenantless  tomb.  "Then  she 
runneth,  and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and  to  the  other  disci- 
ple, whom  Jesus  loved,  and  saith  unto  them,  They  have  taken 
away  the  Lord  out  of  the  sepulchre,  and  we  know  not  where 
they  have  laid  him." 

Peter,  and  "that  other  disciple"  who,  doubtless,  was  John, 
set  forth  in  haste,  running  together  toward  the  sepulchre. 
John  outran  his  companion,  and  on  reaching  the  tomb 
stooped  to  look  in,  and  so  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  linen 
cerements  lying  on  the  floor;  but  the  bold  and  impetuous 
Peter  rushed  into  the  sepulchre,  and  was  followed  by  the 
younger  apostle.  The  two  observed  the  linen  grave-clothes, 
and  lying  by  itself,  the  napkin  that  had  been  placed  about  the 
head  of  the  corpse.  John  frankly  affirms  that  having  seen 


&Matt.  28:5-7;  compare  Mark  16:1-7;  Luke  24:1-8;  John  20:1-2. 


680  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

these  things,  he  believed,  and  explains  in  behalf  of  himself 
and  his  fellow  apostles,  "For  as  yet  they  knew  not  the 
scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again  from  the  dead."c 

The  sorrowful  Magdalene  had  followed  the  two  apostles 
back  to  the  garden  of  the  burial.  No  thought  of  the  Lord's 
restoration  to  life  appears  to  have  found  place  in  her  grief- 
stricken  heart ;  she  knew  only  that  the  body  of  her  beloved 
Master  had  disappeared.  While  Peter  and  John  were  within 
the  sepulchre,  she  had  stood  without,  weeping.  After  the  men 
had  left  she  stooped  and  looked  into  the  rock-hewn  cavern. 
There  she  saw  two  personages,  angels  in  white ;  one  sat 
"at  the  head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet,  where  the  body  of 
Jesus  had  lain."  In  accents  of  tenderness  they  asked  of  her : 
"Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?"  In  reply  she  could  but  voice 
anew  her  overwhelming  sorrow :  "Because  they  have  taken 
away  my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him." 
The  absence  of  the  body,  which  she  thought  to  be  all  that 
was  left  on  earth  of  Him  whom  she  loved  so  deeply,  was  a 
personal  bereavement.  There  is  a  volume  of  pathos  and 
affection  in  her  words,  "They  have  taken  away  my  Lord." 

Turning  from  the  vault,  which,  though  at  that  moment 
illumined  by  angelic  presence,  was  to  her  void  and  desolate, 
she  became  aware  of  another  Personage,  standing  near.  She 
heard  His  sympathizing  inquiry :  "Woman,  why  weepest 
thou?  whom  seekest  thou?"  Scarcely  lifting  her  tearful 
countenance  to  look  at  the  Questioner,  but  vaguely  suppos- 
ing that  He  was  the  caretaker  of  the  garden,  and  that  He 
might  have  knowledge  of  what  had  been  done  with  the  body 
of  her  Lord,  she  exclaimed:  "Sir,  if  thou  have  borne  him 
hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him 
away."  She  knew  that  Jesus  had  been  interred  in  a  bor- 
rowed tomb;  and  if  the  body  had  been  dispossessed  of  that 
resting  place,  she  was  prepared  to  provide  another.  "Tell 
me  where  thou  hast  laid  him,"  she  pleaded. 

*John  20:1-10. 


THE  RISEN  LORD  AND  MARY  MAGDALENE.  681 

It  was  Jesus  to  whom  she  spake,  her  beloved  Lord, 
though  she  knew  it  not.  One  word  from  His  Hving  lips 
changed  her  agonized  grief  into  ecstatic  joy.  "Jesus  saith 
unto  her,  Mary."  The  voice,  the  tone,  the  tender  accent  she 
had  heard  and  loved  in  the  earlier  days  lifted  her  from  the 
despairing  depths  into  which  she  had  sunk.  She  turned,  and 
saw  the  Lord.  In  a  transport  of  joy  she  reached  out  her 
arms  to  embrace  Him,  uttering  only  the  endearing  and 
worshipful  word,  "Rabboni,"  meaning  My  beloved  Master. 
Jesus  restrained  her  impulsive  manifestation  of  reverent 
love,  saying,  "Touch  me  not  \d  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to 
my  Father,"  and  adding,  "but  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say 
unto  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father,  and  your  Father ;  and 
to  my  God,  and  your  God."* 

To  a  woman,  to  Mary  of  Magdala,  was  given  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  among  mortals  to  behold  a  resurrected 
Soul,  and  that  Soul,  the  Lord  Jesus/  To  other  favored 
women  did  the  risen  Lord  next  manifest  Himself,  including 
Mary  the  mother  of  Joses,  Joanna,  and  Salome  the  mother 
of  the  apostles  James  and  John.  These  and  the  other  women 
with  them  had  been  affrighted  by  the  presence  of  the  angel 
at  the  tomb,  and  had  departed  with  mingled  fear  and  joy. 
They  were  not  present  when  Peter  and  John  entered  the 
vault,  nor  afterward  when  the  Lord  made  Himself  known 
to  Mary  Magdalene.  They  may  have  returned  later,  for 
some  of -them  appear  to  have  entered  the  sepulchre,  and  to 
have  seen  that  the  Lord's  body  was  not  {here.  As  they 
stood  wondering  in  perplexity  and  astonishment,  they  be- 
came aware  of  the  presence  of  two  men  in  shining  garments, 
and  as  the  women  "bowed  down  their  faces  to  the  earth"  the 
angels  said  unto  them :  "Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the 
dead  ?  He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen  :  remember  how  he  spake 
unto  you  when  he  was  yet  in  Galilee,  saying,  The  Son  of  man 


d  Revised  version,  "Take  not  hold  on  me"  (margin). 
ejohn   20:11-17. 
/Mark  16:9. 


682  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

must  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  sinful  men,  and  be 
crucified,  and  the  third  day  rise  again.  And  they  remem- 
bered his  words. "9  As  they  were  returning  to  the  city  to 
deliver  the  message  to  the  disciples,  "Jesus  met  them,  saying, 
All  hail.  And  they  came  and  held  him  by  the  feet,  and 
worshipped  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  Be  not  afraid : 
go  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go  into  Galilee,  and  there  shall 
they  see  me."/l 

One  may  wonder  why  Jesus  had  forbidden  Mary  Mag- 
dalene to  touch  Him,  and  then,  so  soon  after,  had  permitted 
other  women  to  hold  Him  by  the  feet  as  they  bowed 
in  reverence.  We  may  assume  that  Mary's  emotional 
approach  had  been  prompted  more  by  a  feeling  of  personal 
yet  holy  affection  than  by  an  impulse  of  devotional  worship 
such  as  the  other  women  evinced.  Though  the  resurrected 
Christ  manifested  the  same  friendly  and  intimate  regard  as 
He  had  shown  in  the  mortal  state  toward  those  with  whom 
He  had  been  closely  associated,  He  was  no  longer  one  of 
them  in  the  literal  sense.  There  was  about  Him  a  divine 
dignity  that  forbade  close  personal  familiarity.  To  Mary 
Magdalene  Christ  had  said :  "Touch  me  not ;  for  I  am  not 
yet  ascended  to  my  Father."  If  the  second  clause  was  spoken 
in  explanation  of  the  first,  we  have  to  infer  that  no  human 
hand  was  to  be  permitted  to  touch  the  Lord's  resurrected  and 
immortalized  body  until  after  He  had  presented  Himself  to 
the  Father.  It  appears  reasonable  and  probable  •  that  be- 
tween Mary's  impulsive  attempt  to  touch  the  Lord,  and  the 
action  of  the  other  women  who  held  Him  by  the  feet  as  they 
bowed  in  worshipful  reverence,  Christ  did  ascend  to  the 
Father,  and  that  later  He  returned  to  earth  to  continue  His 
ministry  in  the  resurrected  state. 

Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  women  told  the  won- 
derful story  of  their  several  experiences  to  the  disciples,  but 


0Luke  24:3-8. 
ft  Matt.  28:9,  10. 


PERPLEXITY  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  683 

the  brethren  could  not  credit  their  words,  which  "seemed  to 
them  as  idle  tales,  and  they  believed  them  not."*  After  all 
that  Christ  had  taught  concerning  His  rising  from  the  dead 
on  that  third  day/  the  apostles  were  unable  to  accept  the 
actuality  of  the  occurrence ;  to  their  minds  the  resurrection 
was  some  mysterious  and  remote  event,  not  a  present  possi- 
bility. There  was  neither  precedent  nor  analogy  for  the 
stories  these  women  told — of  a  dead  person  returning  to  life, 
with  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones,  such  as  could  be  seen  and  felt 
— except  the  instances  of  the  young  man  of  Nain,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jairus,  and  the  beloved  Lazarus  of  Bethany,  between 
whose  cases  of  restoration  to  a  renewal  of  mortal  life  and  the 
reported  resurrection  of  Jesus  they  recognized  essential 
differences.  The  grief  and  the  sense  of  irreparable  loss 
which  had  characterized  the  yesterday  Sabbath,  were  re- 
placed by  profound  perplexity  and  contending  doubts  on  this 
first  day  of  the  week.  But  while  the  apostles  hesitated  to 
believe  that  Christ  had  actually  risen,  the  women,  less  skep- 
tical, more  trustful,  knew,  for  they  had  both  seen  Him  and 
heard  His  voice,  and  some  of  them  had  touched  His  feet. 

A  PRIESTLY  CONSPIRACY  OF  FALSEHOOD.^ 

When  the  Roman  guardsmen  had  sufficiently  recovered 
from  fright  to  make  their  precipitate  departure  from  the 
sepulchre,  they  went  to  the  chief  priests,  under  whose  orders 
they  had  been  placed  by  Pilate/  and  reported  the  super- 
natural occurrences  they  had  witnessed.  The  chief  priests 
were  Sadducees,  of  which  sect  or  party  a  distinguishing 
feature  was  the  denial  of  the  possibility  of  resurrection  from 
the  dead.  A  session  of  the  Sanhedrin  was  called,  and  the 
disturbing  report  of  the  guard  was  considered.  In  the  spirit 

tLuke    24:9-11;    compare    Mark    16:9-13. 

/Note   1,   end   of  chapter. 

fcMatt.    28:11-15. 

I  Matt.  27:65,  66;  page  665  herein. 


684  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

in  which  these  deceiving  hierarchs  had  tried  to  kill  Lazarus 
for  the  purpose  of  quelling  popular  interest  in  the  miracle 
of  his  restoration  to  life,  they  now  conspired  to  discredit  the 
truth  of  Christ's  resurrection  by  bribing  the  soldiers  to  lie. 
These  were  told  to  say  "His  disciples  came  by  night,  and 
stole  him  away  while  we  slept" ;  and  for  the  falsehood  they 
were  offered  large  sums  of  money.  The  soldiers  accepted 
the  tempting  bribe,  and  did  as  they  were  instructed ;  for  this 
course  appeared  to  them  the  best  way  out  of  a  critical  situa- 
tion. If  they  were  found  guilty  of  sleeping  at  their  posts, 
immediate  death  would  be  their  doom;m  but  the  Jews  en- 
couraged them  by  the  promise:  "If  this  come  to  the  gov- 
ernor's ears,  we  will  persuade  him  and  secure  you."  It  must 
be  remembered  that  the  soldiers  had  been  put  at  the  disposal 
of  the  chief  priests,  and  presumably  therefore  were  not  re- 
quired to  report  the  details  of  their  doings  to  the  Roman 
authorities. 

The  recorder  adds  that  until  the  day  of  his  writing,  the 
falsehood  of  Christ's  body  having  been  stolen  from  the  tomb 
by  the  disciples  was  current  among  the  Jews.  The  utter 
untenability  of  the  false  report  is  apparent.  If  all  the  soldiers 
were  asleep — a  most  unlikely  occurrence  inasmuch  as  such 
neglect  was  a  capital  offense — how  could  they  possibly  know 
that  any  one  had  approached  the  tomb?  And,  more  par- 
ticularly, how  could  they  substantiate  their  statement  even 
if  it  were  true,  that  the  body  was  stolen  and  that  the  disciples 
were  the  grave-robbers  ?n  The  mendacious  fiction  was 
framed  by  the  chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people.  Not 
all  the  priestly  circle  were  parties  to  it  however.  Some,  who 
perhaps  had  been  among  the  secret  disciples  of  Jesus  before 
His  death,  were  not  afraid  to  openly  ally  themselves  with 
the  Church,  when,  through  the  evidence  of  the  Lord's  resur- 
rection, they  had  become  thoroughly  converted.  We  read 


m  Compare    Acts    12:19. 
n  Note  2,   end   of  chapter. 


ON    THE   EMMAUS   ROAD.  685 

that  but  a  few  months  later  "a  great  company  of  the  priests 
were  obedient  to  the  faith."" 

CHRIST  WALKS  AND  TALKS  WITH  TWO  OF  THE;  DISCIPLES/ 

During  the  afternoon  of  that  same  Sunday,  two  disciples, 
not  of  the  apostles,  left  the  little  band  of  believers  in  Jeru- 
salem and  set  out  for  Emmaus,  a  village  between  seven  and 
eight  miles  from  the  city.  There  could  be  but  one  topic  of 
conversation  between  them,  and  on  this  they  communed  as 
they  walked,  citing  incidents  in  the  Lord's  life,  dwelling  par- 
ticularly upon  the  fact  of  His  death  through  which  their 
hopes  of  a  Messianic  reign  had  been  so  sadly  blighted,  and 
marveling  deeply  over  the  incomprehensible  testimony  of  the 
women  concerning  His  reappearance  as  a  living  Soul.  As 
they  went,  engrossed  in  sorrowful  and  profound  discourse, 
another  Wayfarer  joined  them ;  it  was  the  Lord  Jesus,  "but 
their  eyes  were  holden  that  they  should  not  know  him/*  In 
courteous  interest,  He  asked :  "What  manner  of  communi- 
cations are  these  that  ye  have  one  to  another,  as  ye  walk,  and 
are  sad?"  One  of  the  disciples,  Cleopas  by  name,  replied 
with  surprize  tinged  with  commiseration  for  the  Stranger's 
seeming  ignorance :  "Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem, 
and  hast  not  known  the  things  which  are  come  to  pass  there 
in  these  days?"  Intent  on  drawing  from  the  men  a  full 
statement  of  the  matter  by  which  they  were  so  plainly  agi- 
tated, the  unrecognized  Christ  asked,  "What  things  ?"  They 
could  not  be  reticent.  "Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth"  they 
explained,  "which  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word 
before  God  and  all  the  people :  and  how  the  chief  priests  and 
our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to  death,  and  have 
crucified  him."  In  sorrowful  mood  they  went  on  to  tell  how 
they  had  trusted  that  the  now  crucified  Jesus  would  have 
proved  to  be  the  Messiah  sent  to  redeem  Israel ;  but  alas ! 


o  Acts   6:7;    compare   John    12:42. 
p  Luke  24:13-32;  compare  Mark  16:12. 


686  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

this  was  the  third  day  since  He  had  been  slain.  Then,  with 
brightening  countenances,  yet  still  perplexed,  they  told  of 
certain  women  of  their  company  who  had  astonished  them 
that  morning  by  saying  that  they  had  visited  the  sepulchre 
early  and  had  discovered  that  the  L,ord's  body  was  not  there, 
but,  "that  they  had  also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which  said 
that  he  was  alive."  Moreover,  others  beside  the  women  had 
gone  to  the  tomb,  and  had  verified  the  absence  of  the  body 
but  had  not  seen  the  Lord. 

Then  Jesus,  gently  chiding  His  fellow  travelers  as  foolish 
men  and  slow  of  heart  in  their  hesitating  acceptance  of  what 
the  prophets  had  spoken,  asked  impressively,  "Ought  not 
Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his 
glory?"  Beginning  with  the  inspired  predictions  of  Moses, 
He  expounded  to  them  the  scriptures,  touching  upon  all  the 
prophetic  utterances  concerning  the  Savior's  mission.  Hav- 
ing continued  with  the  two  men  to  their  destination  Jesus 
"made  as  though  he  would  have  gone  further,"  but  they 
urged  Him  to  tarry  with  them,  for  the  day  was  already  far 
spent.  He  so  far  acceded  to  their  hospitable  entreaty  as  to 
enter  the  house,  and,  as  soon  as  their  simple  meal  was  pre- 
pared, to  seat  Himself  with  them  at  the  table.  As  the  Guest 
of  honor,  He  took  the  loaf,  "blessed  it  and  brake,  and  gave 
to  them."  There  may  have  been  something  in  the  fervency 
of  the  blessing,  or  in  the  manner  of  breaking  and  distributing 
the  bread,  that  revived  memories  of  former  days ;  or,  possi- 
bly, they  caught  sight  of  the  pierced  hands;  but,  whatever 
the  immediate  cause,  they  looked  intently  upon  their  Guest, 
"and  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they  knew  him;  and  he 
vanished  out  of  their  sight."  In  a  fulness  of  joyful  wonder- 
ment they  rose  from  the  table,  surprized  at  themselves  for 
not  having  recognized  Him  sooner.  One  said  to  the  other, 
"Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with  us 
by  the  way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us  the  scriptures?" 
Straightway  they  started  to  retrace  their  steps  and  hastened 


THE    RESURRECTED    LORD    PARTAKES    OF    FOOD.  68? 

back  to  Jerusalem  to  confirm  by  their  witness  what,  before, 
the  brethren  had  been  slow  to  believe. 


RISEN   LORD  APPEARS  TO  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   JERUSALEM 
AND  EATS  IN  THEIR  PRESENCES 

When  Cleopas  and  his  companion  reached  Jerusalem  that 
light,  they  found  the  apostles  and  other  devoted  believers 
assembled  in  solemn  and  worshipful  discourse  within  closed 
.doors.  Precautions  of  secrecy  had  been  taken  "for  fear  of 
the  Jews."  Even  the  apostles  had  been  scattered  by  the  ar- 
rest, arraignment,  and  judicial  murder  of  their  Master ;  but 
they  and  the  disciples  in  general  rallied  anew  at  the  word  of 
His  resurrection,  as  the  nucleus  of  an  army  soon  to  sweep 
the  world.  The  two  returning  disciples  were  received  with 
the  joyous  announcement,  "The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,  and 
hath  appeared  to  Simon."  This  is  the  sole  mention  made  by 
the  Gospel-writers  of  Christ's  personal  appearance  to  Simon 
Peter  on  that  day.  The  interview  between  the  Lord  and  His 
once  recreant  but  now  repentant  apostle  must  have  been 
affecting  in  the  extreme.  Peter's  remorseful  penitence  over 
his  denial  of  Christ  in  the  palace  of  the  high  priest  was  deep 
and  pitiful ;  he  may  have  doubted  that  ever  again  would  the 
Master  call  him  His  servant ;  but  hope  must  have  been  en- 
gendered through  the  message  from  the  tomb  brought  by  the 
women,  in  which  the  Lord  sent  greetings  to  the  apostles, 
whom  for  the  first  time  He  designated  as  His  brethren/  and 
from  this  honorable  and  affectionate  characterization  Peter 
had  not  been  excluded ;  moreover,  the  angel's  commission 
to  the  women  had  given  prominence  to  Peter  by  particular 
iiention/  To  the  repentant  Peter  came  the  Lord,  doubtless 
with  forgiveness  and  loving  assurance.  The  apostle  himself 
maintains  a  reverent  silence  respecting  the  visitation,  but  the 

4  Luke   24:33-48;    John   20:19-28. 
r  Matt.   28:10;  John  20:17. 
jMark  16:7. 


688  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

fact  thereof  is  attested  by  Paul  as  one  of  the  definite  proofs 
of  the  I^ord's  resurrection/ 

Following  the  jubilant  testimony  of  the  assembled  be- 
lievers, Cleopas  and  his  fellow  traveler  told  of  the  Lord's 
companionship  with  them  on  the  Emmaus  road,  of  the  things 
He  had  taught  them,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  He  had 
become  known  unto  them  in  the  breaking  of  bread.  As  the 
little  company  communed  together,  "Jesus  himself  stood  in 
the  midst  of  them,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you." 
They  were  affrighted,  supposing  with  superstitious  dread 
that  a  ghost  had  intruded  amongst  them.  But  the  Lord 
comforted  them,  saying  "Why  are  ye  troubled  ?  and  why  do 
thoughts  arise  in  your  hearts?  Behold  my  hands  and  my 
feet,  that  it  is  I  myself :  handle  me,  and  see ;  for  a  spirit  hath 
not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me  have."  Then  He  showed 
them  the  wounds  in  His  hands  and  feet  and  side.  "They 
yet  believed  not  for  joy,"  which  is  to  say,  they  thought  the 
reality,  to  which  they  all  were  witnesses,  too  good,  too  glori- 
ous, to  be  true.  To  further  assure  them  that  He  was  no 
shadowy  form,  no  immaterial  being  of  tenuous  substance,  but 
a  living  Personage  with  bodily  organs  internal  as  well  as 
outward,  He  asked  "Have  ye  here  any  meat?"  They  gave 
Him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish  and  other  food,"  which  He 
took  "and  did  eat  before  them." 

These  unquestionable  evidences  of  their  Visitant's  cor- 
poreity calmed  and  made  rational  the  minds  of  the  disciples ; 
and  now  that  they  were  composed  and  receptive  the  Lord 
reminded  them  that  all  things  that  had  happened  to  Him 
were  in  accordance  with  what  He  had  told  them  while  He 
had  lived  amongst  them.  In  His  divine  presence  their  un- 
derstanding was  quickened  and  enlarged  so  that  they  com- 
prehended as  never  before  the  scriptures — the  Law  of 


*1  Cor.  15:5. 

u  The  words  "and  of  an  honeycomb"  (Luke  24:42)  aro  omitted  JFrom  the 
revised  version,  and  by  many  authorities  are  declared  to  be  a  spurious 
addition  to  the  original  text. 


THUS  IT  I3£HOV£D  CHRIST  TO  SuFl^R.  689 


Moses,  the  books  of  the  prophets  and  the  psalms  —  concern- 
ing Him.  That  His  now  accomplished  death  was  a  necessity, 
He  attested  as  fully  as  He  had  predicted  and  affirmed  the 
same  af  oreti'me.  Then  He  said  unto  them  :  "Thus  it  is  writ- 
ten, and  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the 
dead  the  third  day  :  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
should  be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations,  begin- 
ning at  Jerusalem.  And  ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things." 
Then  were  the  disciples  glad.  As  He  was  about  to  de- 
part the  Lord  gave  them  His  blessing,  saying  "Peace  be  unto 
you  :  as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.55  This 
specification  of  men  sent  by  authority  points  directly  to  the 
apostles  ;  "And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost:  whose 
soever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  "unto  them;  and 
whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."v 

DOUBTING   THOMAS.W 

When  the  Lord  Jesus  appeared  in  the  midst  of  the  disci- 
ples on  the  evening  of  the  Resurrection  Sunday,  one  of  the 
apostles,  Thomas,  was  absent.  He  was  informed  of  what 
the  others  had  witnessed,  but  was  unconvinced;  even  their 
solemn  testimony,  "We  have  seen  the  Lord,"  failed  to 
awaken  an  echo  of  faith  in  his  heart.  In  his  state  of  mental 
skepticism  he  exclaimed  :  ^"Except  I  shall  see  in  his  hands 
the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the 
nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe." 
Caution  and  charity  must  attend  our  judgment  in  any  con- 
clusion as  to  the  incredulous  attitude  of  this  man.  He  could 
scarcely  have  doubted  the  well  attested  circumstance  of  the 
empty  sepulchre,  nor  the  veracity  of  Mary  Magdalene  and 
the  other  women  as  to  the  presence  of  angels  and  the  Lord's 
appearing,  nor  Peter's  testimony  nor  that  cf  the  assembled 

v  John  20:21-23. 

ix.  John   20:24-29;    compare   Mark   16:14. 


690  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

company ;  but  he  may  have  regarded  the  reported  manifes- 
tations as  a  series  of  subjective  visions;  and  the  absence  of 
the  Lord's  body  may  have  been  vaguely  considered  as  a 
result  of  Christ's  supernatural  restoration  to  life  followed  by 
a  bodily  and  final  departure  from  earth.  It  was  the  cor- 
poreal manifestation  of  the  risen  Lord,  the  exhibition  of  the 
wounds  incident  to  crucifixion,  the  invitation  to  touch  and 
feel  the  resurrected  body  of  flesh  and  bones,  to  which 
Thomas  demurred.  He  had  no  such  defin'te  conception  of 
the  resurrection  as  would  accord  with  a  literal  acceptance  of 
the  testimony  of  his  brethren  and  sisters  who  had  seen, 
heard,  and  felt. 

A  week  later,  for  so  the  Jewish  designation,  "after  eight 
days,"  is  to  be  understood,  therefore  on  the  next  Sunday, 
which  day  of  the  week  afterward  came  to  be  known  to  the 
Church  as  the  "Lord's  Day"  and  to  be  observed  as  the  Sab- 
bath in  place  of  Saturday,  the  Mosaic  Sabbath/  the  disciples 
were  again  assembled,  and  Thomas  was  with  them.  The 
meeting  was  held  within  closed  and,  presumably,  guarded 
doors,  for  there  was  danger  of  interference  by  the  Jewish 
officers.  "Then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  being  shut, 'and  stood 
in  the  midst,  and  said,  Peace  be  unto  you.  Then  saith  he  to 
Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands; 
and  reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side :  and 
be  not  faithless,  but  believing." 

The  skeptical  mind  of  Thomas  was  instantly  cleansed, 
his  doubting  heart  was  purified;  and  a  conviction  of  the 
glorious  truth  flooded  his  soul.  In  contrite  reverence  he 
bowed  before  his  Savior,  the  while  exclaiming  in  worshipful 
acknowledgment  of  Christ's  Deity :  "My  Lord  and  my 
God."  His  adoration  was  accepted,  and  the  Savior  said : 
"Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  believed: 
blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed." 

*Rev.  1:10;  compare  Acts  20:7;  1  Cor.  16:2. 


THE  SECOND  MIRACULOUS  DRAUGHT  OF  FISHES.  691 


AT  TH£  SSA  OF 

The  angel  at  the  sepulchre  and  the  risen  Christ  Himself 
had  severally  sent  word  to  the  apostles  to  go  into  Galilee, 
where  the  Lord  would  meet  them  as  He  had  said  before  His 
death.5  They  deferred  their  departure  until  after  the  week 
following  the  resurrection,  and  then  once  again  in  their 
native  province,  they  awaited  further  developments.  In  the 
afternoon  of  one  of  those  days  of  waiting,  Peter  said  to  six 
of  his  fellow  apostles,  "I  go  a  fishing" ;  and  the  others  re- 
plied, "We  also  go  with  thee."  Without  delay  they  em- 
barked on  a  fishing  boat ;  and  though  they  toiled  through 
the  night,  the  net  had  been  drawn  in  empty  after  every 
cast.  As  morning  approached  they  drew  near  the  land,  dis- 
appointed and  disheartened.  In  the  early  dawn  they  were 
hailed  from  the  shore  by  One  who  asked :  "Children,  have 
ye  any  meat?"a  They  answered  "No."  It  was  Jesus  who 
made  the  inquiry,  though  none  in  the  boat  recognized  Him. 
He  called  to  them  again,  saying :  "Cast  the  net  on  the  right 
side  of  the  ship,  and  ye  shall  find.  They  cast  therefore, 
and  now  they  were  not  able  to  draw  it  for  the  multitude  of 
fishes."  They  did  as  directed  and  the  result  was  so  sur- 
prizing as  to  appear  to  them  miraculous ;  it  must  have 
aroused  memories  of  that  other  remarkable  draught  of  fishes, 
in  the  taking  of  which  their  .fishermen's  skill  had  been  super- 
seded ;  and  at  least  three  witnesses  of  the  earlier  miracle 
were  now  in  the  boat.& 

John,  quick  to  discern,  said  to  Peter,  "It  is  the  L,ord"; 
and  Peter,  impulsive  as  ever,  hastily  girt  his  fisher's  coat 
about  him  and  sprang  into  the  sea,  the  sooner  to  reach  land 
and  prostrate  himself  at  his  Master's  feet.  The  others  left 

yjohn  21:1-23. 

2  Matt.   28:10;   Mark   16:7;   compare  Matt.  26:32,   Mark  14:28. 
a  The  noun  of  address,   "Children"   is   equivalent  to  our  modern  use  of 
"Sirs,"    "Men"    or   "Lads."    It   was   quite   in   harmony   with    the   vernacular. 
fcLuke  5:4-10;    also   page    198   herein. 


692  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

the  vessel  and  entered  a  small  boat  in  which  they  rowed  to 
shore,  towing  the  heavily  laden  net.  On  the  land  they  saw 
a  fire  of  coals,  with  fish  broiling  thereon,  and  alongside  a 
supply  of  bread.  Jesus  told  them  to  bring  of  the  fish  they 
had  just  caught,  to  which  instruction  the  stalwart  Peter  re- 
sponded by  dashing  into  the  shallows  and  dragging  the  net 
to  shore.  When  counted,  the  haul  was  found  to  consist  of 
a  hundred  and  fifty-three  great  fishes;  and  the  narrator  i? 
careful  to  note  that  "for  all  there  were  so  many,  yet  was 
not  the  net  broken." 

Then  Jesus  said  "Come  and  dine" ;  and  as  the  Host  at  the 
meal,  He  divided  and  distributed  the  bread  and  fish.  We 
are  not  told  that  He  ate  with  His  guests.  Everyone  knew 
that  it  was  the  Lord  who  so  hospitably  served ;  yet  on  this, 
as  on  all  othe  *  occasions  of  His  appearing  in  the  resurrected 
state,  there  v/as  about  Him  an  awe-inspiring  and  restraining 
demeanor.  They  would  have  liked  to  question  Him,  but  durst 
not.  John  tells  us  that  this  was  the  "third  time  that  Jesus 
shewed  himself  to  his  disciples,  after  that  he  was  risen  from 
the  dead" ;  by  which  we  understand  the  occasion  to  have 
been  the  third  on  which  Christ  had  manifested  Himself  to 
the  apostles,  in  complete  or  partial  assembly ;  for,  including 
also  the  appearing  to  Mary  Magdalene,  to  the  other  women, 
to  Peter,  and  to  the  two  disciples  on  the  country  road,  this 
was  the  seventh  recorded  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord. 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  "Jesus  saith  to  Simon  Peter, 
Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?" 
The  question,  however  tenderly  put,  must  have  wrung  Peter's 
heart,  coupled  as  it  was  with  the  reminder  of  his  bold 
but  undependable  protestation,  "Though  all  men  shall  be  of- 
fended because  of  thee,  yet  will  I  never  be  offended"  ;c  fol- 
lowed by  his  denial  that  he  had  ever  known  the  Man/  To 
the  Lord's  inquiry  Peter  answered  humbly,  "Yea,  Lord; 

cMatt.  26:33;  Mark  14:29;  compare  Luke  22:33;  John  13:37;  p.  600  herein. 
dMatt.   26:70,    72,   74;    also   page   629   herein. 


FEED  MY  SHEEP.  693 

thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee."  Then  said  Jesus,  "Feed  my 
lambs/'  The  question  was  repeated ;  and  Peter  replied  in 
identical  words,  to  which  the  Lord  responded,  "Feed  my 
sheep."  And  yet  the  third  time  Jesus  asked.  "Simon,  son 
of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me?"  Peter  was  pained  and  grieved 
at  this  reiteration,  thinking  perhaps  that  the  Lord  mis- 
trusted him ;  but  as  the  man  had  three  times  denied,  so  now 
was  he  given  opportunity  for  a  triple  confession.  To  the 
thrice  repeated  question.  Peter  answered:  "Lord,  thou 
knowest  all  things ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  Jesus 
saith  unto  him.  Feed  my  sheep." 

The  commission  "Feed  my  sheep"  was  an  assurance  of 
the  Lord's  confidence,  and  of  the  reality  of  Peter's  presi- 
dency among  the  apostles.  He  had  emphatically  announced 
his  readiness  to  follow  his  Master  even  to  prison  and  death. 
Now,  the  Lord  who  had  died  said  unto  him :  "Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  thee,  When  thou  wast  young,  thou  girdest  thy- 
self, and  walkedst  whither  thou  wouldst:  but  when  thou 
shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another 
shall  gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldst  not." 
John  informs  us  that  the  Lord  so  spake  signifying  the  death 
by  which  Peter  should  find  a  place  among  the  martyrs ;  the 
analogy  points  to  crucifixion,  and  traditional  history  is  with- 
out contradiction  as  to  this  being  the  death  by  which  Peter 
sealed  his  testimony  of  the  Christ. 

Then  said  the  Lord  to  Peter,  "Follow  me."  The  com- 
mand had  both  immediate  and  future  significance.  The  man 
followed  as  Jesus  drew  apart  from  the  others  on  the  shore ; 
yet  a  few  years  and  Peter  would  follow  his  Lord  to  the  cross. 
Without  doubt  Peter  comprehended  the  reference  to  his 
martyrdom,  as  his  writings,  years  later,  indicate/  As  Christ 
and  Peter  walked  together,  the  latter,  looking  backward, 
saw  that  John  was  following,  and  inquired :  "Lord,  and 
what  shall  this  man  do?"  Peter  wished  to  peer  into  the 

e2  Peter  1:14. 


69-i  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

future  as  to  his  companion's  fate  —  was  John  also  to  die  for 
the  faith?  The  Lord  replied:  "If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till 
I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?  follow  thou  me."  It  was  an 
admonition  to  Peter  to  look  to  his  own  course  of  duty,  and 
to  follow  the  Master,  wherever  the  road  should  lead. 

Concerning  himself,  John  adds  :  "Then  went  this  saying 
abroad  among  the  brethren,  that  that  disciple  should  not  die  : 
yet  Jesus  said  not  unto  him,  He  shall  not  die  ;  but.  If  I  will 
that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?"  That  John 
still  lives  in  the  embodied  state,  and  shall  remain  in  the  flesh 
until  the  Lord's  yet  future  advent,  is  attested  by  later  reve- 
lation/ In  company  with  his  martyred  and  resurrected  com- 
panions,. Peter  and  James,  the  "disciple  whom  Jesus  loved" 
has  officiated  in  the  restoration  of  the  Holy  Apostleship  in 
this  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times. 


OTHER    MANIFESTATIONS    OF    THE    RISEN    LORD    IN 


Jesus  had  designated  a  mountain  in  Galilee  whereon  He 
would  meet  the  apostles;  and  thither  the  Eleven  went. 
When  they  saw  Him  at  the  appointed  place,  they  worshiped 
Him.  The  record  adds  "but  some  doubted,"  by  which  may 
be  implied  that  others  beside  the  apostles  were  present, 
among  whom  were  some  who  were  unconvinced  of  the  actual 
corporeity  of  the  resurrected  Christ.  This  occasion  may 
have  been  that  of  which  Paul  wrote  a  quarter  of  a  century 
later,  concerning  which  he  affirms  that  Christ  "was  seen  of 
above  five  hundred  brethren  at  once,"  of  whom,  though 
some  had  died,  the  majority  remained  at  the  time  of  Paul's 
writing,  living  witnesses  to  his  testimony  .a 

To  those  assembled  on  the  mount  Jesus  declared  :  "All 
power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth."  This  could 
be  understood  as  nothing  less  than  an  affirmation  of  His  ab- 

/  Doc.  and  Cov.  Sec.  7;  compare  B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  28:1-12. 
pMatt.   28:16-18. 
a  I  Cor.  15:6. 


GO  YE  INTO  ALL  THE   WORLD.  695 

solute  Godship.  His  authority  was  supreme,  and  those  who 
were  commissioned  of  Him  were  to  minister  in  His  name, 
and  by  a  power  such  as  no  man  could  give  or  take  away. 

THE  FINAL  COMMISSION  AND  THE:  ASCENSION. 

Throughout  the  forty  days  following  His  resurrection, 
the  Lord  manifested  Himself  at  intervals  to  the  apostles,  to 
some  individually  and  to  all  as  a  body,*1  and  instructed  them 
in  "the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God."1  The 
record  is  not  always  specific  and  definite  as  to  time  and  place 
of  particular  events;  but  as  to  the  purport  of  the  Lord's 
instructions  during  this  period  there  exists  no  cause  for 
doubt.  Much  that  He  said  and  did  is  not  written/  but  such 
things  as  are  of  record,  John  assures  his  readers,  "are  writ- 
ten, that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God;  and  that  believing  ye  might  have  life  through  his 
name."6 

As  the  time  of  His  ascension  drew  nigh,  the  Lord  said 
unto  the  eleven  apostles :  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and 
is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned.  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe; 
In  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils ;  they  shall  speak  with 
new  tongues ;  they  shall  take  up  serpents ;  and  if  they  drink 
any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them ;  they  shall  lay  hands 
on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover."'  In  contrast  with  their 
earlier  commission,  under  which  they  were  sent  only  "to  the 
lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,""1  they  were  now  to  go  to 
Jew  and  Gentile,  bond  and  free,  to  mankind  at  large,  of 
whatever  nation,  country,  or  tongue.  Salvation,  through 


h  Note  3,   end  of  chapter, 
i  Acts    1:3. 

/John   20:30;    compare  21:25    remembering   that    the   'atter   passage   may 
have  reference  to  occurrences  both  before  and  after  the  Lord's  death, 
fcjohn  20:31. 
/Mark    16:15-18. 
m  Matt.    10:5,    6. 


696  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

faith  in  Jesus  the  Christ,  followed  by  repentance  and  bap- 
tism, was  to  be  freely  offered  to  all;  the  rejection  of  the 
offer  thenceforth  would  bring  condemnation.  Signs  and 
miracles  were  promised  to  "follow  them  that  believe,"  thus 
confirming  their  faith  in  the  power  divine ;  but  no  intimation 
was  given  that  such  manifestations  were  to  precede  belief, 
as  baits  to  catch  the  credulous  wonder-seeker. 

Assuring  the  apostles  anew  that  the  promise  of  the 
Father  would  be  realized  in  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  Lord  instructed  them  to  remain  in  Jerusalem,  whither 
they  had  now  returned  from  Galilee,  until  they  would  be 
"endued  with  power  from  on  high" ;"  and  He  added :  "For 
John  truly  baptized  with  water ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence."0 

In  that  last  solemn  interview,  probably  as  the  risen 
Savior  led  the  mortal  Eleven  away  from  the  city  toward  the 
old  familiar  resort  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  brethren, 
still  imbued  with  their  conception  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  an  earthly  establishment  of  power  and  dominion,  asked  of 
Him,  "Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom 
to  Israel  ?"  Jesus  answered,  "It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the 
times  or  the  seasons,  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own 
power.  But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  come  upon  you :  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me 
both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth. "?  Their  duty  was 
thus  defined  and  emphasized :  "Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  teaching  them  to  observe 
all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you :  and,  lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  Amen."? 


n  "Clothed    with    power    from    on    high"    according    to    revised    version, 
Luke  24:49. 

o  Acts   1:5;   see   also   Luke   24:49;   and   compare  John   14:16,    17,   26;    15:26; 

p  Acts   1:7,  8;  compare  Matt.   24:36;  Mark  13:32. 
g  Matt.   28:19,   20. 


THE  LORD'S  VISIBLE  ASCENSION. 

When  Christ  and  the  disciples  had  gone  "as  far  as  to 
Bethany,"  the  Lord  lifted  up  His  hands,  and  blessed  them; 
and  while  yet  He  spake,  He  rose  from  their  midst,  and  they 
looked  upon  Him  as  He  ascended  until  a  cloud  received 
Him  out  of  their  sight.  While  the  apostles  stood  gazing 
steadfastly  upward,  two  personages,  clothed  in  white  ap- 
parel, appeared  by  them ;  these  spake  unto  the  Eleven,  say- 
ing: "Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into 
heaven?  this  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him 
go  into  heaven. "r 

Worshipfully  and  with  great  joy  the  apostles  returned 
to  Jerusalem,  there  to  await  the  coming  of  the  Comforter. 
The  Lord's  ascension  was  accomplished ;  it  was  as  truly  a 
literal  departure  of  a  material  Being  as  His  resurrection  had 
been  an  actual  return  of  His  spirit  to  His  own  corporeal 
body,  theretofore  dead.  With  the  world  abode  and  yet 
abides  the  glorious  promise,  that  Jesus  the  Christ,  the  same 
Being  who  ascended  from  Olivet  in  His  immortalized  body 
of  flesh  and  bones,  shall  return,  descending  from  the  heavens, 
in  similarly  material  form  and  substance. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  37. 

i.  Precise  Time  and  Manner  of  Christ's  Emergence  from 
the  Tomb  Not  Known. — Our  Lord  definitely  predicted  His  res- 
urrection from  the  dead  on  the  third  day,  (Matt  16:21;  17:23; 
20:19;  Mark  9:31;  10:34;  Luke  9:22;  13:32;  18:33),  arid  the  angels 
at  the  tomb  (Luke  24:7),  and  the  risen  Lord  in  Person  (Luke 
24:46)  verified  the  fulfilment  of  t-he  prophecies;  and  apostles  so 
testified  in  later  years  (Acts  10:40;  I  Cor.  15:4).  This  specifica- 
tion of  the  third  day  must  not  be  understood  as  meaning  after 
three  full  days.  The  Jews  began  their  counting  of  the  daily 
hours  with  sunset;  therefore  the  hour  before  sunset  and  the 
hour  following  belonged  to  different  days.  Jesus  died  and  was 
interred  during  Friday  afternoon.  His  body  lay  in  the  tomb, 
dead,  during  part  of  Friday  (first  day),  throughout  Saturday, 
or  as  we  divide  the  days,  from  sunset  Friday  to  sunset  Saturday, 
(second  day),  and  part  of  Sunday  (third  day).  We  know  not 
at  what  hour  between  Saturday  sunset  and  Sunday  dawn  He 
rose. 


t-Acts    1:9-11;    see   also   Luke   24:50,   51. 


698  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    37. 

The  fact  that  an  earthquake  occurred,  and  that  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  descended  and  rolled  the  stone  from  the  portal  of  the 
tomb  in  the  early  dawn  of  Sunday — for  so  we  infer  from  Matt. 
28:1,  2 — does  not  prove  that  Christ  had  not  already  risen.  The 
great  stone  was  rolled  back  and  the  inside  of  the  sepulchre  ex- 
posed to  view,  so  that  those  who  came  could  see  for  themselves 
that  the  Lord's  body  was  no  longer  there ;  it  was  not  necessary 
to  open  the  portal  in  order  to  afford  an  exit  to  the  resurrected 
Christ.  In  His  immortalized  state  He  appeared  in  and  disap- 
peared from  closed  rooms.  A  resurrected  body,  though  of  tan- 
gible substance,  and  possessing  all  the  organs  of  the  mortal 
tabernacle,  is  not  bound  to  earth  by  gravitation,  nor  can  it  be 
hindered  in  its  movements  by  material  barriers.  To  us  who 
conceive  of  motion  only  in  the  directions  incident  to  the  three 
dimensions  of  space,  the  passing  of  a  solid,  such  as  a  living  body 
of  flesh  and  bones,  through  stone  walls,  is  necessarily  incom- 
prehensible. But  that  resurrected  beings  move  in  accordance 
with  laws  making  such  passage  possible  and  to  them  natural,  is 
evidenced  not  only  by  the  instance  of  the  risen  Christ,  but  by 
the  movements  of  other  resurrected  personages.  Thus,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1823,  Moroni,  the  Nephite  prophet  who  had  died  about 
400  A.  D.,  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  in  his  chamber,  three  times 
during  one  night,  coming  and  going  without  hindrance  incident 
to  walls  or  roof,  (see  P.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:43;  also  The 
Articles  of  Faith,  i:i5-i7).  That  Moroni  was  a  resurrected  man 
is  shown  by  his  corporeity  manifested  in  his  handling  of  the 
metallic  plates  on  which  was  inscribed  the  record  known  to  us 
as  the  Book  of  Mormon.  .  So  also  resurrected  beings  possess  the 
power  of  rendering  themselves  visible  or  invisible  to  the  physical 
vision  of  mortals. 

2.  Attempts  to  Discredit  the  Resurrection  Through  False- 
hood.— The  inconsistent  assertion  that  Christ  had  not  risen  but 
that  His  body  had  been  stolen  from  the  tomb  by  the  disciples, 
has  been  sufficiently  treated  in  the  text.  The  falsehood  is  its 
own  refutation.  Unbelievers  of  later  date,  recognizing  the  pal- 
pable absurdity  of  this  gross  attempt  at  misrepresentation,  have 
not  hesitated  to  suggest  other  hypotheses,  each  of  which  is  con- 
clusively untenable.  Thus,  the  theory  based  upon  the  impossi- 
ble assumption  that  Christ  was  not  dead  when  taken  from  the 
cross,  but  was  in  a  state  of  coma  or  swoon,  and  that  He  was 
afterward  resuscitated,  disproves  itself  when  considered  in  con- 
nection with  recorded  facts.  The  spear-thrust  of  the  Roman 
soldier  would  have  been  fatal,  even  if  death  had  not  already 
occurred.  The  body  was  taken  down,  handled,  wrapped  and 
buried  by  members  of  the  Jewish  council,  who  cannot  be  thought 
of  as  actors  in  the  burial  of  a  living  man ;  and  so  far  as  subse- 
quent resuscitation  is  concerned,  Edersheim  (vol.  2,  p.  626) 
trenchantly  remarks :  "Not  to  speak  of  the  many  absurdities 
which  this  theory  involves,  it  really  shifts — if  we  acquit  the 
disciples  of  complicity — the  fraud  upon  Christ  Himself."  A 
crucified  person,  removed  from  the  cross  before  death  and  sub- 
sequently revived,  could  not  have  walked  with  pierced  and  man- 


NOTES.  699 

gled  feet  on  the  very  day  of  his  resuscitation,  as  Jesus  did  on 
the  road  to  Emmaus.  Another  theory  that  has  had  its  day  is 
that  of  unconscious  deception  on  the  part  of  those  who  claimed 
to  have  seen  the  resurrected  Christ,  such  persons  having  been 
victims  of  subjective  but  unreal  visions  conjured  up  by  their 
own  excited  and  imaginative  condition.  The  independence  and 
marked  individuality  of  the  several  recorded  appearings  of  the 
Lord  disprove  the  vision  theory.  Such  subjective  visual  illusions 
as  are  predicated  by  this  l^pothesis,  presuppose  a  state  of  ex- 
pectancy on  the  part  of  those  who  think  they  see;  but  all  the 
incidents  connected  with  the  manifestations  of  Jesus  after  His 
resurrection  were  directly  opposed  to  the  expectations  of  those 
who  were  made  witnesses  of  His  resurrected  state. 

The  foregoing  instances  of  false  and  untenable  theories 
regarding  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord  are  cited  as  examples  of 
the  numerous  abortive  attempts  to  explain  away  the  greatest 
miracle  and  the  most  glorious  fact  of  history.  The  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  attested  by  evidence  more  conclusive  than 
that  upon  which  rests  our  acceptance  of  historical  events  in 
general.  Yet  the  testimony  of  our  Lord's  rising  from  the  dead 
is  not  founded  on  written  pages.  To  him  who  seeks  in  faith 
and  sincerity  shall  be  given  an  individual  conviction  which  shall 
enable  him  to  reverently  confess  as  exclaimed  the  enlightened 
apostle  of  old :  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God.'"  Jesus,  who  is  God  the  Son,  is  not  dead.  "I  know  that 
my  Redeemer  liveth."  (Job  19:25.) 

3.  Recorded  Appearances  of  Christ  Between  Resurrection 
and  Ascension. — 

1.  To   Mary   Magdalene,   near    the    sepulchre    (Mark    16:9,    10; 

John  20:14). 

2.  To    other    women,    somewhere    between    the    sepulchre    and 

Jerusalem   (Matt.  28:9). 

3.  To  two  disciples  on  the  road  to  Emmaus   (Mark  16:12;  Luke 

24:13)- 

4.  To  Peter,  in  or  near  Jerusalem  (Luke  24:34;  i  Cor.  15:5). 

5.  To  ten  of  the  apostles  and  others  at  Jerusalem   (Luke  24:36; 

John  20:19). 

6.  To    the    eleven    apostles    at    Jerusalem     (Mark    16:14;    John 

20 :26) . 

7.  To  the  apostles  at  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  Galilee,  (John  21). 

8.  To    the    eleven    apostles    on    a    mountain    in    Galilee     (Matt. 

28:16). 

9.  To  five  hundred  brethren  at  once    (i   Cor.   15:6);  locality  not 

specified,  but  probably  in  Galilee. 

10.  To  James   (i  Cor.  15:7).      Note  that  no  record  of  this  mani- 

festation is  made  by  the  Gospel-writers. 

11.  To   the  eleven   apostles   at   the   time   of  the   ascension,   Mount 

of  Olives,  near  Bethany  (Mark  16:19;  Luke  24:50,  51). 
The  Lord's  manifestations   of  Himself  to  men  subsequent  to 
the  ascension  will  be  considered  later. 


JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 


CHAPTER   38. 

THE  APOSTOLIC  MINISTRY. 

MATTHIAS   ORDAINED   TO   THE   APOSTl,ESHIP.0 

After  witnessing  the  Lord's  ascension  from  Olivet,  the 
eleven  apostles  returned  to  Jerusalem  filled  with  joy  and 
thoroughly  suffused  with  the  spirit  of  adoring  worship.  Both 
in  the  temple  and  in  a  certain  upper  room,  which  was  their 
usual  place  of  meeting,  they  continued  in  prayer  and  suppli- 
cation, often  in  association  with  other  disciples,  including 
Mary  the  mother  of  the  Lord,  some  of  her  sons,  and  the 
little  sisterhood  of  faithful  women  who  had  ministered  to 
Jesus  in  Galilee  and  hag!  followed  Him  thence  to  Jerusalem 
and  to  Calvary. b  The  disciples,  most  of  whom  had  been 
dispersed  by  the  tragic  events  of  that  last  and  fateful  Pass- 
over, had  gathered  again,  with  renewed  and  fortified  faith, 
about  the  great  fact  of  the  Lord's  resurrection.  Christ  had 
become  "the  firstfruits  of  them  that  slept,"  "the  first  begot- 
ten of  the  dead,"  and  "the  firstborn"  of  the  race  to  rise  from 
death  to  immortality/  They  knew  that  not  only  had  the 
grave  been  compelled  to  give  up  the  body  of  their  Lord,  but 
that  a  way  had  been  provided  for  the  striking  of  the  fetters 
of  death  from  every  soul.  Immediately  following  the  resur- 
rection of  the  Lord  Jesus,  many  righteous  ones  who  had  slept 
in  the  tomb  had  been  resurrected,  and  had  appeared  in  Jeru- 
salem, revealing  themselves  unto  rnany.^  The  universality 
of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  was  soon  to  become  a  promi- 
nent feature  of  apostolic  teaching. 

The  first  official  act  undertaken  by  the  apostles  was  the 

a  Acts   1:15-26. 

fe'Luke   24:52,    53;    Acts    1:12-14. 

cl   Cor.    15:20;   Rev.    1:5;   Colos.   1:18. 

dMatt.    27:52.   53. 


MATTHIAS  BECOMES  ONE  OF  THE  TWELVE.  701 

filling  of  the  vacancy  in  the  council  of  the  Twelve,  occasioned 
by  the  apostasy  and  suicide  of  Judas  Iscariot.  Sometime 
between  the  ascension  of  Christ  and  the  feast  of  Pentecost, 
when  the  Eleven  and  other  disciples,  in  all  about  a  hundred 
and  twenty,  were  together  "with  one  accord  in  prayer  and 
supplication,"  Peter  laid  the  matter  before  the  assembled 
Church,  pointing  out  that  the  fall  of  Judas  had  been  fore- 
seen/ and  citing  the  psalmist's  invocation :  "Let  his  habita- 
tion be  desolate,  and  let  no  man  dwell  therein :  and  his 
bishoprick  let  another  take."^  Peter  affirmed  the  necessity 
of  completing  the  apostolic  quorum;  and  he  thus  set  forth 
the  qualifications  essential  in  the  one  who  should  be  ordained 
to  the  Holy  Apostleship ;  "Wherefore  of  these  men  which 
have  companied  with  us  all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
went  in  and  out  among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of 
John,  unto  that  same  day  that  he  was  taken  up  from  us, 
must  one  be  ordained  to  be  a  witness  with  us  of  his  resur- 
rection." Two  faithful  disciples  were  nominated  by  the 
Eleven,  Joseph  Barsabas  and  Matthias.  In  earnest  suppli- 
cation the  assembly  besought  the  Lord  to  indicate  whether 
either  of  these  men,  and  if  so  which,  was  to  be  chosen  for 
the  exalted  office ;  then,  "they  gave  forth  their  lots ;  and  the 
lot  fell  upon  Matthias;  and  he  was  numbered  with  the 
eleven  apostles." 

The  proceeding  throughout  is  deeply  significant  and  in- 
structive. The  Eleven  fully  realized  that  on  them  lay  the  re- 
sponsibility, and  in  them  was  vested  the  authority,  to  organ- 
ize and  develop  the  Church  of  Christ;  that  the  council  or 
quorum  of  the  apostles  was  limited  to  a  membership  of 
twelve ;  and  that  the  new  apostle,  like  themselves,  must  be 
competent  to  testify  in  special  and  personal  witness  concern- 
ing the  earthly  ministry,  death,  and  resurrection  of  the  Lord 


e  Acts  1:16;  compare  Psalm  41:9;  see  also  John  13:18. 

/Acts  1:20.  The  revised  version  substitutes  on  a  preponderance  of  au- 
thority "office"  or,  (marginal  reading),  "overseership,"  (or  the  erroneous 
rendering  "bishoprick"  in  the  common  version.  Compare  Psalm  109:8. 


702  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

Jesus.  The  selection  of  Matthias  was  accomplished  in  a 
general  assembly  of  the  Primitive  Church ;  and  while  the 
nominations  were  made  by  the  apostles,  all  present  appear 
by  implication  to  have  had  a  voice  in  the  matter  of  installa- 
tion. The  principle  of  authoritative  administration  through 
common  consent  of  the  membership,  so  impressively  exem- 
plified in  the  choosing  of  Matthias,  was  followed,  a  few 
weeks  later,  by  the  selection  of  "seven  men  of  honest  re- 
port, full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  wisdom,"  who  having  been 
sustained  by  the  vote  of  the  Church,  were  set  apart  to  a 
special  ministry  by  the  laying-on  of  the  apostles'  hands.5' 

THE   BESTOW  Aly   OF   THE    HOLY   GHOST.*1 

At  the  time  of  Pentecost,  which  fell  on  the  fiftieth  day 
after  the  Passover,1'  and  therefore,  at  this  particular  recur- 
rence, about  nine  days  after  Christ's  ascension,  the  apostles 
"were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place,"  engaged  in  their 
customary  devotions,  and  waiting,  as  instructed,  until  they 
would  be  endowed  with  a  particular  bestowal  of  power  from 
on  high.''  The  promised  baptism  by  fire  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
befell  them  on  that  day.  "Suddenly  there  came  a  sound 
from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all 
the  house  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  appeared 
unto  them  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each 
of  them.  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance." 

The  "sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind" 
was  heard  abroad  f  and  a  multitude  gathered  about  the 
place.  The  visible  manifestation  of  "cloven  tongues  like  as 
of  fire,"  by  which  each  of  the  Twelve  was  invested,  was  seen 

g  Acts  6:1-6;  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 
h  Acts  2:1-41. 
*  Note  2,  end  of  chapter. 
/Luke   24:49;    Acts    1:4,    5,    8. 

k  Acts   2:6,    in   a   better    rendering   than    that   of   the   common    text    (see 
evised    version)    reads:    "And   when    this    sound    was    heard,    the   multitude 
came    together." 


THE    PENTECOSTAL    MIRACLE.  703 

by  those  within  the  house,  but  apparently  not  by  the  gath- 
ering crowds.  The  apostles  spoke  to  the  multitude,  and  a 
great  miracle  was  wrought,  by  which  "every  man  heard  them 
speak  in  his  own  language" ;  for  the  apostles,  now  richly 
gifted,  spake  in  many  tongues,  as  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  whom 
they  had  bean  endowed,  gave  them  utterance.  There  were 
present  men  from  many  lands  and  of  many  nations,  and  their 
languages  were  diverse.  In  amazement  some  of  them  said : 
"Behold,  are  not  all  these  which  speak  Galileans  ?  And  how 
hear  we  every  man  in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we  were 
born?"  While  many  were  impressed  by  the  preternatural 
ability  of  the  brethren,  others  in  mocking  tones  said  the  men 
were  drunken.  This  instance  of  Satanic  prompting  to  in- 
considerate speech  is  especially  illustrative  of  inconsistency 
and  rash  ineptitude.  Strong  drink  gives  to  no  man  wisdom ; 
it  steals  away  his  senses  and  makes  of  him  a  fool. 

Then  Peter,  as  the  president  of  the  Twelve,  stood  up  and 
proclaimed  in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  brethren :  "Ye  men 
of  Judea,  and  all  ye  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  be  this  known 
unto  you,  and  hearken  to  my  words ;  for  these  are  not 
drunken,  as  ye  suppose,  seeing  it  is  but  the  third  hour  of  the 
day."  It  was  the  Jewish  custom,  particularly  on  festival 
days,  to  abstain  from  food  and  drink  until  after  the  morning 
service  in  synagog,  which  was  held  about  the  third  hour,  or 
nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  The  apostle  cited  ancient 
prophecy  embodying  the  promise  of  Jehovah  that  He  would 
pour  out  His  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  so  that  wonders  would  be 
wrought,  even  as  those  there  present  witnessed.'  Then 
boldly  did  Peter  testify  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  whom  he  char- 
acterized as  "a  man  approved  of  God  among  you  by  miracles 
and  wonders  and  signs,  which  God  did  by  him  in  the  midst 
of  you,  as  ye  yourselves  also  know" ;  and,  reminding  them, 
in  accusing  earnestness,  of  the  awful  crime  to  which  they 
had  been  in  some  degree  parties,  he  continued :  "Him,  being 


JJoel  2:28,  29;   compare  Zech,   12:10. 


704  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

delivered  by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of 
God,  ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and 
slain :  whom  God  hath  raised  up,  having  loosed  the  pains  of 
death :  because  it  was  not  possible  that  he  should  be  holden 
of  it."  Citing  the  inspired  outburst  of  the  psalmist,  who 
had  sung  in  jubilant  measure  of  the  soul  that  should  not  be 
left  in  hell,  and  of  the  flesh  that  should  not  see  corruption, 
he  showed  the  application  of  these  scriptures  to  the  Christ ; 
and  fearlessly  affirmed :  "This  Jesus  hath  God  raised  up, 
whereof  we  all  are  witnesses.  Therefore  being  by  the  right 
hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having  received  of  the  Father  the 
promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  hath  shed  forth  this,  which  ye 
now  see  and  hear."  With  increasing  fervency,  fearing 
neither  derision  nor  violence,  and  driving  home  to  the  hearts 
of  his  enthralled  listeners  the  fearful  fact  of  their  guilt,  Peter 
proclaimed  as  in  voice  of  thunder:  "Therefore  let  all  the 
house  of  Israel  know  assuredly,  that  God  hath  made  that 
same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ." 

The  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  could  not  be  resisted;  to 
every  earnest  soul  it  carried  conviction.  They  that  heard 
were  pricked  in  their  hearts,  and  in  contrition  cried  out  to 
the  apostles  :  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?"  Now 
that  they  were  prepared  for  the  message  of  salvation,  it  was 
given  without  reserve.  "Repent,"  answered  Peter,  "and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your 
children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the 
Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

To  the  apostles'  testimony,  to  the  exhortation  and  warn- 
ing, the  people  responded  with  profession  of  faith  and  re- 
pentance. Their  joy  was  comparable  to  that  of  the  spirits  in 
prison,  to  whom  the  disembodied  Christ  had  borne  the  au- 
thoritative word  of  redemption  and  salvation.  Those  who 
repented  and  confessed  their  belief  in  Christ  at  that  memor- 


RAPID  GROWTH  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  CHURCH.  705 

able  Pentecost  were  received  into  the  Church  by  baptism, 
to  the  number  of  about  three  thousand.  That  their  conver- 
sion was  genuine  and  not  the  effect  of  a  passing  enthusiasm, 
that  they  were  literally  born  again  through  baptism  into  a 
newness  of  life,  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  they  endured 
in  the  faith — "and  they  continued  stedfastly  in  the  apostles' 
doctrine  and  fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in 
prayers."  So  devoted  were  these  early  converts,  so  richly 
blessed  with  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  the 
Church  in  those  days,  that  the  members  voluntarily  disposed 
of  their  individual  possessions  and  had  all  things  in  common. 
To  them  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  of  greater  worth 
than  the  wealth  of  earth.m  Among  them,  there  was  noth- 
ing called  "mine"  or  "thine,"  but  all  things  were  theirs  in 
the  Lord."  Signs  and  wonders  followed  the  apostles,  "and 
the  Lord  added  to  the  church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved." 
Through  the  bestowal  of  the  Holy  Ghost  the  apostles  had 
become  changed  men.  As  made  clear  to  them  by  the  Spirit 
of  Truth,  the  scriptures  constituted  a  record  of  preparation 
for  the  events  to  which  they  were  special  and  ordained  wit- 
nesses. Peter,  who  but  a  few  weeks  earlier  had  quailed 
before  a  serving-maid,  now  spoke  openly,  fearing  none. 
Seeing  once  a  lame  beggar  at  the  Gate  Beautiful  which  led 
into  the  temple  court,  he  took  the  afflicted  one  by  the  hand, 
saying :  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none ;  but  such  as  I  have 
give  I  thee :  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth  rise 
up  and  walk."0  The  man  was  healed  and  leaped  in  the  ex- 
uberance of  his  newly  found  strength ;  then  he  went  with 
Peter  arid  John  into  the  temple,  praising  God  aloud.  An 
amazed  crowd,  which  grew  to  include  about  five  thousand 
men,  gathered  around  the  apostles  in  Solomon's  Porch ;  and 
Peter,  observing  their  wonderment,  seized  on  the  occasion  to 
preach  to  them  Jesus  the  Crucified.  He  ascribed  all  praise 

ni  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

ttActs    2:44-46;    4:32-37;    6:1-4. 

Q  Acts    3:6;    read    the    entire    chapter, 

23 


70G  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

for  the  miracle  to  the  Christ  whom  the  Jews  had  delivered 
up  to  be  slain,  and  in  unambiguous  accusation  declared : 
"The  God  of  Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  the  God 
of  our  fathers,  hath  glorified  his  Son  Jesus;  whom  ye  de- 
livered up,  and  denied  him  in  the  presence  of  Pilate,  when 
he  was  determined  to  let  him  go.  But  ye  denied  the  Holy 
One  and  the  Just,  and  desired  a  murderer  to  be  granted  unto 
you:  and  killed  the  Prince  of  life,  whom  God  hath  raised 
from  the  dead ;  whereof  we  are  .witnesses."  In  merciful 
recognition  of  the  ignorance  in  which  they  had  sinned,  he 
exhorted  them  to  expiatory  penitence,  crying :  "Repent  ye 
therefore,  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted 
out,  when  the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord ;  and  he  shall  send  Jesus  Christ,  which  be- 
fore was  preached  unto  you :  whom  the  heaven  must  receive 
until  the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things,  which  God  hath 
spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets  since  the  world 
began."  There  was  no  encouragement  to  a  belief  that  their 
sins  could  be  annulled  by  wordy  profession ;  a  due  season  of 
repentance  was  their  privilege,  if  so  be  they  would  believe. 
As  Peter  and  John  thus  testified,  the  priests  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  temple,  together  with  the  ruling  Sadducees,  came 
upon  them  toward  evening,  and  put  them  in  prison  to  await 
the  action  of  the  judges  next  day/  On  the  morrow  they 
were  arraigned  before  Annas,  Caiaphas,  and  other  officials, 
who  demanded  of  them  by.  what  power  or  in  whose  name 
they  had  healed  the  lame  man.  Peter,  impelled  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  answered:  "Be  it  known  unto  you  all, 
and  to  all  the  people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised 
from  the  dead,  even  by  him  doth  this  man  stand  here  before 
you  whole.  This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  nought  of 
you  builders,  which  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner. 
Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other:  for  there  is  none 

p  Acts  4:1-22. 


THE   APOSTLES   DELIVERED   FROM    PRISON.  707 

other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we 
must  be  saved."^ 

The  hierarchy  learned'  to  their  consternation  that  the 
vwork  they  had  sought  to  destroy  through  the  crucifixion  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  spreading  now  as  it  had  never  spread  be- 
fore. In  desperation  they  commanded  the  apostles,  "Not  to 
speak  at  all  nor  teach  in  the  name  of  Jesus."  But  Peter  and 
John  answered  boldly :  "Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of 
God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge  ye. 
For  we  cannot  but  speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen  and 
heard."  This  rejoinder  of  righteous  defiance  the  priestly 
rulers  dared  not  openly  resent;  they  had  to  content  them- 
selves with  threats. 

The  Church  grew  with  surprizing  rapidity ;  "believers 
were  the  more  added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men 
and  women."  So  abundantly  was  the  gift  of  healing  mani- 
fest through  the  ministrations  of  the  apostles  that  as  for- 
merly to  Christ,  now  to  them,  the  people  flocked,  bringing 
their  sick  folk  and  those  possessed  of  evil  spirits ;  and  all 
were  healed.  So  great  was  the  faith  of  the  believers  that 
they  laid  their  afflicted  ones  on  couches  in  the  streets,  "that 
at  the  least  the  shadow  of  Peter  passing  by  might  over- 
shadow some  of  them."r 

The  high  priest  and  his  haughty  Sadducean  associates 
caused  the  apostles  to  be  again  arrested  and  thrown  into  the 
common  prison.  But  that  night  the  angel  of  the  Lord  opened 
the  dungeon  doors  and  brought  the  prisoners  forth,  telling 
them  to  go  into  the  temple  and  further  proclaim  their  testi- 
mony of  the  Christ.  This  the  apostles  did,  and  were  so  en- 
gaged when  the  Sanhedrin  assembled  to  put  them  on  trial. 
The  officers  who  were  sent  to  bring  the  prisoners  to  the 
judgment  hall  returned,  saying:  "The  prison  truly  found 
we  shut  with  all  safety,  and  the  keepers  standing  without 


_  q  Acts  4:8-12;  compare  Psalm   118:22;  Isa.  28:16;  Matt.  21:42. 
""  rActs    5:12-17. 


708  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

before  the  doors ;  but  when  we  had  opened,  we  found  no  man 
within."  As  the  judges  sat  in  impotent  consternation,  an  in- 
former appeared  with  the  word  that  the  men  they  wanted 
were  at  that  moment  preaching  in  the  courts.  The  captain 
and  his  guard  arrested  the  apostles  a  third  time,  and  brought 
them  in,  but  without  violence,  for  they  feared  the  people.  The 
high  priest  accused  the  prisoners  by  question  and  affirmation  : 
"Did  not  we  straitly  command  you  that  ye  should  not  teach 
in  this  name  ?  and,  behold,  ye  have  filled  Jerusalem  with  your 
doctrine,  and  intend  to  bring  this  man's  blood  upon  us."  Yet, 
how  recently  had  those  same  rulers  led  the  rabble  in  the  aw- 
ful imprecation,  "His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children. "s 

Peter  and  the  other  apostles,  undaunted  by  the  august 
presence,  and  undeterred  by  threatening  words  or  actions, 
answered  with  the  direct  counter-charge  that  they  who  sat 
there  to  judge  were  the  slayers  of  the  Son  of  God.  Ponder 
well  the  solemn  affirmation :  "We  ought  to  obey  God  rather 
than  men.  The  God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus,  whom 
ye  slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree.  Him  hath  God  exalted  with 
his  right  hand  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to  give 
repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins.  And  we  are 
his  witnesses  of  these  things ;  and  so  is  also  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  him." 

Closing,  locking,  bolting  their  hearts  against  the  testimony 
of  the  Lord's  own,  the  chief  priests,  scribes,  and  elders  of  the 
people  counseled  together  as  to  how  they  could  put  these 
men  to  death.  There  was  at  least  one  honorable  exception 
among  the  murderously  inclined  councilors.  Gamaliel,  who 
was  a  Pharisee  and  a  noted  doctor  of  the  law,  the  teacher  of 
Saul  of  Tarsus  afterward  known  through  conversion,  works, 
and  divine  commission,  as  Paul  the  apostle/  rose  in  the 
council,  and  having  directed  that  the  apostles  be  removed 
from  the  hall,  warned  his  colleagues  against  the  injustice  they 


5  Matt.  27:25;  compare  23:35;   see  pages  638  and  648  herein, 
f  Acts   22:3. 


GAMALIEL'S  ADVICE  TO  THE  COUNCIL.  709 

had  in  mind.  He  cited  the  cases  of  men  falsely  claiming  to 
have  been  sent  of  God,  everyone  of  whom  had  come  to  grief 
with  utter  and  most  ignominious  failure  of  his  seditious 
plans ;  so  would  these  men  come  to  nought  if  the  work  they 
professed  proved  to  be  of  men ;  "But,"  added  the  dispas- 
sionate and  learned  doctor,  "if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  over- 
throw it ;  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  fight  against  God."a 
Gamaliel's  advice  prevailed  for  the  time  being,  to  the  extent 
of  causing  the  apostles'  lives  to  be  spared ;  but  the  council,  in 
contravention  of  justice  and  propriety,  had  the  prisoners 
beaten.  Then  the  brethren  were  discharged  with  the  re- 
newed injunction  that  they  speak  not  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
They  went  out  rejoicing  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to 
suffer  stripes  and  humiliation  in  defense  of  the  Lord's  name ; 
and  daily,  both  in  the  temple,  and  by  house  to  house  visi- 
tation, they  valiantly  taught  and  preached  Jesus  the  Christ. 
Converts  to  the  Church  were  not  confined  to  the  laity ;  a 
great  company  of  the  priests  swelled  the  number  of  the  dis- 
ciples, who  multiplied  greatly  in  Jerusalem." 

STEPHEN  THE  MARTYR;    HIS  VISION  OF  THE  LORD." 

First  among  the  "seven  men  of  honest  report"  who  were 
set  apart  under  the  hands  of  the  apostles  to  administer  the 
common  store  of  the  Church  community,  was  Stephen,  a  man 
eminent  in  faith  and  good  works,  through  whom  the  Lord 
wrought  many  miracles.  He  was  zealous  in  service,  aggres- 
sive in  doctrine,  and  fearless  as  a  minister  of  Christ.  Some 
of  the  foreign  Jews,  who  maintained  a  synagog  in  Jeru- 
salem, engaged  Stephen  in  disputation,  and  being  unable 
"to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit  by  which  he  spake,"  con- 
spired to  have  him  charged  with  heresy  and  blasphemy.  He 
was  brought  before  the  council  on  the  word  of  men  suborned 
to  witness  against  him ;  and  these  averred  that  they  had 

a  Acts  5:33-40. 

u  Acts   6:7. 

v  Acts   6:8-15;   and   7. 


710  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

"heard  him  speak  blasphemous  words  against  Moses,  and 
against  God."  The  perjured  accusers  further  testified  that 
he  had  repeatedly  spoken  blasphemously  against  the  temple, 
and  the  law,  and  had  even  declared  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
would  some  day  destroy  the  temple,  and  change  the  Mosaic 
ceremonies.  The  charge  was  utterly  false  in  spirit  and  fact, 
though  possibly  in  a  sense  partly  true  in  form ;  for,  judging 
by  what  we  have  of  record  concerning  Stephen's  character 
and  works,  he  was  a  zealous  preacher  of  the  word  as  a  world 
religion,  through  which  the  exclusiveness  and  alleged  sanc- 
tity of  Jerusalem  as  the  holy  city  and  of  the  now  desecrated 
temple  as  the  earthly  abiding-place  of  Jehovah,  would  be 
abrogated ;  furthermore  he  seems  to  have  realized  that  the 
law  of  Moses  had  been  fulfilled  in  the  mission  of  the  Messiah. 
When  the  Sanhedrists  looked  upon  him,  his  face  was 
illumined,  and  they  saw  it  "as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an 
angel."  In  answer  to  the  charge,  he  delivered  an  address, 
which  on  critical  analysis  appears  to  have  been  extem- 
poraneous, nevertheless  it  is  strikingly  logical  and  impres- 
sive in  argument.  The  delivery  was  abruptly  terminated, 
however,  by  a  murderous  assault.™  In  effective  epitome 
Stephen  traced  the  history  of  the  covenant  people  from  the 
time  of  Abraham  down,  showing  that  the  patriarchs,  and  in 
turn  Moses  and  the  prophets,  had  lived  and  ministered  in 
progressive  preparation  for  the  development  of  which  those 
present  were  witnesses.  He  pointed  out  that  Moses  had 
foretold  the  coming  of  a  Prophet,  who  was  none  other  than 
Jehovah,  whom  their  fathers  had  worshipped  in  the  wilder- 
ness, before  the  tabernacle,  and  later  in  the  temple ;  but,  he 
affirmed,  "the  most  High  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands,"  the  most  gorgeous  of  which  could  be  but  small  to 
Him  who  said :  "Heaven  is  my  throne,  and  earth  is  my  foot- 
stool."* 


wActs  7:1-53. 

*Isa.   66:1,   2;   see  also  Matt.  5:34,  35;   23:22. 


STEPHEN  S  TESTIMONY  OF  JESUS  CHRIST.  711 

It  is  plain  to  be  seen  that  Stephen's  speech  was  not  one  of 
vindication,  and  far  from  a  plea  in  his  own  defense ;  it  was  a 
proclamation  of  the  word  and  purposes  of  God  by  a  devoted 
servant  who  had  no  thought  for  personal  consequences.  In 
forceful  arraignment  he  thus  addressed  his  judges:  "Ye 
stiffnecked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost :  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye.  Which 
of  the  prophets  have  not  your  fathers  persecuted?  and  they 
have  slain  them  which  shewed  before  of  the  coming  of  the 
Just  One ;  of  whom  ye  have  been  now  the  betrayers  and 
murderers."  Maddened  at  this  direct  accusation,  the  San- 
hedrists  "gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth."  He  knew  that 
they  thirsted  for  his  blood;  but,  energized  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  looked  steadfastly  upward,  and  exclaimed  in 
rapture:  "Behold  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of 
man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God."^'  This  is  the  first 
New  Testament  record  of  a  manifestation  of  Christ  to  mor- 
tal eyes  by  vision  or  otherwise,  subsequent  to  His  ascension. 
The  priestly  rulers  cried  aloud,  and  stopped  their  ears  to 
what  they  chose  to  regard  as  blasphemous  utterances ;  and, 
rushing  upon  the  prisoner  with  one  accord,  they  hurried  him 
outside  the  city  walls  and  stoned  him  to  death.  True  to  his 
Master,  he  prayed :  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit" ;  and 
then,  crushed  to  earth,  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice:  "Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge.  And  when  he  had  said  this, 
he  fell  asleep." 

So  died  the  first  martyr  for  the  testimony  of  the  risen 
Christ.  He  was  slain  by  a  mob  comprizing  chief  priests, 
scribes,  and  elders  of  the  people.  What  cared  they  that  no 
sentence  had  been  pronounced  against  him,  or  that  they  were 
acting  in  reckless  defiance  of  Roman  law  ?  Devout  men  bore 
the  mangled  body  to  its  burial ;  and  all  the  disciples  lamented 
greatly.  Persecution  increased,  and  members  of  the  Church 


yActs  7:56.    Note  this  exceptional  application  of  the  title,  Son  of  Man, 
to  Christ  by  anyone  other  than  Himself.    See  page  142  herein. 


JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

were  scattered  through  many  lands,  wherein  they  preached 
the  gospel  and  won  many  to  the  Lord.  The  blood  of  Stephen 
the  martyr  proved  to  be  rich  and  virile  seed,  from  which 
sprang  a  great  harvest  of  souls.2 

CHRIST    MANIFESTS    HIMSELF    TO    SAUL    OF    TARSUS,    LATER 
KNOWN    AS    PAUL    THE.  APOSTLE- 

Among  the  disputants  who,  when  defeated  in  discussion, 
conspired  against  Stephen  and  brought  about  his  death,  were 
Jews  from  Cilicia.a  Associated  with  them  was  a  young  man 
named  Saul,  a  native  of  the  Cilician  city  of  Tarsus.  This 
man  was  an  able  scholar,  a  forceful  controversialist,  an  ar- 
dent defender  of  what  he  regarded  as  the  right,  and  a  vig- 
orous assailant  of  what  to  him  was  wrong.  Though  born  in 
Tarsus  he  had  been  brought  to  Jerusalem  in  early  youth  and 
had  there  grown  up  a  strict  Pharisee  and  an  aggressive  sup- 
porter of  Judaism.  He  was  a  student  of  the  law  under  the 
tutelage  of  Gamaliel,  one  of  the  most  eminent  masters  of  the 
time  ;b  and  had  the  confidence  of  the  high  priest.c  His 
father,  or  perhaps  an  earlier  progenitor,  had  acquired  the 
rank  of  Roman  citizenship,  and  Saul  was  a  born  heir  to  that 
distinction.  Saul  was  a  violent  opponent  of  the  apostles  and 
the  Church,  and  had  made  himself  a  party  to  the  death  of 
Stephen  by  openly  consenting  thereunto  and  by  holding  in 
personal  custody  the  garments  of  the  false  witnesses  while 
they  stoned  the  martyr. 

He  wrought  havoc  in  the  Church  by  entering  private 
houses  and  haling  thence  men  and  women  suspected  of  belief 
in  the  Christ,  and  these  he  caused  to  be  cast  into  prison.** 
The  persecution  in  which  he  took  so  prominent  a  part  caused 


zAct.s  8:4;   11:19. 

oActs    6:9. 

&  Acts   22:3;   compare   5:34;   page   708   herein. 

c  In  view  of  Saul's  social  status  and  recognized  ability,  many  believe 
him  to  have  been  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin;  but  for  this  assumption  we 
find  no  definite  warrant  in  scripture. 

dActs  7:58;   8:1-3, 


CHRIST   MANIFESTS    HIMSELF  TO  SAUL.  713 

a  scattering  of  the  disciples  throughout  Judea,  Samaria,  and 
other  lands;  though  the  apostles  remained  and  continued 
their  ministry  in  Jerusalem/  Not  content  with  local  activity 
against  the  Church,  "Saul,  yet  breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  went  unto  the 
high  priest,  and  desired  of  him  letters  to  Damascus  to  the 
synagogues,  that  if  he  found  any  of  this  way,  whether  they 
were  men  or  women,  he  might  bring  them  bound  unto  Jeru- 
salem."/ 

As  Saul  and  his  attendants  neared  Damascus  they  were 
halted  by  an  occurrence  of  awe-inspiring  grandeur.^  At 
noontide  there  suddenly  appeared  a  light  far  exceeding  the 
brightness  of  the  sun,  and  in  this  dazzling  splendor  the  whole 
party  was  enveloped,  so  that  they  fell  to  the  ground  in  terror. 
In  the  midst  of  the  unearthly  glory,  a  sound  was  heard,  which 
to  Saul  alone  was  intelligible  as  an  articulate  voice ;  he  heard 
and  understood  the  reproving  question  spoken  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue:  "Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?"  In  trepi- 
dation he  inquired :  "Who  art  thou,  Lord  ?"  The  reply 
sounded  the  heart  of  Saul  to  its  depths :  "I  am  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, whom  thou  persecutest" ;  and  continued,  as  in  sym- 
pathetic consideration  of  the  persecutor's  situation  and  the 
renunciation  that  would  be  required  of  him :  "It  is  hard  for 
thee  to  kick  against  the  pricks."*1  The  enormity  of  his  hos- 
tility and  enmity  against  the  Lord  and  His  people  filled  the 
man's  soul  with  horror,  and  in  trembling  contrition  he  asked  : 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  The  reply  was : 
"Arise,  and  go  into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what 
thou  must  do."  The  brilliancy  of  the  heavenly  light  had 
blinded  Saul.  His  companions  led  him  into  Damascus,  where, 


*Acts  8:1. 

/Acts  9:1,  2.  Observe  that  "way"  here  used  for  the  first  time  to 
connote  the  gospel  or  religion  of  Christ,  occurs  frequently  in  Acts  (16:17; 
18:25,  26;  19:9,  23;  22:4;  24:14,  22). 

g  Three  versions  of  this  manifestation  and  its  immediate  results  ap- 
pear in  Acts  (9:3-29;  22:6-16;  and  26:12-18):  the  first  is  the  historian's  narra- 
tive, while  the  others  are  given  as  reports  of  Saul's  own  words. 

h  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


714  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

at  the  house  of  Judas,  in  the  street  called  Straight,  he  sat  in 
darkness  for  three  days,  during  which  period  he  neither  ate 
nor  drank. 

There  lived  in  that  city  a  faithful  disciple  named  Ananias, 
to  whom  the  Lord  spake,  instructing  him  to  visit  Saul  and 
minister  unto  him  that  he  might  be  healed  of  his  blindness. 
Ananias  was  astonished  at  the  commission,  and  ventured  to 
remind  the  Lord  that  Saul  was  a  notorious  persecutor  of  the 
saints,  and  had  come  at  that  time  to  Damascus  to  arrest  and 
put  in  bonds  all  believers.  But  the  Lord  answered :  "Go 
thy  way :  for  he  is  a  chosen  vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name 
before  the  Gentiles,  and  kings,  and  the  children  of  Israel : 
for  I  will  shew  him  how  great  things  he  must  suffer  for  my 
name's  sake."  Ananias  went  to  Saul,  laid  his  hands  upon  the 
penitent  sufferer,  saying:  "Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even 
Jesus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou  earnest, 
hath  sent  me,  that  thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,  and  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  physical  obstruction  to 
vision  was  removed;  scaly  particles  fell  from  the  eyes  of 
Saul,  and  his  sight  was  restored.  Without  delay  or  hesita- 
tion, he  was  baptized.  When  strengthened  by  food  he  com- 
muned with  the  disciples  at  Damascus  and  straightway  began 
to  preach  in  the  synagogs,  declaring  Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of 
God.* 

When  Saul  returned  to  Jerusalem,  the  disciples  were 
doubtful  of  his  sincerity,  they  having  known  of  him  as  a 
violent  persecutor ;  but  Barnabas,  a  trusted  disciple,  brought 
him  to  the  apostles,  told  of  his  miraculous  conversion  and 
testified  of  his  valiant  service  in  preaching  the  word  of  God. 
He  was  received  into  fellowship,  and  afterward  was  ordained 
under  the  hands  of  the  apostles.'  His  Hebrew  name,  Saul, 
was  in  time  substituted  by  the  Latin  Paulus,  or  as  to  us, 
Paul.*  In  view  of  his  commissipn  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the 

» Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 
/Acts  9:26-28;   13:2,  3. 
A  Acts   13:9. 


PAUI/S  TESTIMONY  OF  JESUS  CHRIST.  715 

Gentiles,  the  use  of  his  Roman  name  may  have  been  of  ad- 
vantage, and  particularly  so  as  he  was  a  Roman  citizen  and 
therefore  could  claim  the  rights  and  exemptions  attaching 
to  the  status  of  citizenship.' 

It  is  no  part  of  our  present  purpose  to  follow  even  in 
outline  the  labors  of  the  man  thus  peremptorily  and  miracu- 
lously called  into  the  ministry ;  the  fact  of  Christ's  personal 
manifestations  to  him  is  the  sole  subject  of  present  consid- 
eration. While  in  Jerusalem  Paul  was  blessed  with  a  visual 
manifestation  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  accompanied  by  the  giving 
of  specific  instructions.  His  own  testimony  is  to  this  effect : 
"While  I  prayed  in  the  temple,  I  was  in  a  trance ;  and  saw 
him  saying  unto  me,  Make  haste,  and  get  thee  quickly  out  of 
Jerusalem :  for  they  will  not  receive  thy  testimony  concern- 
ing me."  In  explanation  of  his  rejection  by  the  people,  Paul 
confessed  his  evil  past,  saying,  "Lord,  they  know  that  I  im- 
prisoned and  beat  in  every  synagogue  them  that  believed  on 
thee :  and  when  the  blood  of  thy  martyr  Stephen  was  shed, 
I  also  was  standing  by,  and  consenting  unto  his  death,  and 
kept  the  raiment  of  them  that  slew  him."  To  this  the  Lord 
replied :  "Depart ;  for  I  will  send  thee  far  hence  unto  the 
Gentiles.""1  Once  again,  as  he  lay  a  prisoner  in  the  Roman 
castle,  the  Lord  stood  by  him  in  the  night,  and  said :  "Be 
of  good  cheer,  Paul :  for  as  thou  hast  testified  of  me  in 
Jerusalem,  so  must  thou  bear  witness  also  at  Rome."" 

Paul's  personal  witness  that  he  had  seen  the  resurrected 
Christ  is  explicit  and  emphatic.  With  his  enumeration  of 
some  of  the  risen  Lord's  appearances  he  associates  his  own 
testimony,  as  addressed  to  the  Corinthian  saints,  in  this  wise : 
"For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all  that  which  I  also  re- 
ceived, how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to  the 
scriptures;  and  that  he  was  buried,  and  that  he  rose  again 
the  third  day  according  to  the  scriptures:  and  that  he  was 


/Acts    16:37-40;    22:25-28;    23:27;    25:11;    26:32;    28:19. 
mActs   22:17-21. 
nActs   23:11. 


716  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

seen  of  Cephas,  then  of  the  Twelve :  after  that,  he  was  seen 
of  above  five  hundred  brethren  at  once ;  of  whom  the  greater 
part  remain  unto  this  present,  but  some  are  fallen  asleep. 
After  that,  he  was  seen  of  James;  then  of  all  the  apostles. 
And  last  of  all  he  was  seen  of  me  also,  as  of  one  born  out 
of  due  time.  For  I  am  the  least  of  the  apostles,  that  am 
not  meet  to  be  called  an  apostle,  because  I  persecuted  the 
church  of  God."0 

CLOSE  OF   THE  APOSTOUC    MINISTRY — THE   REVELATION 
THROUGH   JOHN. 

The  period  of  apostolic  ministry  continued  until  near  the 
close  of  the  first  century  of  our  era,  approximately  sixty 
to  seventy  years  from  the  time  of  the  Lord's  ascension.  In  the 
course  of  that  epoch  the  Church  experienced  both  prosperity 
and  vicissitude.  At  first  the  organized  body  increased  in 
membership  and  influence  in  a  manner  regarded  as  phenom- 
enal, if  not  miraculous.^  The  apostles  and  the  many  other  min- 
isters who  labored  under  their  direction  in  graded  positions 
of  authority  strove  so  effectively  to  spread  the  word  of  God, 
that  Paul  writing  approximately  thirty  years  after  the  ascen- 
sion affirmed  that  the  gospel  had  already  been  carried  to 
every  nation,  or,  to  use  his  words,  "preached  to  every  crea- 
ture under  heaven. "?  Through  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
Christ  continued  to  direct  the  affairs  of  His  Church  on  the 
earth ;  and  His  mortal  representatives,  the  apostles,  traveled 
and  taught,  healed  the  afflicted,  rebuked  evil  spirits,  and 
raised  the  dead  to  a  renewal  of  life/ 

We  are  without  record  of  any  direct  or  personal  appear- 
ance of  Christ  to  mortals  between  the  manifestations  to  Paul 
and  the  revelation  to  John  on  the  isle  of  Patmos.  Tradition 
confirms  John's  implication  that  he  had  been  banished  thither 


ol    Cor.    15:3-9. 

p  Note  5,   end  of  chapter. 

q  Col.   1:23;  see  verse  6;   also  "The  Great  Apostasy,"   1:20,  21. 

rActs    9:36-43. 


MANIFESTATIONS    TO    JOHN    THE    REVELATOR.  717 

"for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ. "J  He  avers  that  what  he  wrote,  now  knowa  as  the 
book  of  Revelation,  is  "The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  shew  unto  his  servants  things 
which  must  shortly  come  to  pass ;  and  he  sent  and  signified 
it  by  his  angel  unto  his  servant  John."'  The  apostle  gives  a 
vivid  description  of  the  glorified  Christ  as  seen  by  him ;  and 
of  the  Lord's  words  he  made  record  as  follows  :  "Fear  not ; 
I  am  the  first  and  the  last :  I  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ; 
and,  behold,  I  am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen ;  and  have  the 
keys  of  hell  and  of  death.""  John  was  commanded  to  write 
to  each  of  the  seven  churches,  or  branches  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  then  existing  in  Asia,  administering  reproof,  admoni- 
tion and  encouragement,  as  the  condition  of  each  required. 
The  final  ministry  of  John  marked  the  close  of  the  apos- 
tolic administration  in  the  Primitive  Church.  His  fellow 
apostles  had  gone  to  their  rest,  most  of  them  having  entered 
through  the  gates  of  martyrdom,  and  although  it  was  his 
special  privilege  to  tarry  in  the  flesh  until  the  Lord's  advent 
in  glory,1'  he  was  not  to  continue  his  service  as  an  acknowl- 
edged minister,  known  to  and  accepted  by  the  Church.  Even 
while  many  of  the  apostles  lived  and  labored,  the  seed  of 
apostasy  had  taken  root  in  the  Church  and  had  grown  with 
the  rankness  of  pernicious  weeds.  This  condition  had  been 
predicted,  both  by  Old  Testament  prophets^  and  by  the  Lord 
Jesus.*  The  apostles  also  spake  in  plain  prediction  of  the 
growth  of  the  apostasy  all  too  grievously  apparent  to  them 
as  then  in  progress.^  Personal  manifestations  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  to  mortals  appear  to  have  ceased  with  the  passing  of 


s  Rev.  1:9;   see  Note  6,  end  of  chapter. 

t  Rev.    1:1;    read   the  whole   chapter. 

ttRev.    1:10-20. 

v  Page    694    herein. 

wlsa.    24:1-6;    Amos.    8:11,    12. 

*Matt.    24:4,    5,    10-13,   23-26. 

;yActs  20:17-31,  particularly  29,  30;  1  Tim.  4:1-3;  2  Tim.  4:1-4;  2  Thess. 
2:3,  4,  7,  8;  2  Peter  2:1-3,  read  the  entire  chapter  and  observe  its  applica- 
tion to  conditions  in  the  world  today;  Jude  3,  4,  17-19;  Rev.  13:4,  6-9;  14:6,  7. 
See  "The  Great  Apostasy,"  chapter  2. 


718  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

the  apostles  of  old,  and  were  not  again  witnessed  until  the 
dawn  of  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  38. 

1.  Presiding  Authority  and   Common   Consent. — "Another 
instance   of   official    action   in   choosing   and    setting   apart  men   to 
special   office   in   the   Church   arose   soon   after   the   ordination    of 
Matthias.      It   appears   that   one    feature   of    the    Church    organiza- 
tion in  early  apostolic  days  was  a  common  ownership  of  material 
things,  distribution  being  made  according  to  need.     As  the  mem- 
bers   increased,    it    was    found    impracticable    for    the    apostles    to 
devote   the   necessary   attention    and   time   to   these   temporal    mat- 
ters,  so   they   called   upon    the   members    to    select   seven   men    of 
honest   report,    whom    the    apostles    would    appoint   to   take    special 
charge    of    these    affairs.      These    men    were    set    apart    by    prayer 
and   by  the   laying   on   of   hands.      The   instance    is   instructive   as 
showing   that   the   apostles    realized   their   possession   of    authority 
to   direct   in    the   affairs   of   the    Church,    and   that   they   observed 
with   strictness   the   principle   of   common   consent   in   the   adminis- 
tration of  their  high  office.      They  exercized  their  priestly  powers 
in  the  spirit  of   love,   and  with   due   regard  to  the   rights   of  the 
people    over    whom    they    were    placed    to    preside." — The    author, 
The  Great  Apostasy,  i  :IQ. 

2.  Pentecost. — The  name  means  "fiftieth"  and  was  applied 
to  the  Jewish  feast  that  was  celebrated  fifty  days  after  the  second 
day  of  unleavened  bread,  or  the  Passover  day.      It  is  also  known 
as  "the   feast  of   weeks"    (Exo.   34:22;   Deut.   16:10),  because   ac- 
cording to  the  Hebrew  style,   it   fell   seven   weeks,  or  a  week  of 
weeks,  after  the  Passover;  as  "the  feast  of  harvest"  (Exo.  23:16)  ; 
and  as  "the  day  of   first-fruits"    (Numb.  28:26).      Pentecost   was 
one     of     the     great     feasts     in     Israel,     and     was     of     mandatory 
observance.     Special  sacrifices  were  appointed  for  the  day,  as  was 
also   an   offering   suitable   to   the   harvest   season,   comprizing   two 
leavened  loaves  made  of  the  new  wheat ;  these  were  to  be  waved 
before   the   altar   and   then   given   to   the   priests    (Lev.   23:15-20). 
Because   of  the   unprecedented   events   that  characterized   the   first 
Pentecost  after  our  Lord's  ascension,  the  name  has  become  cur- 
rent  in    Christian   literature   as   expressive   of   any  great   spiritual 
awakening  or  unusual  manifestation  of  divine  grace. 

3.  Having  All  Things  in  Common. — No  condition  recorded 
of    the    early    apostolic    ministry    expresses    more    forcefully    the 
unity  and   devotion   of   the   Church   in   those   days   than   does   the 
fact   of   the   members    establishing   a    system   of    common    owner- 
ship of  property   (Acts  2:44,  46;  4 '32-37;  6:1-4).      One  result  of 
this    community    of    interest    in    temporal    things    was    a    marked 
unity  in   spiritual  matters ;   they  "were  of   one  heart   and  of   one 
soul."      Lacking    nothing,    they    lived    in    contentment    and    godli- 
ness.     Over    thirty    centuries    earlier    the    people    of    Enoch    had 
rejoiced  in  a  similar  condition  of  oneness,  and  their  attainments 


NOTES.  719 

in  spiritual  excellence  were  so  effective  that  "the  Lord  came  and 

dwelt    with    his    people; And    the    Lord    called    his 

people  Zion,  because  they  were  of  one  heart  and  one  mind,  and 
dwelt  in  righteousness ;  and  there  was  no  poor  among  them." 
(P.  of  G.  P.,  Moses  7:16-18.)  The  Nephite  disciples  grew  in 
holiness,  as  "they  had  all  things  common  among  them,  every  man 
dealing  justly,  one  with  another."  (B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  26:19;  see 
also  4  Nephi  1 :2-3.)  A  system  of  unity  in  material  affairs  has 
been  revealed  to  the  Church  in  this  current  dispensation,  (Doc. 
and  Cov.  82:17,  18;  51:10-13,  18;  104:70-77),  to  the  blessings  of 
which  the  people  may  attain  as  they  learn  to  replace  selfish  con- 
cern by  altruism,  and  individual  advantage  by  devotion  to  the 
general  welfare. — Se'e  The  Articles  of  Faith,  xxiv:i3-i5. 

4.  Saul's    Conversion. — The    sudden    change    of    heart    by 
which   an   ardent  persecutor  of  the  saints   was   so  transformed   as 
to  become  a  true  disciple,  is  to  the  average  mind  a  miracle.     Saul 
of  Tarsus  was  a  devoted  student  and  observer  of  the  law,  a  strict 
Pharisee.      We  find  no  intimation  that  he  ever  met  or  saw  Jesus 
during    the    Lord's    life    in    the    flesh ;    and    his    contact    with    the 
Christian  movement  appears  to  have  been  brought  about  through 
disputation    with    Stephen.      In    determining    what    he    would    call 
right  and  what  wrong  the  young  enthusiast  was  guided  too  much 
by    mind    and    too    little    by    heart.      His    learning,    which    should 
have  been  his  servant,  was  instead  his  master.     He  was  a  leading 
spirit  in  the  cruel  persecution  of  the  first  converts  to  Christianity; 
yet  none  can  doubt  his  belief  that  even  in  such  he  was  rendering 
service   to    Jehovah    (compare    John    16:2).      His    unusual    energy 
and  superb  ability  were  misdirected.     As   soon  as  he  realized  the 
error  of  his  course,  he  turned  about,  without  counting  risk,  cost, 
or    the    certainty    of    persecution    and    probable    martyrdom.       His 
repentance  was  as  genuine  as  had  been  his  persecuting  zeal.     All 
through  his  ministry  he  was  tortured  by  the  past   (Acts  22:4,  19, 
20;  i  Cor.  15:9;  2  Cor.  12:7;  Gal.  1:13)  ;  yet  he  found  a  measure 
of  relief  in  the  knowledge  that  he  had  acted  in  good  conscience 
(Acts  26:9-11).     It  was  "hard  for  him  to  kick  against  the  pricks" 
(revised   version   "goad,"   Acts  9:5;   26:14)    of   tradition,   training, 
and  education ;  yet  he  hesitated  not.     He  was  a  chosen  instrument 
for  the  work  of  the  Lord  (Acts  9:15)  ;  and  promptly  he  responded  to 
the  Master's  will.    Whatever  of  error  Saul  of  Tarsus  had  committed 
through  youthful  zeal,   Paul  the  apostle  gave  his  all — his  time, 
talent,    and    life — to    expiate.       He    was    preeminently    the    Lord's 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles ;  and  this  opening  of  the  doors  to  others 
than  Jews  was  the  main  contention  between  himself  and  Stephen. 
In    accordance    with    the    divine    and    fateful    purpose,    Paul    was 
called  to  do  the  work,  in  opposition  to  which  he  had  been  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen.      At  the  Lord's  word  of  di- 
rection Paul  was  ready  to  preach  Christ  to  the  Gentiles;  only  by 
a  miracle  could  the  Jewish  exclusiveness  of  Peter  and  the  Church 
generally  be  overcome  (Acts  10;  and  11:1-18). 

5.  Rapid  Growth  of  the  Primitive  Church. — Eusebius,  who 
wrote  in   the   early  part   of   the   fourth   century,   speaking  of   the 


720  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    38. 

first  decade  after  the  Savior's  ascension,  says :  "Thus,  then, 
under  a  celestial  influence  and  cooperation,  the  doctrine  of  the 
Savior,  like  the  rays  of  the  sun,  quickly  irradiated  the  whole 
world.  Presently,  in  accordance  with  divine  prophecy,  the  sound 
of  His  inspired  evangelists  and  apostles  had  gone  throughout  all 
the  earth,  and  their  words  to  the  ends  of  the  world.  Throughout 
every  city  and  village,  like  a  replenished  barn  floor,  churches 
were  rapidly  abounding  and  filled  with  members  from  every 
people.  Those  who,  in  consequence  of  the  delusions  that  had 
descended  to  them  from  their  ancestors,  had  been  fettered  by 
the  ancient  disease  of  idolatrous  superstition,  were  now  liberated 
by  the  power  of  Christ,  through  the  teachings  and  miracles  of 
His  messengers." — (Eusebius,  Eccles.  Hist.,  Book  i,  ch.  3.) 

6.  Patmos. — A  small  island  in  the  Icarian  section  of  the 
Aegean  Sea.  Dr.  John  R.  Sterret  writes  of  it  in  the  Standard 
Bible  Dictionary  as  follows :  "A  volcanic  island  of  the  Sporades 
group,  now  nearly  treeless.  It  is  characterized  by  an  indented 
coast  and  has  a  safe  harbor.  By  the  Romans  it  was  made  a  place 
of  exile  for  the  lower  class  of  criminals.  John,  the  author  of 
'Revelation'  was  banished  thither  by  Domitian,  94  A.  D.  Ac- 
cording to  tradition  he  lived  there  at  hard  labor  for  eighteen 
months." 


CHRIST'S  DEATH  SIGNALIZED  ON  WESTERN  CONTINENT.  721 


CHAPTER  39. 

MINISTRY  OF  THE  RESURRECTED   CHRIST   ON  THE 
WESTERN   HEMISPHERE. 

By  considering  the  apostolic  ministry  in  immediate  se- 
quence to  our  study  of  the  Lord's  ascension  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  we  have  departed  from  the  chronological  order  of 
the  several  personal  manifestations  of  the  risen  Savior  to 
mortals ;  for  very  soon  after  His  final  farewell  to  the  apostles 
in  Judea  He  visited  His  "other  sheep,"  not  of  the  eastern 
fold,  whose  existence  He  had  affirmed  in  that  impressive 
sermon  concerning  the  Good  Shepherd  and  His  sheep. a 
Those  other  sheep  who  were  to  hear  the  Shepherd's  voice 
and  eventually  be  made  part  of  the  united  fold,  were  the 
descendants  of  L,ehi  who,  with  his  family  and  a  few  others, 
had  left  Jerusalem  600  B.  C.  and  had  crossed  the  great  deep 
to  what  we  now  know  as  the  American  continent,  whereon 
they  had  grown  to  be  a  mighty  though  a  divided  people.6 

THE  LORD'S  DEATH  SIGNALIZED  BY  GREAT  CALAMITIES  ON  THE 
AMERICAN  CONTINENT. 

As  already  set  forth  in  these  pages,  the  birth  of  Jesus  at 
Bethlehem  had  been  made  known  to  the  Nephite  nation  on 
the  western  hemisphere  by  divine  revelation;  and  the  glad 
event  had  been  marked  by  the  appearance  of  a  new  star,  by  a 
night  devoid  of  darkness  so  that  two  days  and  the  night 
between  had  been  as  one  day,  and  by  other  wonderful  occur- 
rences, all  of  which  had  been  predicted  through  the  prophets 
of  the  western  world/  Samuel  the  Lamanite,  who  through 


ojohn    10:16;    compare    B.    of   M.,    3   Nephi    15:17-21;    page    416   herein. 
b  See  pages  4ff    "  ' 
c  Paees  49-52. 


JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

aith fulness  and  good  works  had  become  a  prophet,  mighty 
in  word  and  deed,  duly  chosen  and  commissioned  of  God, 
had  coupled  with  his  predictions  o-f  the  glorious  occurrences 
that  were  to  mark  the  birth  of  Christ,  prophecies  of  other 
signs — of  darkness,  terror,  and  destruction — by  which  the 
Savior's  death  on  the  cross  would  be  signalized. d  Every 
prophetic  word  concerning  the  phenomena  that  were  to  at- 
tend the  Lord's  birth  had  been  fulfilled ;  and  many  people 
had  been  brought  thereby  to  believe  in  Christ  as  the  promised 
Redeemer ;  but,  as  is  usual  with  those  whose  belief  rests  on 
miracles,  many  among  the  Nephites  "began  to  forget  those 
signs  and  wonders  which  they  had  heard,  and  began  to  be 
less  and  less  astonished  at  a  sign  or  a  wonder  from  heaven, 
insomuch  that  they  began  to  be  hard  in  their  hearts,  and 
blind  in  their  minds,  and  began  to  disbelieve  all  which  they 
had  heard  and  seen."* 

Thirty  and  three  years  had  sped  their  course  since  the 
illumined  night  and  the  other  signs  of  Messiah's  advent; 
then,  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  first  month,  or,  according  to 
our  calendar,  during  the  first  week  of  April,  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  year,  there  arose  a  great  and  terrible  tempest,  with 
thunderings,  lightnings,  and  both  elevations  and  depressions 
of  the  earth's  surface,  so  that  the  highways  were  broken  up, 
mountains  were  sundered,  and  many  cities  were  utterly  de- 
stroyed by  earthquake,  fire,  and  the  inrush  of  the  sea.  For 
three  hours  the  unprecedented  holocaust  continued ;  and 
then  thick  darkness  fell,  in  the  which  it  was  found  impossible 
to  kindle  a  fire ;  the  awful  gloom  was  like  unto  the  darkness 
of  Egypt^  in  that  its  clammy  vapors  could  be  felt.  This 
condition  lasted  until  the  third  day,  so  that  a  night  a  day  and 
a  night  were  as  one  unbroken  night,  and  the  impenetrable 
blackness  was  rendered  the  more  terrible  by  the  wailing  of 
the  people,  whose  heart-rending  refrain  was  everywhere  the 

dHelaman   14:14-27. 
<?3   Nephi   2:1. 
/Exo.    10:21-23. 


THE  VOICE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  HEARD.  723 

same,  "O  that  we  had  repented  before  this  great  and  terrible 
day."^ 

Then,  piercing  the  darkness,  came  a  Voice,*1  before  which 
the  frightful  chorus  of  human  lamentation  was  silenced; 
"Wo,  wo,  wo  unto  this  people"  resounded  throughout  the 
land.  The  Voice  proclaimed  increasing  woes  except  the  peo- 
ple should  repent.  Destruction  had  befallen  because  of  wick- 
edness, and  the  devil  was  then  laughing  over  the  number  of 
the  dead  and  the  retributive  cause  of  their  destruction.  The 
.extent  of  the  dread  calamity  was  detailed ;  cities  that  had 
been  burned  with  their  inhabitants,  others  that  had  sunk  into 
the  sea,  yet  others  buried  in  the  earth,  were  enumerated; 
and  the  divine  reason  for  this  widespread  destruction  was 
plainly  set  forth — that  the  wickedness  and  abominations  of 
the  people  might  be  hidden  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Those 
who  had  lived  to  hear  were  declared  to  be  the  more  righteous 
of  the  inhabitants ;  and  to  them  hope  was  offered  on  condi- 
tions of  more  thorough  repentance  and  reformation. 

The  identity  of  the  Voice  was  thus  made  known:  "Be- 
hold, I  am  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  I  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth,  and  all  things  that  in  them  are.  I 
was  with  the  Father  from  the  beginning.  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me ;  and  in  me  hath  the  Father  glorified 
his  name."  The  Lord  commanded  that  the  people  should 
no  longer  serve  Him  with  bloody  sacrifices  and  burnt  offer- 
ings; for  the  law  of  Moses  was  fulfilled;  and  thenceforth 
the  only  acceptable  sacrifice  would  be  the  broken  heart  and. 
the  contrite  spirit;  and  such  should  never  be  rejected.  The 
humble  and  repentant  the  Lord  would  receive  as  His  own. 
"Behold,"  He  said,  "for  such  I  have  laid  down  my  life,  and 
have  taken  it  up  again ;  therefore  repent,  and  come  unto  me 
ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and  be  saved." 

The  Voice  ceased;  and  through  the  space  of  many  hours 

03    Nephi   8:5-25;    compare   Helaman    14:20-27. 
h  3  Nephi   chap.  9. 


724  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

of  continuing  darkness  vociferous  lamentations  were  hushed, 
for  the  people  were  convicted  of  their  guilt  and  silently  wept 
in  astonishment  over  what  they  had  heard,  and  in  hopeful 
anticipation  of  the  salvation  that  had  been  offered.  A  second 
time  the  Voice  was  heard,  as  in  sorrow  over  those  who  had 
refused  to  accept  the  Savior's  succor  ;  for  often  had  He  pro- 
tected them,  more  often  would  He  have  so  done  had  they 
been  willing,  and  yet  in  the  future  would  He  cherish  them, 
"as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings"  if  they 
would  repent  and  live  in  righteousness.  On  the  morning  of 
the  third  day  the  darkness  dispersed,  seismic  disturbances 
ceased,  and  the  storms  abated.  As  the  pall  was  lifted  from 
the  land  the  people  saw  how  profound  had  been  the  convul- 
sions of  earth,  and  how  great  had  been  their  loss  of  kindred 
and  friends.  In  their  contrition  and  humiliation  they  re- 
membered the  predictions  of  the  prophets,  and  knew  that  the 
mandate  of  the  Lord  had  been  executed  upon  them.* 

Christ  had  risen  ;  and  following  Him  many  of  the  right- 
eous dead  on  the  western  continent  rose  from  their  graves, 
and  appeared  as  resurrected,  immortalized  beings  among  the 
survivors  of  the  land-wide  destruction  ;  even  as  in  Judea 
many  of  the  saints  had  been  raised  immediately  after  the 
resurrection  of  Christ.'' 


FIRST  VISITATION   OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO  TH£ 

About  six  weeks  or  more  after  the  events  last  considered/ 
a  great  multitude  of  the  Nephites  had  assembled  at  th3  tem- 
ple in  the  land  called  Bountiful,"1  and  were  earnestly  dis- 
coursing with  one  another  over  the  great  changes  that  had 
been  wrought  in  the  land,  and  particularly  concerning  Jesus 
Christ,  of  whose  atoning  death  the  predicted  signs  had  been 

i  3  Nephi,   chap.   10. 

/Helaman    14:25;   3   Nephi   23:7-13;    compare   Matt.   27:52,    53. 
k  3  Nephi,    chaps.    11-18   inclusive. 

/3  Nephi   10:18.     Bear   in   mind   that   Christ's   ascension   took  place   forty 
days    after    His    resurrection. 
in  Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 


CHRIST'S  APPEARANCE  TO  THE  NEPHITES.  725 

witnessed  in  all  their  tragic  details.  The  prevailing  spirit  of 
the  assembly  was  that  of  contrition  and  reverence.  While 
thus  congregated  they  heard  a  sound  as  of  a  Voice  from 
above ;  but  both  a  first  and  a  second  utterance  were  to  them 
unintelligible.  As  they  listened  with  rapt  intentness,  the 
Voice  was  heard  a  third  time,  and  it  said  unto  them :  "Be- 
hold my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,  in  whom  I 
have  glorified  my  name:  hear  ye  him."11 

While  gazing  upward  in  reverent  expectation,  the  people 
beheld  a  Man,  clothed  in  a  white  robe,  who  descended  and 
stood  among  them.  He  spake,  saying :  "Behold,  I  am  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  the  prophets  testified  shall  come  into  the  world ; 
and  behold,  I  am  the  light  and  the  life  of  the  world ;  and  I 
have  drunk  out  of  that  bitter  cup  which  the  Father  hath 
given  me,  and  have  glorified  the  Father  in  taking  upon  me 
the  sins  of  the  world,  in  the  which  I  have  suffered  the  will 
of  the-  Father  in  all  things  from  the  beginning."  The  multi- 
tude prostrated  themselves  in  adoration  for  they  remembered 
that  their  prophets  had  foretold  that  the  L,ord  would  appear 
among  them  after  His  resurrection  and  ascension.* 

As  He  directed,  the  people  arose,  and  one  by  one  came 
to  Him,  and  did  see  and  feel  the  prints  of  the  nails  in  His 
hands  and  feet,  and  the  spear-wound  in  His  side.  Moved 
to  adoring  utterance,  with  one  accord  they  cried :  "Hosanna ! 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Most  High  God !"  then,  falling  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus,  they  worshiped  Him. 

Summoning  Nephi  and  eleven  others  to  approach,  the 
lyord  gave  them  authority  to  baptize  the  people  after  His 
departure,  and  prescribed  the  mode  of  baptism  with  par- 
ticular injunction  against  disputation  in  the  matter  or  altera- 
tion of  the  given  form,  as  witness  the  L,ord's  words : 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  whoso  repenteth  of  his  sins 


n3  Nephi   11:7;   compare  Matt.   3:17;   Mark  1:11;  Luke  9:35;   P.  of  G.   P., 
Joseph   Smith   2:17. 

03  Nephi  11:12;  compare  1  Nephi  12:6;  2  Nephi  26:1,  9;  Alma*  16:20. 


726  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

through  your  words,  and  desireth  to  be  baptized  in  my  name, 
on  this  wise  shall  ye  baptize  them :  behold,  ye  shall  go  down 
and  stand  in  the  water,  and  in  my  name  shall  ye  baptize 
them.  And  now  behold,  these  are  the  words  which  ye  shall 
say,  calling  them  by  name,  saying,  Having  authority  given 
me  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  baptize  you  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen.  And  then 
shall  ye  immerse  them  in  the  water,  and  come  forth  again  out 
of  the  water.  And  after  this  manner  shall  ye  baptize  in  my 
name,  for  behold,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  Father,  and 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  are  one ;  and  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me,  and  the  Father  and  I  are  one.  And 
according  as  I  have  commanded  you  thus  shall  ye  baptize. 
And  there  shall  be  no  disputations  among  you,  as  there  hath 
hitherto  been ;  neither  shall  there  be  disputations  among  you 
concerning  the  points  of  my  doctrine,  as  there  hath  hitherto 
been."* 

The  people  in  general,  and  particularly  the  Twelve,  chosen 
as  stated,  were  impressively  warned  against  contention  over 
matters  of  doctrine,  the  spirit  of  which  was  declared  to  be  of 
the  devil,  "who  is  the  father  of  contention."  The  doctrine  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  set  forth  in  simple  yet  comprehensive  sum- 
mary in  these  words: 

"Behold,  verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  declare  unto 
you  my  doctrine.  And  this  is  my  doctrine,  and  it  is  the  doc- 
trine which  the  Father  hath  given  unto  me ;  and  I  bear 
record  of  the  Father  and  the  Father  beareth  record  of  me, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  beareth  record  of  the  Father  and  me, 
and  I  bear  record  that  the  Father  commandeth  all  men, 
everywhere,  to  repent  and  believe  in  me ;  And  whoso  be- 
lieveth  in  me,  and  is  baptized,  the  same  shall  be  saved ;  and 
they  are  they  who  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  And 
whoso  believeth  not  in  me,  and  is  not  baptized,  shall  be 
damned. "2 

Repentance,  and  humility  akin  to  that  of  the  innocent 
trusting  child  were  the  prerequisites  for  baptism,  without 


pZ   Nephi    11:23-28;    compare    Doc.    and    Cov.    20:72-74. 
23   Nephi    11:31-34;    compare   Mark    16:15,    16;    see   al: 


also   John    12:48. 


THE   NEPHITE  TWELVE.  727 

which  none  could  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  With  the 
incisiveness  and  simplicity  that  had  characterized  His  teach- 
ings in  Palestine,  the  Lord  thus  instructed  His  newly  chosen 
Twelve : 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  is  my  doctrine, 
and  whoso  buildeth  upon  this,  buildeth  upon  my  rock,  and 
the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  them.  And  whoso 
shall  declare  more  or  less  than  this,  and  establish  it  for  my 
doctrine,  the  same  cometh  of  evil,  and  is  not  built  upon  my 
rock,  but  he  buildeth  upon  a  sandy  foundation,  and  the  gates 
of  hell  standeth  open  to  receive  such,  when  the  floods  come 
and  the  winds  beat  upon  them.  Therefore  go  forth  unto  this 
people,  and  declare  the  words  which  I  have  spoken  unto  the 
ends  of  the  earth."r 

Then,  turning  to  the  multitude,  Jesus  admonished  them  to 
give  heed  to  the  teachings  of  the  Twelve,  and  continued  with 
a  discourse  embodying  the  sublime  principles  He  had  taught 
among  the  Jews  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount/  The  Beati- 
tudes, the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  same  splendid  array  of  en- 
nobling precepts  are  set  forth,  and  the  same  wealth  of  effec- 
tive comparison  and  apt  illustration  appear,  in  both  Matthew 
and  Nephi's  versions  of  this  unparalleled  address;  but  a 
significant  difference  is  observed  in  every  reference  to  the 
fulfilment  of  the  Mosaic  law ;  for  where  the  Jewish  scriptures 
record  the  Lord's  words  as  pointing  to  a  fulfilment  then  in- 
complete, the  corresponding  expressions  in  the  Nephite  ac- 
count are  in  the  past  tense,  the  law  having  been  already  ful- 
filled in  its  entirety  through  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
Christ.  Thus,  to  the  Jews  Jesus  had  said :  "Till  heaven  and 
earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from 
the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled" ;  but  to  the  Nephites :  "For  verily 
I  say  unto  you,  one  jot  nor  one  tittle  hath  not  passed  away 
from  the  law,  but  in  me  it  hath  all  been  fulfilled."* 

r3   Nephi    11:39-41. 

s3  Nephi,    chaps.   12,   13,    14;    compare   Matt,    chaps.    5,    6,   7. 
fMatt.    5:18,    and    3    Nephi    12:18;    compare    46,    47;    15:2-10;    and    9:17-20. 
See   Note   2,    end   of   chapter. 


728  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

Many  marveled  over  this  matter,  wondering  what  the 
Lord  would  have  them  do  concerning  the  law  of  Moses ;  "f or 
they  understood  not  the  saying  that  old  things  had  passed 
away,  and  that  all  things  had  become  new."  Jesus,  conscious 
of  their  perplexity,  proclaimed  in  plainness  that  He  was  the 
Giver  of  the  law,  and  that  by  Him  had  it  been  fulfilled  and 
therefore  abrogated.  His  affirmation  is  particularly  explicit : 

"Behold  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  law  is  fulfilled  that  was 
given  unto  Moses.  Behold,  I  am  he  that  gave  the  law,  and 
I  am  he  who  covenanted  with  my  people  Israel :  therefore, 
the  law  in  me  is  fulfilled,  for  I  have  come  to  fulfil  the  law ; 
therefore  it  hath  an  end.  Behold,  I  do  not  destroy  the 
prophets,  for  as  many  as  have  not  been  fulfilled  in  me,  verily 
I  say  unto  you,  shall  all  be  fulfilled.  And  because  I  said 
unto  you,  that  old  things  hath  passed  away,  I  do  not  destroy 
that  which  hath  been  spoken  concerning  things  which  are 
to  come.  For  behold,  the  covenant  which  I  have  made  with 
my  people  is  not  all  fulfilled ;  but  the  law  which  was  given 
unto  Moses,  hath  an  end  in  me."" 

Addressing  Himself  to  the  Twelve  He  affirmed  that  never 
had  the  Father  commanded  Him  to  inform  the  Jews  con- 
cerning the  existence  of  the  Nephites,  except  indirectly  by 
mention  of  other  sheep  not  of  the  Jewish  fold ;  and  as,  "be- 
cause of  stiffneckedness  and  unbelief,"  they  had  failed  to 
comprehend  His  words,  the  Father  had  commanded  Him  to 
say  no  more  with  reference  either  to  the  Nephites  or  to  the 
third  fold — comprizing  "the  other  tribes  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  whom  the  Father  hath  led  away  out  of  the  land." 
To  the  Nephite  disciples  Jesus  taught  many  other  matters 
that  had  been  withheld  from  the  Jews,  who  through  unfitness 
to  receive  had  been  left  in  ignorance.  Even  the  Jewish 
apostles  had  wrongly  supposed  that  those  "other  sheep" 
were  the  Gentile  nations,  not  realizing  that  the  carrying  of 
the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles  was  part  of  their  particular  mis- 

«3  Nephi  15:4-8.     See  pages  234,  373,  374  herein. 


CHRIST'S  BENEFICENT  MINISTRATIONS.  729 

sion,  and  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  never  would  Christ  mani- 
fest Himself  in  person  to  those  who  were  not  of  the  house 
of  Israel.  Through  the  promptings  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
under  the  ministrations  of  men  commissioned  and  sent  would 
the  Gentiles  hear  the  word  of  God ;  but  to  the  personal  mani- 
festation of  the  Messiah  they  were  ineligible.1'  Great,  how- 
ever, will  be  the  Lord's  mercies  and  blessings  to  the  Gentiles 
who  accept  the  truth,  for  unto  them  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
bear  witness  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son ;  and  all  of  them 
who  comply  with  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  shall 
be  numbered  in  the  house  of  Israel.  Their  conversion  and 
enfoldment  with  the  Lord's  own  will  be  as  individuals,  and 
not  as  nations,  tribes,  or  peoples.*" 

The  adoring  multitude,  numbering  about  two  thousand 
five  hundred  souls,  thought  that  Jesus  was  about  to  depart ; 
and  they  tearfully  yearned  to  have  Him  remain.  He  com- 
forted them  with  the  assurance  that  He  would  return  on  the 
morrow,  and  admonished  them  to  ponder  upon  the  things  He 
had  taught,  and  to  pray  in  His  name  to  the  Father  for  un- 
derstanding. He  had  already  informed  the  Twelve,  and  now 
stated  to  the  people,  that  He  would  show  Himself  and  min- 
ister "unto  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel,  for  they  are  not  lost 
unto  the  Father,  for  he  knoweth  whither  he  hath  taken 
them."  Voicing  the  compassion  He  felt,  the  Lord  directed 
the  people  to  fetch  their  afflicted  ones,  the  lame,  halt, 
maimed,  blind  and  deaf,  the  leprous,  and  the  withered ;  and 
when  these  were  brought  He  healed  them,  every  one.  Then, 
as  He  commanded,  parents  brought  their  little  children,  and 
placed  them  in  a  circle  around  Him.  The  multitude  bowed 
in  prayer ;  and  Jesus  prayed  for  them ;  "And,"  wrote  Nephi, 
"no  tongue  can  speak,  neither  can  there  be  written  by  any 
man,  neither  can  the  hearts  of  men  conceive  so  great  and 
marvellous  things  as  we  both  saw  and  heard  Jesus  speak; 


t/3  Nephi  15:11-24. 
w3  Nephi   16:4-20. 


730  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

and  no  one  can  conceive  of  the  joy  which  filled  our  souls  at 
the  time  we  heard  him  pray  for  us  unto  the  Father."  The 
prayer  being  ended,  Jesus  bade  the  multitude  arise;  and 
joyfully  He  exclaimed:  "Blessed  are  ye  because  of  your 
faith.  And  now  behold,  my  joy  is  full."  Jesus  wept.  Then 
He  took  the  children,  one  by  one,  and  blessed  them,  praying 
unto  the  Father  for  each. 

"And  when  he  had  done  this  he  wept  again,  and  he  spake 
unto  the  multitude,  and  saith  unto  them,  behold  your  little 
ones.  And  as  they  looked  to  behold,  they  cast  their  eyes 
towards  heaven,  and  they  saw  the  heavens  open,  and  they 
saw  angels  descending  out  of  heaven  as  it  were,  in  the  midst 
of  fire;  and  they  came  down  and  encircled  those  little  ones 
about,  and  they  were  encircled  about  with  fire ;  and  the 
angels  did  minister  unto  them."* 

The  Lord  Jesus  sent  for  bread  and  wine,  and  caused  the 
people  to  sit  down.  The  bread  He  brake  and  blessed,  and 
gave  thereof  to  the  Twelve ;  these,  having  eaten,  distributed 
bread  to  the  multitude.  The  wine  was  blessed,  and  all  par- 
took, the  Twelve  first,  and  afterward  the  people.  With  im- 
pressiveness  similar  to  that  attending  the  institution  of  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  among  the  apostles  in  Jeru- 
salem, Jesus  made  plain  the  sanctity  and  significance  of  the 
ordinance,  saying  that  authority  for  its  future  administration 
would  be  given ;  and  that  it  was  to  be  participated  in  by  all 
who  had  been  baptized  into  fellowship  with  Christ,  and  was 
always  to  be  observed  in  remembrance  of  Him,  the  bread 
being  the  sacred  emblem  of  His  body,  the  wine  the  token  of 
His  blood  that  had  been  shed.  By  express  commandment, 
the  Lord  forbade  the  sacrament  of  bread  and  wine  to  all  but 
the  worthy ;  "For,"  He  explained,  "whoso  eateth  and  drink- 
eth  my  flesh  and  blood  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh 
damnation  to  his  soul ;  therefore  if  ye  know  that  a  man  is 
unworthy  to  eat  and  drink  of  my  flesh  and  blood,  ye  shall 

x%  Nephi   17:22-24;   read   entire   chapter. 


THE  TWELVE  EMPOWERED  TO  CONFER  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  731 

forbid  him."  But  the  people  were  forbidden  to  cast  out  from 
their  assemblies  those  from  whom  the  Sacrament  was  to 
be  withheld,  if  so  be  they  would  but  repent  and  seek  fellow- 
ship through  baptism.^ 

The  necessity  of  prayer  was  explicitly  emphasized  by  the 
Lord,  the  commandment  to  pray  being  given  to  the  Twelve 
and  to  the  multitude  separately.  Individual  supplication, 
family  devotions,  and  congregational  worship  were  thus  en- 
joined : 

"Therefore  ye  must  always  pray  unto  the  Father  in  my 
name ;  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name, 
which  is  right,  believing  that  ye  shall  receive,  behold  it  shall 
be  given  unto  you.  Pray  in  your  families  unto  the  Father, 
always  in  my  name,  that  your  wives  and  your  children  may 
be  blessed.  And  behold,  ye  shall  meet  together  oft,  and  ye 
shall  not  forbid  any  man  from  coming  unto  you  when  ye 
shall  meet  together,  but  suffer  them  that  they  may  come  unto 
you,  and  forbid  them  not ;  but  ye  shall  pray  for  them,  and 
shall  not  cast  them  out ;  and  if  it  so  be  that  they  come  unto 
you  oft,  ye  shall  pray  for  them  unto  the  Father,  in  my 
name."* 

The  Lord  then  touched  with  His  hand  each  of  the 
Twelve,  investing  them,  in  words  unheard  by  others,  with 
power  to  confer  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  imposition  of  hands 
upon  all  repentant  and  baptized  believers.*1  As  he  finished 
the  ordination  of  the  Twelve,  a  cloud  overshadowed  the  peo- 
ple, so  that  the  Lord  was  hidden  from  their  sight;  but  the 
twelve  disciples  "saw  and  did  bear  record  that  he  ascended 
again  into  heaven." 

CHRIST'S  SECOND  VISITATION  TO  THE:  NICPHITES.* 

On  the  morrow  a  yet  greater  multitude  assembled  in  ex- 
pectation of  the  Savior's  return.  Throughout  the  night  mes- 

y  3  Nephi  18:1-14,  27-34;  compare  1  Cor.  11:23-30.  For  the  prescribed 
manner  of  administering  the  Sacfament,  see  Moroni,  chaps.  4  and  5;  com- 
pare Doc.  and  Cov.  20:75-79. 

zZ  Nephi   18:19-23. 

a  3  Nephi  18:36,  37;  Moroni  2:1-3. 

&3   Nephi,    chaps.    19-25,    and   26:1-5, 


733  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

I 

sengers  had  spread  the  glorious  tidings  of  the  Lord's  appear- 
ing, and  of  His  promise  to  again  visit  His  people.  So  great 
was  the  assembly  that  Nephi  and  his  associates  caused  the 
people  to  separate  into  twelve  bodies,  to  each  of  which  one 
of  the  disciples  was  assigned  to  impart  instruction  and  to 
lead  in  prayer.  The  burden  of  supplication  was  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  should  be  given  unto  them.  Led  by  the  chosen 
disciples  the  whole  vast  concourse  approached  the  water's 
edge,  and  Nephi,  going  first,  was  baptized  by  immersion ; 
he  then  baptized  the  eleven  others  whom  Jesus  had  chosen. 
When  the  Twelve  had  come  forth  out  of  the  water,  "they 
were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire.  And  behold, 
they  were  encircled  about  as  if  it  were  fire;  and  it  came 
down  from  heaven,  and  the  multitude  did  witness  it,  and  do 
bear  record ;  and  angels  did  come,  down  out  of  heaven,  and 
did  minister  unto  them.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  while  the 
angels  were  ministering  unto  the  disciples,  behold,  Jesus 
came  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  ministered  unto  them."c 

Thus  Jesus  appeared  in  the  midst  of  the  disciples  and 
ministering  angels.  At  His. command  the  Twelve  and  the 
multitude  knelt  in  prayer ;  and  they  prayed  unto  Jesus,  call- 
ing Him  their  Lord  and  their  God.  Jesus  separated  Himself 
by  a  little  space,  and  in  humble  attitude  prayed,  saying  in 
part:  "Father,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  given  the  Holy 
Ghost  unto  these  whom  I  have  chosen ;  and  it  is  because  of 
their  belief  in  me,  that  I  have  chosen  them  out  of  the  world. 
Father,  I  pray  thee  that  thou  wilt  give  the  Holy  Ghost  unto 
all  them  that  shall  believe  in  their  words."  The  disciples 
were  yet  fervently  praying  to  Jesus  when  He  returned  to 
them ;  and  as  He  looked  upon  them  with  merciful  and  ap- 
proving smile,  they  were  glorified  in  His  presence,  so  that 
their  countenances  and  their  apparel  shone  with  a  brilliancy 
like  unto  that  of  the  face  and  garments  of  the  Lord,  even  so 
that  "there  could  be  nothing  on  earth  so  white  as  the  white- 

c  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SACRAMENT  AGAIN  ADMINISTERED.  733 

ness  thereof."  A  second  and  a  third  time  Jesus  retired  and 
prayed  unto  the  Father ;  and  while  the  people  comprehended 
the  meaning  of  His  prayer,  they  confessed  and  bare  record 
that  "so  great  and  marvellous  were  the  words  which  he 
prayed,  that  they  cannot  be  written,  neither  can  they  be 
uttered  by  man."  The  Lord  rejoiced  in  the  faith  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  to  the  disciples  He  said :  "So  great  faith  have  I 
never  seen  among  all  the  Jews ;  wherefore  I  could  not  shew 
unto  them  so  great  miracles,  because  of  their  unbelief.  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  there  are  none  of  them  that  have  seen  so  great 
things  as  ye  have  seen;  neither  have  they  heard  so  great 
things  as  ye  have  heard. "J  Then  the  Lord  administered  the 
Sacrament  in  manner  as  on  the  yesterday ;  but  both  the  bread 
and  the  wine  were  provided  without  human  aid.  The  sanc- 
tity of  the  ordinance  was  thus  expressed :  "He  that  eateth 
this  bread,  eateth  of  my  body  to  his  soul,  and  he  that  drinketh 
of  this  wine,  drinketh  of  my  blood  to  his  soul,  and  his  soul 
shall  never  hunger  nor  thirst,  but  shall  be  filled." 

This  was  followed  by  instructions  concerning  the  cove- 
nant people,  Israel,  of  whom  the  Nephites  were  a  part,  and 
of  the  relation  they  would  bear  to  the  Gentile  nations  in  the 
future  development  of  the  divine  purpose.  Jesus  declared 
Himself  to  be  that  Prophet  whose  coming  Moses  had  fore- 
told, and  the  Christ  of  whom  all  the  prophets  had  testified. 
The  temporary  supremacy  of  the  Gentiles,  whereby  the 
further  scattering  of  Israel  would  be  accomplished,  and  the 
eventual  gathering  of  the  covenant  people,  were  predicted, 
with  frequent  reference  to  the  inspired  utterances  of  Isaiah 
bearing  thereon/  The  future  of  Lehi's  descendants  was 
pictured  as  a  dwindling  in  unbelief  through  iniquity ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  the  Gentiles  would  grow  to  be  a  mighty 
people  on  the  western  continent,  even  though  that  land  had 
been  given  as  an  ultimate  inheritance  to  the  house  of  Israel. 


dZ  Nephi,   chap.   19:35,  36;   read   the  entire  chapter. 

e  3  Nephi,   chap.   20;   see   references   to  Isaiah   given    therein. 


734  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

The  establishment  of  the  then  future  but  now  existent  Amer- 
ican nation,  characterized  as  "a  free  people,"  was  thus  fore- 
told and  God's  purpose  therein  explained :  "For  it  is  wis- 
dom in  the  Father  that  they  should  be  established  in  this 
land,  and  be  set  up  as  a  free  people  by  the  power  of  the 
Father,  that  these  things  might  come  forth  from  them  unto 
a  remnant  of  your  seed,  that  the  covenant  of  the  Father  may 
be  fulfilled  which  he  hath  covenanted  with  his  people,  O 
house  of  Israel."^ 

As  a  sign  of  the  time  in  which  the  gathering  of  the  sev- 
eral branches  of  Israel  from  their  long  dispersion  should  take 
place,  the  Lord  specified  the  prosperity  of  the  Gentiles  in 
America,  and  their  agency  in  bringing  the  scriptures  to  the 
degraded  remnant  of  Lehi's  posterity  or  the  American  In- 
dians.*7 It  was  made  plain  that  all  Gentiles  who  wrould  re- 
pent, and  accept  the  gospel  of  Christ  through  baptism,  should 
be  numbered  among  the  covenant  people  and  be  made  par- 
takers of  the  blessings  incident  to  the  last  days,  in  which 
the  New  Jerusalem  would  be  established  on  the  Amer- 
ican continent.  The  joyful  account  of  gathered  Israel 
as  Jehovah  had  given  it  aforetime  through  the  mouth  of 
His  prophet  Isaiah,  was  repeated  by  the  resurrected 
Jehovah  to  His  Nephite  flock. h  Admonishing  them  to  pon- 
der the  words  of  the  prophets,  which  were  of  record  amongst 
them,  and  to  give  heed  to  the  new  scriptures  He  had  made 
known,  and  especially  commanding  the  Twelve  to  teach  the 
people  further  concerning  the  things  He  had  expounded,  the 
Lord  informed  them  of  the  revelations  given  through  Mal- 
achi,  and  directed  that  the  same  be  written.1 

The  prophecies  so  reiterated  by  Him  who  had  inspired 
Malachi  to  utterance,  were  at  that  time  obviously  of  the 
future,  and  are  even  yet  unfulfilled  in  their  entirety.  The 


/3    Nephi    21:4. 

fir  3  Nephi   21:1-7;    for   prophecies    concerning   subsequent   events    see    re- 
mainder  of   chapter. 

h  3   Nephi,    chap.    22;    compare   Isa.    chap.    54. 

t'3  Nephi,   chaps.  24  and  25;   compare  Malachi,  chap.  3  and  4. 


THE  LORD'S  SECOND  VISITATION  TO  THE  NEPHITES.      735 

advent  of  the  Lord,  to  which  these  scriptures  testify,  is  yet 
future;  but  that  the  time  is  now  near — that  "great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord" — is  attested  by  the  fact  that  Elijah 
who  was  to  come  before  that  day,  has  appeared  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  particular  commission — that  of  turning  the 
hearts  of  the  living  children  to  their  dead  progenitors,  and 
the  hearts  of  the  departed  fathers  to  their  still  mortal  pos- 
terity j 

The  personal  ministry  of  Christ  on  the  occasion  of  this 
second  visitation  lasted  three  days,  during  which  He  gave 
the  people  many  scriptures,  such  as  had  been  before  given 
unto  the  Jews,  for  so  the  Father  had  commanded;  and  He 
expounded  unto  them  the  purposes  of  God,  from  the  begin- 
ning until  the  time  at  which  Christ  shall  return  in  His  glory ; 
"And  even  unto  the  great  and  last  day,  when  all  people,  and 
all  kindreds,  and  all  nations  and  tongues  shall  stand  before 
God,  to  be  judged  of  their  works,  whether  they  be  good  or 
whether  they  be  evil ;  if  they  be  good,  to  the  resurrection  of 
everlasting  life ;  and  if  they  be  evil,  to  the  resurrection  of 
damnation,  being  on  a  parallel,  the  one  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  other  on  the  other  hand,  according  to  the  mercy,  and  the 
justice,  and  the  holiness  which  is  in  Christ,  who  was  before 
the  world  began."  In  merciful  ministration  He  healed  their 
afflicted  folk,  and  raised  a  man  from  the  dead.  At  later  but 
unspecified  times,  He  showed  Himself  among  the  Nephites, 
and  "did  break  bread  oft,  and  bless  it,  and  give  it  unto 
them."* 

After  His  second  ascension  from  among  them,  the  spirit 
of  prophecy  was  manifest  among  the  people,  and  this  ex- 
tended even  to  children  and  babes,  many  of  whom  spake  of 
marvelous  things,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  The 
Twelve  entered  upon  their  ministry  with  vigor,  teaching  all 

/Doc.    and    Cov.    110:13-16.      Elijah    appeared    in    the    Kirtland    Temple 
April  3,  A.   D.   1836,  and  committed  to  the  Church  the  keys  of  authority  for 
vicarious   work   in   behalf  of   the   dead.     See   chapter   41    herein,   page   775. 
£3  Nephi   26:4,   5,   13-1$. 


736  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

who  would  hear,  and  baptizing  those  who,  through  repent- 
ance, sought  communion  with  the  Church.  Upon  all  who 
thus  complied  with  the  requirements  of  the  gospel,  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  bestowed;  and  those  so  blessed -lived  together  in 
love,  and  were  called  the  Church  of  Christ.' 

CHRIST'S  VISITATION  TO  HIS  CHOSEN  TWELVE  AMONG  THE; 
NEPHIT3S.W 

Under  the  administration  of  the  twelve  ordained  disci- 
ples the  Church  grew  and  prospered  in  the  land  of  Nephi." 
The  disciples,  as  special  witnesses  of  the  Christ,  traveled, 
preached,  taught,  and  baptized  all  who  professed  faith  and 
showed  forth  repentance.  On  a  certain  occasion  the  Twelve 
were  assembled  in  "mighty  prayer  and  fasting,"  seeking  in- 
struction on  a  particular  matter  which,  notwithstanding  the 
Lord's  injunction  against  contention,  had  given  rise  to  dis- 
putation among  the  people.  As  they  supplicated  the  Father 
in  the  Son's  name,  Jesus  appeared  amongst  them,  and  asked : 
"What  will  ye  that  I  shall  give  unto  you?"  Their  answer 
was :  "Lord,  we  will  that  thou  wouldst  tell  us  the  name 
whereby  we  shall  call  this  church ;  for  there  are  disputations 
among  the  people  concerning  this  matter."  They  had  pro- 
visionally called  the  community  of  baptized  believers  the 
Church  of  Christ ;  but,  apparently  this  true  and  distinguish- 
ing name  had  not  been  generally  accepted  without  question. 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  why  is  it  that  the  people  should  murmur  and  dispute 
because  of  this  thing?  Have  they  not  read  the  scriptures, 
which  say  ye  must  take  upon  you  the  name  of  Christ,  which 
is  my  name?  for  by  this  name  shall  ye  be  called  at  the  last 
day ;  and  whoso  taketh  upon  him  my  name,  and  endureth 
to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved  at  the  last  day ;  therefore 
whatsoever  ye  shall  do,  ye  shall  do  it  in  my  name ;  therefore 

/3  Nephi   26:14-21. 

mS  Nephi,  chaps.  26,  27,  and  28:1-12. 

fj  Note   1,   end   of  chapter. 


THE   NAME  OF  CHRIST'S   CHURCH.  737 

ye  shall  call  the  church  in  my  name ;  and  ye  shall  call  upon 
the  Father  in  my  name,  that  he  will  bless  the  church  for  my 
sake  ;  And  how  be  it  my  church,  save  it  be  called  in  my  name  ? 
for  if  a  church  be  called  in  Moses'  name,  then  it  be  Moses' 
church ;  or  if  it  be  called  in  the  name  of  a  man,  then  it  be  the 
church  of  a  man ;  but  if  it  be  called  in  my  name,  then  it  is 
my  church,  if  it  so  be  that  they  are  built  upon  my  gospel. 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  are  built  upon  my  gospel  ; 
therefore  ye  shall  call  whatsoever  things  ye  do  call,  in  my 
name ;  therefore  if  ye  call  upon  the  Father,  for  the  church, 
if  it  be  in  my  name,  the  Father  will  hear  you ;  and  if  it  so  be 
that  the  church  is  built  upon  my  gospel,  then  will  the  Father 
shew  forth  his  own  works  in  it ;  but  if  it  be  not  built  upon 
my  gospel,  and  is  built  upon  the  works  of  men,  or  upon  the 
works  of  the  devil,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  they  have  joy  in 
their  works  for  a  season,  and  by  and  by  the  end  cometh,  and 
they  are  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire,  from  whence  there 
is  no  return ;  for  their  works  do  follow  them,  for  it  is  be- 
cause of  their  works  that  they  are  hewn  down ;  therefore 
remember  the  things  that  I  have  told  you."0 

In  such  wise  did  the  Lord  confirm  as  an  authoritative  be- 
stowal, the  name  which,  through  inspiration,  had  been  as- 
sumed by  His  obedient  children,  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  Lord's  explanation  as  to  the  one  and  only  Name  by 
which  the  Church  could  be  appropriately  known  is  cogent 
and  convincing.  It  was  not  the  church  of  Lehi  or  Nephi,  of 
Mosiah  or  Alma,  of  Samuel  or  Helaman ;  else  it  should 
have  been  called  by  the  name  of  the  man  whose  church  it 
was,  even  as  today  there  are  churches  named  after  men  ;^ 
but  being  the  Church  established  by  Jesus  Christ,  it  could 
properly  bear  none  other  name  than  His. 

Jesus  then  reiterated  to  the  Nephite  Twelve  many  of 
the  cardinal  principles  He  had  before  enunciated  to  them  and 
to  the  people  at  large;  and  commanded  that  His  words  be 
written,  excepting  certain  exalted  communcations  which  He 
forbade  them  to  write.  The  importance  of  preserving  as  a 

03   Nephi   27:4-12. 

p  E.    g.    of   Calvin,    Luther,    Wesley;    see    also    "The    Great   Apostasy," 

24 


738  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

priceless  treasure  the  new  scriptures  He  had  given  was 
shown,  with  assurance  that  in  heaven  records  were  kept  of 
all  things  done  by  divine  direction.  The  Twelve  were  told 
that  they  were  to  be  the  judges  of  their  people ;  and  in  view 
of  such  investiture  they  were  admonished  to  diligence  and 
godliness.^  The  Lord  was  made  glad  by  the  faith  and  ready 
obedience  of  the  Nephites  amongst  whom  He  had  minis- 
tered; and  to  the  twelve  special  witnesses  He  said:  "And 
now  behold,  my  joy  is  great,  even  unto  fulness,  because  of 
you,  and  also  this  generation ;  yea,  and  even  the  Father 
rejoiceth,  and  also  all  the  holy  angels,  because  of  you  and 
this  generation ;  for  none  of  them  are  lost.  Behold,  I  would 
that  ye  should  understand;  for  I  mean  them  who  are  now 
alive  of  this  generation;  and  none  of  them  are  lost;  and  in 
them  I  have  fulness  of  joy."  His  joy,  however,  was  min- 
gled with  sorrow  because  of  the  apostasy  into  which  the  later 
generations  would  fall ;  this  He  foresaw  as  a  dire  condition 
that  would  attain  its  climax  in  the  fourth  generation  from 
that  time/ 

THE  THREE   NEPHITES. 

In  loving  compassion  the  Lord  spoke  unto  the  twelve  dis- 
ciples, one  by  one,  asking :  "What  is  it  that  ye  desire  of  me, 
after  that  I  am  gone  to  the  Father  ?"J  All  but  three  ex- 
pressed the  desire  that  they  might  continue  in  the  ministry 
until  they  had  reached  a  goodly  age,  and  then  in  due  time 
be  received  by  the  Lord  into  His  kingdom.  To  them  Jesus 
gave  blessed  assurance,  saying:  "After  that  ye  are  seventy 
and  two  years  old,  ye  shall  come  unto  me  in  my  kingdom, 
and  with  me  ye  shall  find  rest."  He  turned  to  the  three  who 
had  reserved  the  request  they  ventured  not  to  express ; 
"And  he  said  unto  them,  Behold,  I  know  your  thoughts, 

q  Note    the    assurance    of    a    similar    commission    promised    the    Jewish 
apostles:    Matt.   19:28;   Luke  22:30.     See  also  1  Nephi  12:9. 
r3   Nephi   27:32   and    references    given    therewith. 
j3  Nephi  28:1;  read  verses  1-12. 


THE  THREE  NEPHITES.  739 

and  ye  have  desired  the  thing  which  John,  my  beloved,  who 
was  with  me  in  my  ministry,  before  that  I  was  lifted  up  by 
the  Jews,  desired  of  me ;  therefore  more  blessed  are  ye,  for 
ye  shall  never  taste  of  death,  but  ye  shall  live  to  behold  all  the 
doings  of  the  Father,  unto  the  children  of  men,  even  until 
all  things  shall  be  fulfilled,  according  to  the  will  of  the 
Father,  when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory,  with  the  powers  of 
heaven ;  and  ye  shall  never  endure  the  pains  of  death ;  but 
when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory,  ye  shall  be  changed  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  from  mortality  to  immortality :  and  then 
shall  ye  be  blessed  in  the  kingdom  of  my  Father/'* 

The  blessed  three  were  assured  that  in  the  course  of  their 
prolonged  life  they  should  be  immune  to  pain,  and  should 
know  sorrow  only  as  they  grieved  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 
For  their  desire  to  labor  in  bringing  souls  unto  Christ  as 
long  as  the  world  should  stand,  they  were  promised  an 
eventual  fulness  of  joy,  even  like  unto  that  to  which  the  Lord 
Himself  had  attained.  Jesus  touched  each  of  the  nine  who 
were  to  live  and  die  in  the  Lord,,  but  the  three  who  were  to 
tarry  till  He  would  come  in  His  glory  He  did  not  touch. 
"And  then  he  departed." 

A  change  was  wrought  in  the  bodies  of  the  Three 
Nephites,  so  that,  while  they  remained  in  the  flesh,  they  were 
exempt  from  the  usual  effects  of  physical  vicissitude.  The 
heavens  were  opened  to  their  gaze ;  they  were  caught  up, 
and  saw  and  heard  unspeakable  things.  "And  it  was  for- 
bidden them  that  they  should  utter ;  neither  was  it  given 
unto  them  power  that  they  could  utter  the  things  which 
they  saw  and  heard."  Though  they  lived  and  labored  as 
men  among  their  fellows,  preaching,  baptizing,  and  con- 
ferring the  Holy  Ghost  upon  all  who  gave  heed  to  their 
words,  the  enemies  to  the  truth  were  powerless  to  do  them 
injury.  Somewhat  later  than  a  hundred  and  seventy  years 
after  the  Lord's  last  visitation,  malignant  persecution  was 
waged  against  the  Three.  For  their  zeal  in  the  ministry 


*3  Nephi  28:6-8;   see  page   694  herein. 


740  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

they  were  cast  into  prison ;  but  "the  prisons  could  not  hold 
them,  for  they  were  rent  in  twain."  They  were  incarcerated 
in  underground  dungeons ;  "But  they  did  smite  the  earth 
with  the  word  of  God,  insomuch  that  by  his  power  they  were 
delivered  out  of  the  depths  of  the  earth ;  and  therefore  they 
could  not  dig  pits  sufficient  to  hold  them."  Thrice  they  were 
cast  into  a  furnace  of  fire,  but  received  no  harm ;  and  three 
times  were  they  thrown  into  dens  of  ravenous  beasts,  but, 
"behold  they  did  play  with  the  beasts,  as  a  child  with  a  suck- 
ling lamb,  and  received  no  harm/'"  Mormon  avers  that  in 
answer  to  his  prayers  the  Lord  had  made  known  unto  him 
that  the  change  wrought  upon  the  bodies  of  the  Three,  was 
such  as  to  deprive  Satan  of  all  power  over  them,  and  that 
"they  were  holy,  and  that  the  powers  of  the  earth  could  not 
hold  them ;  and  in  this  state  they  were  to  remain  until  the 
judgment  day  of  Christ ;  and  at  that  day  they  were  to  re- 
ceive a  greater  change,  and  to  be  received  into  the  kingdom 
of  the  Father  to  go  no  more  out,  but  to  dwell  with  God 
eternally  in  the  heavens. "v  For  nearly  three  hundred  years, 
and  possibly  longer,  the  Three  Nephites  ministered  visibly 
among  their  fellows;  but  as  the  wickedness  of  the  people 
increased  these  special  ministers  were  withdrawn,  and  there- 
after manifested  themselves  only  to  the  righteous  few. 
Moroni,  the  last  prophet  of  the  Nephites,  when  engaged  in 
completing  the  record  of  his  father,  Mormon,  and  adding 
thereto  matters  of  his  own  knowledge,  wrote  concerning 
these  three  disciples  of  the  Lord,  that  they  "did  tarry  in  the 
land  until  the  wickedness  of  the  people  was  so  great,  that 
the  Lord  would  not  suffer  them  to  remain  with  the  people ; 
and  whether  they  be  upon  the  face  of  the  land  no  man 
knoweth.  But  behold,  my  father  and  I  have  seen  them,  and 
they  have  ministered  unto  us."w  Their  ministry  was  to  be 


«3  Nephi  28:13-23;  compare  4  Nephi  1:14,  29-33. 
v3  Nephi  28:39,  40. 

w  Mormon   8:10,    11;    see   also   3  Nephi   28:26-32,    36-40;    4   Nephi   1:14,   37; 
Ether    12:17. 


GENERAL  APOSTASY  ON   WESTERN   CONTINENT.  741 

extended  to  Jews  and  Gentiles,  amongst  whom  they  labor 
unrecognized  as  of  ancient  birth ;  and  they  are  sent  unto  the 
scattered  tribes  of  Israel,  and  to  all  nations,  kindreds, 
tongues  and  peoples,  from  whom  they  have  brought  and  are 
bringing  many  souls  unto  Christ,  "that  their  desire  may  be 
fulfilled,  and  also  because  of  the  convincing  power  of  God 
which  is  in  them."* 

GROWTH    OF    THE    CHURCH    FOLLOWED    BY    THE   APOSTASY    OF 
THE  NEPHITE  NATION. 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  developed  rapidly  in  the  land 
of  Nephi,  and  brought  to  its  faithful  adherents  unprece- 
dented blessings.  Even  the  hereditary  animosity  between 
Nephites  and  Lamanites  was  forgotten ;  and  all  lived  in 
peace  and  prosperity.  So  great  was  the  unity  of  the  Church 
that  its  members  owned  all  things  in  common,  and  "there- 
fore they  were  not  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  but  they 
were  all  made  free,  and  partakers  of  the  heavenly  gift."^ 
Populous  cities  replaced  the  desolation  of  ruin  that  had  be- 
fallen at  the  time  of  the  Lord's  crucifixion.  The  land  was 
blessed,  and  the  people  rejoiced  in  righteousness.  "And  it 
came  to  pass  that  there  was  no  contention  in  the  land,  be- 
cause of  the  love  of  God  which  did  dwell  in  the  hearts  of 
the  people.  And  there  were  no  envyings,  nor  strifes,  nor 
tumults, 'nor  whoredoms,  nor  lyings,  nor  murders,  nor  any 
manner  of  lasciviousness ;  and  surely  there  could  not  be  a 
happier  people  among  all  the  people  who  had  been  created 
by  the  hand  of  God."~  Nine  of  the  twelve  special  wit- 
nesses chosen  by  the  Lord  passed  at  appointed  times  to  their 
rest,  and  others  were  ordained  in  their  stead.  The  state  of 
blessed  prosperity  and  of  common  ownership  continued  for 
a  period  of  a  hundred  and  sixty-seven  years ;  but  soon  there- 
after came  a  most  distressing  change.  Pride  displaced 

*3  Nephi  28:27-32. 

j  4  Nephi   1:3;   read   1:23;    see  pages   705   and   718  herein. 

24  Nephi   1:15,    16. 


M2  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

humility,  display  of  costly  apparel  superseded  the  simplicity 
of  happier  days;  rivalry  led  to  contention,  and  thence  the 
people  "did  have  their  goods  and  their  substance  no  more 
common  among  them,  and  they  began  to  be  divided 
into  classes,  and  they  began  to  build  up  churches 
unto  themselves,  to  get  gain,  and  began  to  deny  the  true 
church  of  Christ. "a  Man-made  churches  multiplied,  and 
persecution,  true  sister  to  intolerance,  became  rampant.  The 
red-skinned  Lamanites  reverted  to  their  degraded  ways,  and 
developed  a  murderous  hostility  against  their  white  brothers ; 
and  all  manner  of  corrupt  practises  became  common  among 
both  nations.  For  many  decades  the  Nephites  retreated 
before  their  aggressive  foes,  making  their  way  north-east- 
ward through  what  is  now  the  United  States.  About  400 
A.  D.  the  last  great  battle  was  fought  near  the  hill  Cu- 
morah;&  and  the  Nephite  nation  became  extinct.0  The  de- 
generate remnant  of  Lehi's  posterity,  the  Lamanites  or 
American  Indians,  have  continued  until  this  day.  Moroni, 
the  last  of  the  Nephite  prophets,  hid  away  the  record  of  his 
people  in  the  hill  Cumorah,  whence  it  has  been  brought  forth 
by  divine  direction  in  the  current  dispensation.  That  record 
is  now  before  the  world  translated  through  the  gift  and 
power  of  God,  and  published  to  the  edification  of  all  nations, 
as  the  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  39. 

1.  The    Land    Bountiful. — This    comprized    the    northerly 
part    of    South    America,    extending   to    the    Isthmus    of    Panama. 
On  the  north   it  was  bounded  by  the   Land  of  Desolation,   which 
embraced   Central   America,   and,   in   later    Nephite   history,   an   in- 
definite extent  north  of  the   Isthmus.      The   South  American  con- 
tinent in  general  is  called,  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Land  of 
Nephi. 

2.  The  Jewish  and  Nephite  Versions  of  the  "Sermon  on  the 
Mount." — As  indicated  in  the  text,  one  of  the  most  impressive 
contrasts    between    the    Sermon    on    the    Mount    and    the    virtual 

a  4  Nephi   1:25,   26. 

b  Near    Manchester,    Ontario    county,    New    York. 

c  See  Mormon,  chapters  1-9;  and  Moroni,  chapter  10. 


NOTES.  743 

repetition  of  the  discourse  by  our  Lord  on  the  occasion  of  His 
visit  to  the  Nephites,  is  that  of  prediction  concerning  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  law  of  Moses  in  the  first  delivery,  and  unqualified 
affirmation  in  the  second  that  the  law  had  been  fulfilled.  Among 
the  Beatitudes  certain  differences  appear,  in  each  of  which  the 
Nephite  sermon  is  more  explicit.  Thus,  instead  of,  "Blessed  are 
the  poor  in  spirit"  (Matt.  5:3),  we  read,  "Blessed  are  the  poor 
in  spirit  who  come  unto  me'  (3  Nephi  12:3).  Instead  of,  "Blessed 
are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness; 
for  they  shall  be  filled"  (Matt),  we  read,  "And  blessed  are 
all  they  who  do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness,  for  they 
shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost"  (Nephi).  Instead  of,  "for 
righteousness'  sake,"  (Matt.)  we  have  "for  my  name's  sake," 
(Nephi).  For  the  difficult:  passage,  "Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth: 
but  if  the  salt  have  lost  his  savour,  wherewith  shall  it  be  salted?" 
(Matt.),  we  have  the  clearer  expression,  "I  give  unto  you  to  be 
the  salt  of  the  earth ;  but  if  the  salt  shall  lose  its  savour,  where- 
with shall  the  earth  be  salted?"  (Nephi).  And,  as  already  noted, 
in  place  of  "one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law,  till  all  be  fulfilled"  (Matt.),  we  have  "one  jot  nor  one  tittle 
hath  not  passed  away  from  the  law,  but  in  me  it  hath  all  been 
fulfilled"  (Nephi).  •  Variations  in  succeeding  verses  are  incident 
to  this  prospective  fulfilment  (Matt.),  and  affirmed  accomplish- 
ment (Nephi).  Instead  of  the  strong  analogy  concerning  the 
plucking  out  of  an  offending  eye,  or  the  severing  of  an  evil  hand 
(Matt.),  we  find:  "Behold,  I  give  unto  you  a  commandment,  that 
ye  suffer  none  of  these  things  to  enter  into  your  heart;  for  it  is 
better  that  ye  should  deny  yourselves  of  these  things,  wherein  ye 
will  take  up  your  cross,  than  that  ye  should  be  cast  into  hell" 
(Nephi).  Following  the  illustrative  instances  of  the  gospel  re- 
quirements superseding  those  of  the  law,  the  Nephite  record  pre- 
sents this  splendid  summation :  "Therefore  those  things  which 
were  of  old  time,  which  were  under  the  law  in  me,  are  all  ful- 
filled. Old  things  are  done  away,  and  all  things  have  become  new ; 
therefore  I  would  that  ye  should  be  perfect  even  as  I,  or  your 
Father  who  is  in  heaven  is  perfect." 

In  Matthew's  report  of  the  sermon,  little  distinction  is  made 
between  the  precepts  addressed  to  the  multitude  in  general,  and 
the  instructions  given  particularly  to  the  Twelve.  Thus,  Matt. 
6 :25~34  was  spoken  inferentially  to  the  apostles ;  for  they  and 
not  the  people  were  to  lay  aside  all  worldly  pursuits ;  in  the 
sermon  delivered  to  the  Nephites  the  distinction  is  thus  made 
clear:  "And  now  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Jesus  had  spoken 
these  words,  he  looked  upon  the  twelve  whom  he  had  chosen, 
and  said  unto  them,  Remember  the  words  which  I  have  spoken. 
For  behold,  ye  are  they  whom  I  have  chosen  to  minister  unto 
this  people.  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  take  no  thought  for  your 
life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink;  nor  yet  for  your 
body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  meat,  and 
the  body  than  raiment?"  etc.  (See  3  Nephi  13:25-34).  Matt.  7 
opens  with  "Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged,"  without  intima- 
tion as  to  its  general  or  special  application;  3  Nephi  14  begins 


744  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    39. 

"And  now  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Jesus  had  spoken  these 
words,  he  turned  again  to  the  multitude,  and  did  open  his  mouth 
unto  them  again,  saying,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  judge 
not,  that  ye  be  not  judged."  A  careful,  verse-by-verse  compari- 
son between  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  recorded  by  Matthew, 
and  the  risen  Lord's  discourse  to  His  people  on  the  western  con- 
tinent is  earnestly  recommended  to  every  student. 

3.  Baptisms  Among  the  Nephites  After  the  Lord's  Visita- 
tion.— We  read  that  before  the  second  appearing  of  Christ  to  the 
Nephites,  the  chosen  Twelve  were  baptized  (3  Nephi  19:10-13). 
These  men  had  doubtless  been  baptized  before,  for  Nephi  had 
been  empowered  not  only  to  baptize  but  to  ordain  others  to  the 
requisite  authority  for  administering  baptism  (3  Nephi  7:23-26). 
The  baptism  of  the  disciples  on  the  morn  of  the  Savior's  second 
visit,  was  in  the  nature  of  a  rebaptism,  involving  a  renewal  of  cove- 
nants, and  confession  of  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus. 


THE  GREAT  FALLING  AWAY.  745 


CHAPTER  40. 
THE  LONG  NIGHT  OF  APOSTASY. 

For  over  seventeen  hundred  years  on  the  eastern  hem- 
isphere, and  for  more  than  fourteen  centuries  on  the  western, 
there  appears  to  have  been  silence  between  the  heavens  and 
the  earth.0  Of  direct  revelation  from  God  to  man  during 
this  long  interval,  we  have  no  authentic  record.  As  already 
shown,  the  period  of  apostolic  ministry  on  the  eastern  con- 
tinent probably  terminated  before  the  dawn  of  the  second 
century  of  the  Christian  era.  The  passing  of  the  apostles 
was  followed  by  the  rapid  development  of  a  universal  apos- 
tasy as  had  been  foreseen  and  predicted. b 

In  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  falling  away,  external 
and  internal  causes  cooperated.  Among  the  disintegrating 
forces  acting  from  without,  the  most  effective  was  the  per- 
sistent persecution  to  which  the  saints  were  subjected,  inci- 
dent to  both  Judaistic  and  pagan  opposition.  Vast  numbers 
who  had  professed  membership  and  many  who  had  been  of- 
ficers in  the  ministry  deserted  the  Church ;  while  a  few  were 
stimulated  to  greater  zeal  under  the  scourge  of  persecution. 
The  general  effect  of  opposition  from  the  outside — of  ex- 
ternal causes  of  decline  in  faith  and  works  considered  as  a 
whole — was  the  defection  of  individuals,  resulting  in  a  wide- 
spread apostasy  from  the  Church.  But  immeasurably  more 
serious  was  the  result  of  internal  dissension,  schism  and 
disruption,  whereby  an  absolute  apostasy  of  the  Church  from 
the  way  and  word  of  God  was  brought  about. 


a  Note   1,   end  of  chapter. 

b  No  extended  account  of  the  apostasy  of  the  Primitive  Church  can  be 
attempted  here;  the  reader  is  referred  to  special  works  treating  this  im- 
portant subject.  See  the  author's  "The  Great  Apostasy,  considered  in  the 
Light  of  Scriptural  and  Secular  History,"  a  work  of  176  pages. 


746  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    40. 

Judaism  was  the  earliest  oppressor  of  Christianity,  and 
became  the  instigator  and  abettor  of  the  succeeding  atrocities 
incident  to  pagan  persecution.  Open  and  vigorous  hostility 
of  the  Roman  powers  against  the  Christian  Church  became 
general  during  the  reign  of  Nero,  (beginning  about  64 
A.  D.),  and  continued  with  occasional  respites  of  a  few 
months  or  even  years  at  a  time  to  the  close  of  Diocletian's 
reign  (about  305  A.  D.).  The  inhuman  cruelty  and  savage 
barbarity  to  which  were  subjected  those  who  dared  profess 
the  name  of  Christ  during  these  centuries  of  heathen  domina- 
tion are  matters  of  accepted  history/  When  Constantine  the 
Great  came  to  the  throne  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  fourth 
century,  a  radical  change  was  inaugurated  in  the  attitude  of 
the  state  toward  the  church.  The  emperor  straightway 
made  the  so-called  Christianity  of  the  time  the  religion  of 
his  realm ;  and  zealous  devotion  to  the  church  became  the 
surest  recommendation  to  imperial  favor.  But  the  church 
was  already  in  great  measure  an  apostate  institution  and 
even  in  crude  outline  of  organization  and  service  bore  but 
remote  resemblance  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  founded 
by  the  Savior  and  builded  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
apostles.  Whatever  vestiges  of  genuine  Christianity  may 
have  possibly  survived  in  the  church  before,  were  buried  be- 
yond the  sight  of  man  by  the  abuses  that  followed  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  churchly  organization  to  secular  favor  through 
the  decree  of  Constantine.  The  emperor,  even  though  un- 
baptized,  made  himself  the  head  of  the  church,  and  priestly 
office  was  more  sought  after  than  military  rank  or  state  pre- 
ferment. The  spirit  of  apostasy,  by  which  the  church  had 
become  permeated  before  Constantine  threw  about  it  the 
mantle  of  imperial  protection  and  emblazoned  it  with  the 
insignia  of  state,  now  was  roused  to  increased  activity  as  the 
leaven  of  Satan's  own  culture  flourished  under  the  conditions 
most  favorable  for  such  fungoid  growth. 


c  See   "The   Great  Apostasy,"    chaps.   4   and  5. 


PAPAL    CLAIMS    TO   SECULAR    AUTHORITY.  4? 

The  bishop  of  Rome  had  already  asserted  supremacy  over 
his  fellows  in  the  episcopate;  but  when  the  emperor  made 
Byzantium  his  capital,  and  renamed  it  in  his  own  honor, 
Constantinople,  the  bishop  of  that  city  claimed  equality  with 
the  Roman  pontiff.  The  claim  was  contested ;  the  ensuing 
dissension  divided  the  church;  and  the  disruption  has  per- 
sisted until  the  present  day,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  existing 
distincton  between  the  Roman  Catholic  and  the  Greek  Cath- 
olic churches. 

The  Roman  pontiff  exercized  secular  as  well  as  spiritual 
authority ;  and  in  the  eleventh  century  arrogated  to  himself 
the  title  of  Pope,  signifying  Father,  in  the  sense  of  paternal 
ruler  in  all  things.  During  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  cen- 
turies the  temporal  authority  of  the  pope  was  superior  to  that 
of  kings  and  emperors ;  and  the  Roman  church  became  the 
despotic  potentate  of  nations,  and  an  autocrat  above  all  sec- 
ular states.  Yet  this  church,  reeking  with  the  stench  of 
worldly  ambition  and  lust  of  dominance,  audaciously  claimed 
to  be  the  Church  established  by  Him  who  affirmed:  "My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  The  arrogant  assumptions 
of  the  Church  of  Rome  were  not  less  extravagant  in  spiritual 
than  in  secular  administration.  In  her  loudly  asserted  con- 
trol over  the  spiritual  destinies  of  the  souls  of  men,  she  blas- 
phemously pretended  to  forgive  or  retain  individual  sins, 
and  to  inflict  or  remit  penalties  both  on  earth  and  beyond 
the  grave.  She  sold  permission  to  commit  sin  and  bartered 
for  gold  charters  of  indulgent  forgiveness  for  sins  already 
done.  Her  pope,  proclaiming  himself  the  vicar  of  God,  sat 
in  state  to  judge  as  God  Himself;  and  by  such  blasphemy 
fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Paul  following  his  warning  in  rela- 
tion to  the  awful  conditions  antecedent  to  the  second  coming 
of  the  Christ :  "Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means  :  for 
that  day  shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away 
first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition ; 
Who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called 


748  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    40. 

God,  or  that  is  worshipped ;  so  that  he  as  God  sitteth  in  the 
temple  of  God,  shewing  himself  that  he  is  God."d 

In  her  unrestrained  abandon  to  the  license  of  arrogated 
authority,  the  Church  of  Rome  hesitated  not  to  transgress  the 
law  of  God,  change  the  ordinances  essential  to  salvation, 
and  ruthlessly  break  the  everlasting  covenant,  thereby  defil- 
ing the  earth  even  as  Isaiah  had  foretold/  She  altered  the 
ordinance  of  baptism,  destroying  its  symbolism  and  associat- 
ing with  it  imitations  of  pagan  rites;  she  corrupted  . the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  and  befouled  the  doctrine 
thereof  by  the  vagary  of  transubstantiation;a  she  assumed  to 
apply  the  merits  of  the  righteous  to  the  forgiveness  of  the 
sinner  in  the  unscriptural  and  wholly  repellent  dogma  of 
supererogation;  she  promoted  idolatry  in  most  seductive  and 
pernicious  forms ;  she  penalized  the  study  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures by  the  people  at  large ;  she  enjoined  an  unnatural  state 
of  celibacy  upon  her  clergy ;  she  revelled  in  unholy  union 
with  the  theories  and  sophistries  of  men,  and  so  adulterated 
the  simple  doctrines  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  as  to  produce  a 
creed  rank  with  superstition  and  heresy ;  she  promulgated 
such  perverted  doctrines  regarding  the  human  body  as  to 
make  the  divinely  formed  tabernacle  of  flesh  appear  as  a 
thing  fit  only  to  be  tortured  and  contemned ;  she  proclaimed 
it  an  act  of  virtue  insuring  rich  reward  to  lie  and  deceive  if 
thereby  her  own  interests  might  be  subserved ;  and  she  so 
thoroughly  departed  from  the  original  plan  of  Church  organ- 
ization as  to  make  of  herself  a  spectacle  of  ornate  display, 
fabricated  by  the  caprice  of  man/ 

The  most  important  of  the  internal  causes  by  which  the 
apostasy  of  the  Primitive  Church  was  brought  about  may  be 


d  2  Thess.   2:3,   4. 

rlsa.   24:5. 

a  The  false  doctrine  of  "transubstantiation"  is  to  the  effect  that  the 
bread  and  wine  administered  as  emblems  of  Christ's  flesh  and  blood  in  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  are  transmuted  by  priestly  consecration 
into  the  actual  flesh  and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  See  "The  Great  Apostasy," 
8:16-19.  As  to  "supererogation"  see  page  590  herein. 

/  "The  Great  Apostasy,"   chaps.   6,  7,   8. 


THE  DARK  AGES.  749 

thus  summarized  :  ( I )  The  corrupting  of  the  simple  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  of  Christ  by  admixture  with  so-called 
philosophic  systems.  (2)  Unauthorized  additions  to  the 
prescribed  rites  of  the  Church  and  the  introduction  of  vital 
alterations  in  essential  ordinances.  (3)  Unauthorized 
changes  in  Church  organization  and  governments 

Under  the  tyrannous  repression  incident  to  usurped  and 
unrighteous  domination  by  the  Roman  church,  civilization 
was  retarded  and  for  centuries  was  practically  halted  in  its 
course.  The  period  of  retrogression  is  known  in  history 
as  the  Dark  Ages.  The  fifteenth  century  witnessed  the 
movement  known  as  the  Renaissance  or  Revival  of  Learn- 
ing; there  was  a  general  and  significantly  rapid  awakening 
among  men,  and  a  determined  effort  to  shake  off  the  stupor 
of  indolence  and  ignorance  was  manifest  throughout  the 
civilized  world.  By  historians  and  philosophers  the  revival 
has  been  regarded  as  an  unconscious  and  spontaneous 
prompting  of  the  "spirit  of  the  times" ;  it  was  a  development 
predetermined  in  the  Mind  of  God  to  illumine  the  benighted 
minds  of  men  in  preparation  for  the  restoration  of  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  appointed  to  be  accomplished 
some  centuries  later.'' 

With  the  renewal  of  intellectual  activity  and  effort  in 
material  betterment,  there  came,  as  a  natural  and  inevitable 
accompaniment,  protest  and  revolt  against  the  ecclesiastical 
tyranny  of  the  age.  The  Albigenses  in  France  had  risen  in 
insurrection  against  churchly  despotism  during  the  thir- 
teenth century ;  and  in  the  fourteenth,  John  Wickliffe  of 
Oxford  University  had  boldly  denounced  the  corruption  of 
the  Roman  church  and  clergy,  and  particularly  the  restric- 
tions imposed  by  the  papal  hierarchy  on  the  popular  study 
of  the  scriptures.  Wickliffe  gave  to  the  world  a  version  of 
the  Holy  Bible  in  English.  These  manifestations  of  inde- 


g  "The   Great   Apostasy,"   6:14,    15;    for   comprehensive    treatment    of   the 
subject    see    chapters    6    to    9    inclusive. 
h  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 


750  JESUS   THE    CHRIST  [CHAP.   40. 

pendent  belief  and  action  the  papal  church  sought  to  repress 
and  punish  by  force.  The  Albigenses  had  been  subjected  to 
inhuman  cruelties  and  unrestrained  slaughter.  WicklifTe  was 
the  subject  of  severe  and  persistent  persecution;  and  though 
he  died  in  his  bed  the  vindictiveness  of  the  Roman  church 
was  unsated  until  she  had  caused  his  body  to  be  exhumed 
and  burned  and  the  ashes  scattered  abroad.  John  Huss 
and  Jerome  of  Prague  were  prominent  on  the  continent  of 
Europe  in  agitation  against  papal  despotism,  and  both  fell 
martyrs  to  the  cause.  Though  the  church  had  become  apos- 
tate to  the  core,  there  were  not  lacking  men  brave  of  heart 
and  righteous  of  soul,  ready  to  give  their  lives  to  the  further- 
ance of  spiritual  emancipation. 

A  notable  revolt  against  the  papacy  occurred  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  is  known  as  the  Reformation.  This 
movement  was  begun  in  1517  by  Martin  Luther,  a  German 
monk ;  and  it  spread  so  rapidly  as  soon  to  involve  the  whole 
domain  of  popedom.  Formal  protests  against  the  despotism 
of  the  papal  church  were  formulated  by  the  representatives 
of  certain  German  principalities  and  other  delegates  at  a  diet 
or  general  council  held  at  Spires  A.  D.  1529;  and  the  re- 
formers were  thenceforth  known  as  Protestants.  An  inde- 
pendent church  was  proposed  by  John,  Elector  of  Saxony,  a 
constitution  for  which  was  prepared  at  his  instance  by  Luther 
and  his  colleague,  Melanchthon.  The  Protestants  were  dis- 
cordant. Being  devoid  of  divine  authority  to  guide  them  in 
matters  of  church  organization  and  doctrine,  they  followed 
the  diverse  ways  of  men,  and  were  rent  within  while  assailed 
from  without.  The  Roman  church,  confronted  by  deter- 
mined opponents,  hesitated  at  no  extreme  of  cruelty.  The 
court  of  the  Inquisition,  which  had  been  established  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century  under  the  infamously 
sacrilegious  name  of  the  "Holy  Office,"  became  intoxicated 
with  the  lust  of  barbarous  cruelty  in  the  century  of  the 


CATHOLICISM    AND   PROTESTANTISM.  751 

Reformation,  and  inflicted  indescribable  tortures  on  persons 
secretly  accused  of  heresy. 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  Reformation  instigated  by 
Luther,  the  king  of  England,  Henry  VIII,  declared  himself 
a  supporter  of  the  pope,  and  was  rewarded  by  a  papal  be- 
stowal of  the  distinguishing  title  "Defender  of  the  Faith." 
Within  a  few  years,  this  same  British  sovereign  was  excom- 
municated from  the  Roman  church,  because  of  impatient 
disregard  of  the  pope's  authority  in  the  matter  of  Henry's 
desire  to  divorce  Queen  Catherine  so  that  he  could  marry 
one  of  her  maids.  The  British  parliament,  in  1534,  passed 
the  Act  of  Supremacy,  by  which  the  nation  was  declared 
free  from  all  allegiance  to  papal  authority.  By  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment the  king  was  made  the  head  of  the  church  within  his 
own  dominions.  Thus  was  born  the  Church  of  England,  a 
direct  result  of  the  licentious  amours  of  a  debauched  and  in- 
famous king.  With  blasphemous  indifference  to  the  absence 
of  divine  commission,  with  no  semblance  of  priestly  succes- 
sion, an  adulterous  sovereign  created  a  church,  •  provided 
therein  a  "priesthood"  of  his  own,  and  proclaimed  himself 
supreme  administrator  in  all  matters  spiritual. 

With  the  conflict  between  Catholicism  and  Protestantism 
in  Great  Britain  the  student  of  history  is  familiar.  Suffice 
it  here  to  say  that  the'  mutual  hatred  of  the  two  contending 
sects,  the  zeal  of  their  respective  adherents,  their  professed 
love  of  God  and  devotion  to  Christ's  service,  were  chiefly 
signalized  by  the  sword,  the  ax,  and  the  stake.  Revelling 
in  the  realization  of  at  least  a  partial  emancipation  from  the 
tyranny  of  priestcraft,  men  and  nations  debauched  their 
newly  acquired  liberty  of  thought,  speech,  and  action,  in  a 
riot  of  abhorrent  excess.  The  mis-called  Age  of  Reason, 
and  the  atheistical  abominations  culminating  in  the  French 
Revolution  stand  as  ineffaceable  testimony  of  what  man  may 
become  when  glorying  in  his  denial  of  God. 

Is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  that  from  the  sixteenth  century 


752  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    40. 

onward,  churches  of  man's  contriving  have  multiplied  with 
phenomenal  rapidity  ?  Churches  and  churchly  organizations 
professing  Christianity  as  their  creed  have  come  to  be  num- 
bered by  hundreds.  On  every  side  is  heard  in  this  day,  "Lo, 
here  is  Christ"  or  "Lo,  there."  There  are  sects  named 
from  the  circumstances  of  their  origin — as  the  Church  of 
England;  others  after  their  famous  founders  or  promoters 
— as  Lutheran,  Calvinist,  Wesleyan ;  some  are  known  by 
peculiarities  of  doctrine  or  plan  of  administration — as  Meth- 
odist, Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Congregationalist ;  but  down  to 
the  third  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  there  was  no 
church  on  earth  affirming  name  or  title  as  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  only  organization  called  a  church  existing 
at  that  time  and  venturing  to  assert  claim  to  authority  by  suc- 
cession was  the  Catholic  church,  which  for  centuries  had 
been  apostate  and  wholly  bereft  of  divine  authority  or  recog- 
nition. If  the  "mother  church"  be  without  a  valid  priest- 
hood, and  devoid  of  spiritual  power,  how  can  her  offspring 
derive  from  her  the  right  to  officiate  in  the  things  of  God? 
Who  would  dare  to  affirm  that  man  can  originate  a  priesthood 
which  God  is  bound  to  honor  and  acknowledge?  Granted 
that  men  may  and  do  create  among  themselves  societies, 
associations,  sects,  and  even  "churches"  if  they  choose  so  to 
designate  their  organizations ;  granted  that  they  may  pre- 
scribe rules,  formulate  laws,  and  devize  plans  of  operation, 
discipline,  and  government,  and  that  all  such  laws,  rules,  and 
schemes  of  administration  are  binding  upon  those  who  as- 
sume membership — granted  all  these  rights  and  powers — 
whence  can  such  human  institutions  derive  the  authority  of 
the  Holy  Priesthood,  without  which  there  can  be  no  Church 
of  Christ  ?' 

The  apostate  condition  of  Christendom  has  been  frankly 
admitted  by  many  eminent  and  conscientious  representatives 
of  the  several  churches,  and  by  churches  as  institutions. 

» This    paragraph    is    in    part    a   paraphrase    of    "The    Great    Apostasy," 
10:21,   22. 


APOSTASY  AFFIRMED  BY  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND.  753 

Even  the  Church  of  England  acknowledges  the  awful  fact 
in  her  official  declaration  of  degeneracy,  as  set  forth  in  the 
" 'Homily  Against  Peril  of  Idolatry/'  in  these  words : 

"So  that  laity  and  clergy,  learned  and  unlearned,  all  ages, 
sects,  and  degrees  of  men,  women,  and  children  of  whole 
Christendom — an  horrible  and  most  dreadful  thing  to  think 
— have  been  at  once  drowned  in  abominable  idolatry ;  of  all 
other  vices  most  detested  of  God,  and  most  damnable  to 
man ;  and  that  by  the  space  of  eight  hundred  years  and 


Let  it  not  be  concluded  that  through  the  night  of  the 
universal  apostasy,  long  and  dark  as  it  was,  God  had  forgot- 
ten the  world.  Mankind  had  not  been  left  wholly  to  itself. 
The  Spirit  of  God  was  operative  so  far  as  the  unbelief  of 
men  permitted.  John  the  apostle,  and  the  Three  Nephite 
disciples, *  were  ministering  among  men,  though  unknown. 
But  through  the  centuries  of  spiritual  darkness  men  lived 
and  died  without  the  administration  of  a  contemporary 
apostle,  prophet,  elder,  bishop,  priest,  teacher,  or  deacon. 
Whatever  of  the  form  of  Godliness  existed  in  the  churches 
of  human  establishment  was  destitute  of  divine  power. 
The  time  foreseen  by  the  inspired  aposile  had  fully  come — 
mankind  in  general  refused  to  endure  sound  doctrine,  but, 
having  itching  ears,  did  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers, 
after  their  own  lusts,  and  verily  had  they  turned  away  their 
ears  from  the  truth  to  follow  after  fables.'  The  first  quarter 
of  the  nineteenth  century  witnessed  the  cumulative  fulfilment 
of  the  conditions  predicted  through  the  prophet  Amos :  "Be- 
hold, the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord  God,  that  I  will  send  a 
famine  in  the  land,  not  a  famine  of  bread,  nor  a  thirst  for 
water,  but  of  hearing  the  words  of  the  Lord :  And  they  shall 
wander  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  north  even  to  the  east, 


j  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

k  Pages  694  and  738. 

/See  2  Tim.  4:1-4;  also  "The  Great  Apostasy,"  2:30. 


754  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   40. 

they  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and 
shall  not  find  it.""1 

Throughout  the  period  of  apostasy  the  windows  of 
heaven' had  been  shut  toward  the  world,  so  as  to  preclude  all 
direct  revelation  from  God,  and  particularly  any  personal 
ministration  or  theophany  of  the  Christ.  Mankind  had 
ceased  to  know  God ;  and  had  invested  the  utterances  of 
prophets  and  apostles  of  old,  who  had  known  Him,  with  a 
pall  of  mystery  and  fancy,  so  that  the  True  and  the  Living 
God  was  no  longer  believed  to  exist ;  but  in  His  place  the 
sectaries  had  tried  to  conceive  of  an  incomprehensible  being, 
devoid  of  "body,  parts,  or  passions,"  an  immaterial  nothing. n 

But  it  had  been  determined  in  the  councils  of  heaven,  that 
after  many  centuries  of  benighted  ignorance  the  world 
should  be  illumined  anew  by  the  light  of  truth.  Through 
the  operation  of  the  genius  of  intelligence,  which  is  the  Spirit 
of  Truth,  the  soul  of  the  race  had  been  undergoing  a  prepar- 
ation, like  unto  the  deep  plowing  of  a  field,  for  the  planting 
of  the  gospel  afresh.  The  principle  of  the  mariner's  com- 
pass was  revealed  by  the  Spirit ;  the  material  embodiment 
thereof  was  invented  by  man ;  and  by  its  aid  the  unknown 
oceans  were  explored.  Toward  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury Columbus  was  led  by  the  inspiration  of  God  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  New  World,  whereon  dwelt  the  degenerate 
posterity  of  Lehi,  a  dark-skinned  remnant  of  the  house  of 
Israel — the  American  Indians.  In  due  time  the  good  ships 
Mayflower  and  Speedwell  brought  to  the  western  world  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers,  as  the  vanguard  of  a  host  escaping  from 
exile  and  seeking  a  new  home  wherein  they  could  worship 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences.  The  coming 
of  Columbus  and  the  later  immigration  of  the  Puritan  Pil- 
grims had  been  predicted  nearly  six  hundred  years  before 
Christ ;  their  respective  missions  had  been  as  truly  appointed 


m  Amos.   8:11,   12. 

n  See  Church   of   England   "Book   of  Common   Prayer,"    "Articles  of  Re- 
ligion"  i.     Note  4,   end   of  chapter. 


PREDICTIONS   CONCERNING  THE  AMERICAN   NATION.     755 

unto  them  as  has  been  the  sending  of  any  prophet  with  a 
message  to  deliver  and  a  work  to  do.0  The  war  between  the 
American  Colonies  and  the  Mother  Country,  and  the  vic- 
torious issue  thereof  in  the  emancipation  of  the  American 
nation  once  and  forever  from  monarchial  rule,  had  been  fore- 
told as  further  steps  in  preparation  for  the  restoration  of  the 
gospel.  Time  was  allowed  for  the  establishment  of  a  stable 
government,  for  the  raising  up  of  men  chosen  and  inspired 
to  frame  and  promulgate  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  which  promises  to  every  man  a  full  measure  of 
political  and  religious  freedom.  It  was  not  meet  that  the 
precious  seed  of  the  restored  gospel  be  thrown  upon  un- 
plowed  soil,  hardened  by  intolerance,  and  fit  to  produce  only 
thorns  of  bigotry  and  rank  weeds  of  mental  and  spiritual 
serfdom.  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  embodiment  of 
liberty ;  it  is  the  truth  that  shall  make  free  every  man  and 
every  nation  who  will  accept  and  obey  its  precepts. 

At  the  appointed  time,  the  Eternal  Father  and  His  Son 
Jesus  the  Christ  appeared  to  man  upon  the  earth,  and  inaug- 
urated the  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times. 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  40. 

1.  Cessation  of  Revelation  on  the  Western  Hemisphere. — 

"The  eastern  world  had  lost  this  knowledge  of  the  Lord  earlier 
than  the  western  hemisphere.  Upon  the  land  of  North  America, 
four  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  our  Savior  and  Master, 
there  stood  at  least  one  man  who  knew  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
as  a  distinct  personality,  a  Being  capable  of  communicating 
Himself  to  man.  That  man  was  Moroni,  the  son  of  Mormon, 
whose  testimony  abides  now  and  must  abide  through  all  the  ages 
to  come." — George  Q.  Cannon,  Life  of  Joseph  Smith,  p.  21.  See 
B.  of  M.,  Moroni  10:27-34. 

2.  Results  of  the  Great  Apostasy  Divinely  Overruled  for 
Eventual  Good. — The  thoughtful  student  cannot  fail  to  see  in 
the   progress   of   the   great   apostasy   and   its    results   the*  existence 
of    an    overruling    power    operating    toward    eventual    good,    how- 
ever mysterious   its  methods.      The  heart-rending  persecutions  to 
which    the    saints    were    subjected    in    the    early    centuries    of    our 
era,   the   anguish,  the   torture,   the   bloodshed   incurred   in   defense 

<?See  B.  of  M.,  1  Nephi  13:10-13.     Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


756  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    40. 

of  the  testimony  of  Christ,  the  rise  of  an  apostate  church,  blight- 
ing the  intellect  and  leading  captive  the  souls  of  men — all  these 
dread  conditions  were  foreknown  to  the  Lord.  While  we  cannot 
say  or  believe  that  such  exhibitions  of  human  depravity  and 
blasphemy  of  heart  were  in  accordance  with  the  divine  will,  cer- 
tainly God  willed  to  permit  full  scope  to  the  free  agency  of  man, 
in  the  exercize  of  which  agency  some  won  the  martyr's  crown, 
and  others  filled  the  flagon  of  their  iniquity  to  overflowing. 
Not  less  marked  is  the  divine  permission  in  the  revolts  and 
rebellions,  in  the  revolutions  and  reformations,  that  developed 
in  opposition  to  the  darkening  influence  of  the  apostate  church. 
Wickliffe  and  Huss,  Luther  and  Melanchthon,  Zwingli  and  Cal- 
vin, Henry  VIII  in  his  arrogant  assumption  of  priestly  authority, 
John  Knox  in  Scotland,  Roger  Williams  in  America — these  and 
a  host  of  others  builded  better  than  they  knew,  in  that  their 
efforts  laid  in  part  the  foundation  of  the  structure  of  religious 
freedom  and  liberty  of  conscience — and  this  in  preparation  for 
the  restoration  of  the  gospel  as  had  been  divinely  predicted. — 
The  Great  Apostasy,  10:19,  20. 

3.  Declaration   of  a   General   Apostasy  by  the   Church  of 
England. — The  Book  of  Homilies,  from  which  the  quotation  given 
in  the  text  is  taken,  was  published  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth 
century.      The    official    proclamation    of    a    universal    apostasy    was 
made   prominently   current,    for   the    Homilies    were    "appointed   to 
be  read  in  churches"  in  lieu  of  sermons  under  certain  conditions. 
In    the    statement    cited,    the    Church    of    England    solemnly    avers 
that    a    state    of    apostasy    affecting    all    ages,    sects,    and    degrees 
throughout   whole    Christendom,   had   prevailed    for   eight   hundred 
years  prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  church  making  the  decla- 
ration.      That    this    affirmation    remains    effective    today,    as    both 
confession     and     profession     of     the     Church     of     England,     ap- 
pears  from  the   fact  that  the  homily  "Against   Peril   of   Idolatry" 
and   certain   other   homilies    are    specifically   ratified   and    endorsed, 
and  withal  prescribed   "to  be   read  in   Churches  by  the   Ministers 
diligently    and    distinctly    that    they    may    be    understanded    of    the 
people."      See    "Articles    of    Religion"    xxxv,   in   current   issues   of 
Church  of  England,  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

4.  The   "Creed   of  Athanasius."— At   the   Council   of   Nice, 
convoked  by  the  emperor,  Constantine,  325  A.  D.,  a  formal  state- 
ment   of    belief    concerning    the    Godhead    was    adopted.      Later    a 
modification  was  issued,  known  as  the  "Creed  of  Athanasius,"  and 
though  the  authorship  is  questioned,  the  creed  has  a  place  in  the 
ritual   of   some   of   the   Protestant   churches.     No   more   conclusive 
evidence  that  men  had  ceased  to  know  God  need  be  adduced  than 
the  Athanasian  Creed.     As  confessed  by  the  Church  of   England 
in    this    day,    and    as    published    in    the    official    ritual    (see   Prayer 
Book)    "The   Creed   of   Saint   Athanasius"   is   this:     "We   worship 
one   God   in   Trinity,   and   Trinity   in   Unity;    neither   confounding 
the    Persons :    nor    dividing    the    Substance.  '   For    there    is    one 
Person  of  the   Father,   another  of   the   Son :   and   another   of   the 
Holy   Ghost.     But  the   Godhead   of   the   Father,   of  the   Son,   and 


NOTES.  757 

of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  all  one :  the  Glory  equal,  the  Majesty  co- 
eternal.  Such  as  the  Father  is,  such  is  the  Son :  and  such  is  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Father  uncreate,  the  Son  uncreate :  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  uncreate.  The  Father  incomprehensible,  the  Son 
incomprehensible :  and  the  Holy  Ghost  incomprehensible.  The 
Father  eternal,  the  Son  eternal :  and  the  Holy  Ghost  eternal.  And 
yet  they  are  not  three  eternals :  but  one  eternal.  As  also 
there  are  not  three  incomprehensibles,  nor  three  uncreated :  but 
one  uncreated,  and  one  incomprehensible.  So  likewise  the 
Father  is  Almighty,  the  Son  Almighty:  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
Almighty.  And  yet  they  are  not  three  Almighties :  but  one 
Almighty.  So  the  Father  is  God,  the  Son  is  God:  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  God.  And  yet  they  are  not  three* Gods:  but  one  God. 
So  likewise  the  Father  is  Lord,  the  Son  Lord,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
Lord.  And  yet  not  three  Lords :  but  one  Lord." 

Then  follows  this  strange  confession  of  what  is  at  once 
required  by  "Christian  verity,"  and  forbidden  by  the  "Catholick 
Religion" :  "For  like  as  we  are  compelled  by  the  Christian  verity : 
to  acknowledge  every  Person  by  himself  to  be  God  and  Lord ; 
so  are  we  forbidden  by  the  Catholick  Religion:  to  say,  There  be 
three  Gods,  or  three  Lords." 

5.  The  Mission  of  Columbus  and  Its  Results. — Unto  Nephi, 
son  of  Lehi,  was  shown  the  future  of  his  people,  including  the 
degeneracy  of  a  branch  thereof,  afterward  known  as  Lamanites 
and  in  modern  times  as  American  Indians.  The  coming  of  a 
man  from  among  the  Gentiles,  across  the  deep  waters,  was  re- 
vealed in  such  plainness  as  to  positively  identify  that  man  with 
Columbus ;  and  the  coming  of  other  Gentiles  to  this  land,  out  of 
captivity,  is  equally  explicit.  The  revelation  is  thus  recorded  by 
Nephi  to  whom  it  was  given :  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  I 
looked  and  beheld  many  waters;  and  they  divided  the  Gentiles 
from  the  seed  of  my  brethren.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  the 
angel  said  unto  me,  Behold  the  wrath  of  God  is  upon  the  seed  of 
thy  brethren.  And  I  looked  and  beheld  a  man  among  the  Gen- 
tiles who  was  separated  from  the  seed  of  my  brethren  by  the 
many  waters ;  and  I  beheld  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  it  came  down 
and  wrought  upon  the  man;  and  he  went  forth  upon  the  many 
waters,  even  unto  the  seed  of  my  brethren,  who  were  in  the 
promised  land.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  the  Spirit  of 
God,  that  it  wrought  upon  other  Gentiles ;  and  they  went,  forth 
out  of  captivity,  upon  the  many  waters."  (i  Nephi  13:10-13). 
The  establishment  of  a  great  Gentile  nation  on  the  American 
continent,  the  subjugation  of  the  Lamanites  or  Indians,  the  war 
between  the  newly  established  nation  and  Great  Britain,  or  "their 
mother  Gentiles,"  and  the  victorious  outcome  of  that  struggle 
for  independence,  are  set  forth  with  equal  clearness  in  the 
same  chapter. 


758  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 


CHAPTER  41. 

PERSONAL  MANIFESTATIONS  OF  GOD  THE  ETERNAL 

FATHER  AND  OF  HIS  SON  JESUS  CHRIST 

JN  MODERN  TIMES. 

A   NEW  DISPENSATION. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1820  there  lived  at  Manchester, 
Ontario  county,  state  of  New  York, -a  worthy  citizen  named 
Joseph  Smith.  His  household  comprized  his  wife  and  their 
nine  children.  The  third  son  and  fourth  child  of  the  family 
was  Joseph  Smith  Jr.,  who  at  the  time  of  which  we  speak 
was  in  his  fifteenth  year.  In  the  year  specified,  New  York 
and  adjacent  states  were  swept  by  a  wave  of  intense  agitation 
in  religious  matters ;  and  unusual  zeal  was  put  forth  by  min- 
isters of  the  numerous  rival  sects  to  win  converts  to  their 
respective  folds.  The  boy  Joseph  was  profoundly  affected 
by  this  intense  excitement,  and  was  particularly  puzzled  and 
troubled  over  the  spirit  of  confusion  and  contention  manifest 
through  it  all.  As  our  present  subject  has  to  do  with  him 
specifically,  and  in  view  of  the  transcendent  importance  of 
his  testimony  to  the  world,  his  own  account  of  what  ensued 
is  given  herewith. 

"Some  time  in  the  second  year  after  our  removal  to 
Manchester,  there  was  in  the  place  where  we  lived  an  un- 
usual excitement  on  the  subject  of  religion.  It  commenced 
with  the  Methodists,  but  soon  became  general  among  all  the 
sects  in  that  region  of  country.  Indeed,  the  whole  district 
of  country  seemed  affected  by  it,  and  great  multitudes  united 
themselves  to  the  different  religious  parties,  which  created 
no  small  stir  and  division  amongst  the  people,  some  crying, 
'L,o,  here!'  and  others,  'Lo,  there!'  Some  were  contending 


JOSEPH  SMITH'S  PERPLEXITY  OVER  SECTARIAN  STRIFE.  759 

for  the  Methodist  faith,  some  for  the  Presbyterian,  and  some 
for  the  Baptist. 

"For  notwithstanding  the  great  love  which  the  converts 
to  these  different  faiths  expressed  at  the  time  of  their  con- 
version, and  the  great  zeal  manifested  by  the  respective 
clergy,  who  were  active  in  getting  up  and  promoting  this 
extraordinary  scene  of  religious  feeling,  in  order  to  have 
everybody  converted,  as  they  were  pleased  to  call  it,  let  them 
join  what  sect  they  pleased — yet  when  the  converts  began  to 
file  off,  some  to  one  party  and  some  to  another,  it  was  seen 
that  the  seemingly  good  feelings  of  both  the  priests  and  the 
converts  were  more  pretended  than  real;  for  a  scene  of 
great  confusion  and  bad  feeling  ensued ;  priest  contending 
against  priest,  and  convert  against  convert ;  so  that  all  their 
good  feelings  one  for  another,  if  they  ever  had  any,  were 
entirely  lost  in  a  strife  of  words  and  a  contest  about  opinions. 

"I  was  at  this  time  in  my  fifteenth  year.  My  father's 
family  was  proselyted  to  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  four  of 
them  joined  that  church,  namely — my  mother  Lucy ;  my 
brothers  Hyrum  and  Samuel  Harrison;  and  my  sister  So- 
phronia. 

"During  this  time  of  great  excitement,  my  mind  was 
called  up  to  serious  reflection  and  great  uneasiness ;  but 
though  my  feelings  were  deep  and  often  poignant,  still  I 
kept  myself  aloof  from  all  these  parties,  though  I  attended 
their  several  meetings  as  often  as  occasion  would  permit. 
In  process  of  time  my  mind  became  somewhat  partial  to  the 
Methodist  sect,  and  I  felt  some  desire  to  be  united  with 
them ;  but  so  great  were  the  confusion  and  strife  among  the 
different  denominations,  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  person 
young  as  I  was,  and  so  unacquainted  with  men  and  things, 
to  come  to  any  certain  conclusion  who  was  right  and  who 
was  wrong. 

"My  mind  at  times  was  greatly  excited,  the  cry  and 
tumult  were  so  great  and  incessant.  The  Presbyterians 
were  most  decided  against  the  Baptists  and  Methodists,  and 
used  all  the  powers  of  either  reason  or  sophistry  to  prove 
their  errors,  or,  at  least,  to  make  the  people  think  they  were 
in  error.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Baptists  and  Methodists 
in  their  turn  were  equally  zealous  in  endeavoring  to  establish 
their  own  tenets  and  disprove  all  others. 


760  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

"In  the  midst  of  this  war  of  words  and  tumult  of  opin- 
ions, I  often  said  to  myself,  What  is  to  be  done?  Who  of 
all  these  parties  are  right ;  or,  are  they  all  wrong  together  ? 
If  any  one  of  them  be  right,  which  is  it,  and  how  shall  I 
know  it? 

"While  I  was  laboring  under  the  extreme  difficulties 
caused  by  the  contests  of  these  parties  of  religionists,  I  was 
one  day  reading  the  Epistle  of  James,  first  chapter  and  fifth 
verse,  which  reads:  //  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him 
ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth 
not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him. 

"Never  did  any  passage  of  scripture  come  with  more 
power  to  the  heart  of  man  than  this  did  at  this  time  to  mine. 
It  seemed  to  enter  with  great  force  into  every  feeling  of  my 
heart.  I  reflected  on  it  again  and  again,  knowing  that  if 
any  person  needed  wisdom  from  God,  I  did ;  for  how  to  act 
I  did  not  know,  and  unless  I  could  get  more  wisdom  than  I 
then  had,  I  would  never  know ;  for  the  teachers  of  religion 
of  the  different  sects  understood  the  same  passages  of 
scripture  so  differently  as  to  destroy  all  confidence  in  settling 
the  question  by  an  appeal  to  the  Bible. 

"At  length  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  must  either 
remain  in  darkness  and  confusion,  or  else  I  must  do  as  James 
directs,  that  is,  ask  of  God.  I  at  length  came  to  the  deter- 
mination to  'ask  of  God,'  concluding  that  if  He  gave  wisdom 
to  them  that  lacked  wisdom,  and  would  give  liberally,  and 
not  upbraid,  I  might  venture. 

"So,  in  accordance  with  this,  my  determination  to  ask  of 
God,  I  retired  to  the  woods  to  make  the  attempt.  It  was  on 
the  morning  of  a  beautiful,  clear  day,  early  in  the  spring  of 
eighteen  hundred  and  twenty.  It  was  the  first  time  in  my 
life  that  I  had  made  such  an  attempt,  for  amidst  all  my 
anxieties  I  had  never  as  yet  made  the  attempt  to  pray 
vocally. 

"After  I  had  retired  to  the  place  where  I  had  previously 
designed  to  go,  having  looked  around  me,  and  finding  myself 
alone,  I  kneeled  down  and  began  to  offer  up  the  desires  of 
my  heart  to  God.  I  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  imme- 
diately I  was  seized  upon  by  some  power  which  entirely 
overcame  me,  and  had  such  an  astonishing  influence  over 
me  as  to  bind  my  tongue  so  that  I  could  not  speak.  Thick 


THE  GREAT  THEOPHANY  TO  JOSEPH   SMITH.  761 

darkness  gathered  around  me,  and  it  seemed  to  me  for  a 
time  as  if  I  were  doomed  to  sudden  destruction. 

"But,  exerting  all  my  powers  to  call  upon  God  to  deliver 
me  out  of  the  power  of  this  enemy  which  had  seized  upon 
me,  and  at  the  very  moment  when  I  was  ready  to  sink  into 
despair  and  abandon  myself  to  destruction — not  to  an  im- 
aginary ruin,  but  to  the  power  of  some  actual  being  from 
the  unseen  world,  who  had  such  marvelous  power  as  I  had 
never  before  felt  in  any  being — just  at  this  moment  of  great 
alarm,  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly  over  my  head,  above 
the  brightness  of  the  sun,  which  descended  gradually  until 
it  fell  upon  me. 

"It  no  sooner  appeared  than  I  found  myself  delivered 
from  the  enemy  which  held  me  bound.  When  the  light 
rested  upon  me  I  saw  two  personages,  whose  brightness  and 
glory  defy  all  description,  standing  above  me  in  the  air. 
One  of  them  spake  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name,  and  said, 
pointing  to  the  other — This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  him! 

"My  object  in  going  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  was  to  know 
which  of  all  the  sects  was  right,  that  I  might  know  which 
to  join.  No  sooner,  therefore,  did  I  get  possession  of  my- 
self, so  as  to  be  able  to  speak,  than  I  asked  the  personages 
who  stood  above  me  in  the  light,  which  of  all  the  sects  was 
right — and  which  I  should  join. 

"I  was  answered  that  I  must  join  none  of  them,  for  they 
were  all  wrong ;  and  the  personage  who  addressed  me  said 
that  all  their  creeds  were  an  abomination  in  his  sight;  that 
those  professors  were  all  corrupt;  that  'they  draw  near  to 
me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me ;  they 
teach  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men,  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof.' 

"He  again  forbade  me  to  join  with  any  of  them ;  and 
many  other  things  did  he  say  unto  me,  which  I  cannot  write 
at  this  time.  When  I  came  to  myself  again,  I  found  myself 
lying  on  my  back,  looking  up  into  heaven. 

"Some  few  days  after  I  had  this  vision,  I  happened  to 
be  in  company  with  one  of  the  Methodist  preachers,  who 
was  very  active  in  the  before  mentioned  religious  excite- 
ment; and,  conversing  with  him  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
I  took  occasion  to  give  him  an  account  of  the  vision  which 
I  had  had.  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  his  behavior;  he 


762  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

treated  my  communication  not  only  lightly,  but  with  great 
contempt,  saying,  it  was  all  of  the  devil,  that  there  were  no 
such  things  as  visions  or  revelations  in  these  days ;  that  all 
such  things  had  ceased  with  the  apostles,  and  that  there 
would  never  be  any  more  of  them. 

"I  soon  found,  however,  that  my  telling  the  story  had 
excited  a  great  deal  of  prejudice  against  me  among  pro- 
fessors of  religion,  and  was  the  cause  of  great  persecution, 
which  continued  to  increase ;  and  though  I  was  an  obscure 
boy,  only  between  fourteen  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
my  circumstances  in  life  such  as  to  make  a  boy  of  no  conse- 
quence in  the  world,  yet  men  of  high  standing  would  take 
notice  sufficient  to  excite  the  public  mind  against  me,  and 
create  a  bitter  persecution ;  and  this  was  common  among 
all  the  sects — all  united  to  persecute  me. 

"It  caused  me  serious  reflection  then,  and  often  has 
since,  how  very  strange  it  was  that  an  obscure  boy,  of  a  little 
over  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  one,  too,  who  was  doomed 
to  the  necessity  of  obtaining  a  scanty  maintenance  by  his 
daily  labor,  should  be  thought  a  character  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  attract  the  attention  of  the  great  ones  of  the 
most  popular  sects  of  the  day,  and  in  a  manner  to  create  in 
them  a  spirit  of  the  most  bitter  persecution  and  reviling. 
But  strange  or  not,  so  it  was,  and  it  was  often  the  cause  of 
great  sorrow  to  myself. 

"However,  it  was  nevertheles~  a  fact  that  I  had  beheld  a 
vision.  I  have  thought  since,  that  I  felt  much  like  Paul, 
when  he  made  his  defense  before  King  Agrippa,  and  related 
the  account  of  the  vision  he  had  when  he  saw  a  light,  and 
heard  a  voice;  but  still  there  were  but  few  who  believed 
him ;  some  said  he  was  dishonest,  others  said  he  was  mad ; 
and  he  was  ridiculed  and  reviled.  But  all  this  did  not  de- 
stroy the  reality  of  his  vision.  He  had  seen  a  vision,  he 
knew  he  had,  and  all  the  persecution  under  heaven  could  not 
make  it  otherwise;  and  though  they  should  persecute  him 
unto  death,  yet  he  knew,  and  would  know  to  his  latest 
breath,  that  he  had  both  seen  a  light,  and  heard  a  voice 
speaking  unto  him,  and  all  the  world  could  not  make  him 
think  or  believe  otherwise. 

"So  it  was  with  me.  I  had  actually  seen  a  light,  and  in 
the  midst  of  that  light  I  saw  two  personages,  and  they  did 


OPENING  OF  THE  LAST  DISPENSATION.  763 

in  reality  speak  to  me ;  and  though  I  was  hated  and  perse- 
cuted for  saying  that  I  had  seen  a  vision,  yet  it  was  true; 
and  while  they  were  persecuting  me,  reviling  me,  and  speak- 
ing all  manner  of  evil  against  me  falsely  for  so  saying,  I  was 
led  to  say  in  my  heart :  Why  persecute  me  for  telling  the 
truth?  I  have  actually  seen  a  vision,  and  who  am  I  that  I 
can  withstand  God,  or  why  does  the  world  think  to  make 
me  deny  what  I  have  actually  seen?  For  I  had  seen  a 
vision ;  I  knew  it,  and  I  knew  that  God  knew  it,  and  I  could 
not  deny  it,  neither  dared  I  do  it,  at  least  I  knew  that  by  so 
•  doing  I  would  offend  God,  and  come  under  condemnation. 
"I  had  now  got  my  mind  satisfied  so  far  as  the  sectarian 
world  was  concerned ;  that  it  was  not  my  duty  to  join  with 
any  of  them,  but  to  continue  as  I  was  until  further  directed. 
I  had  found  the  testimony  of  James  to  be  true,  that  a  man 
who  lacked  wisdom  might  ask  of  God,  and  obtain,  and  not 
be  upbraided. "a 

In  this  wise  was  ushered  in  the  Dispensation  of  the  Ful- 
ness of  Times. b  The  darkness  of  the  long  night  of  apos- 
tasy was  dispelled;  the  glory  of  the  heavens  once  more 
illumined  the  world ;  the  silence  of  centuries  was  broken ; 
the  voice  of  God  was  heard  again  upon  the  earth.  In  the 
spring  of  A.  D.  1820  there  was  one  mortal,  a  boy  not  quite 
fifteen  years  old,  who  knew  as  well  as  that  he  lived,  that  the 
current  human  conception  of  Deity  as  an  incorporeal  essence 
of  something  possessing  neither  definite  shape  nor  tangible 
substance  was  as  devoid  of  truth  in  respect  to  both  the 
Father  and  the  Son  as  its  statement  in  formulated  creeds  was 
incomprehensible.  The  boy  Joseph  knew  that  both  the 
Eternal  Father  and  His  glorified  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  were  in 
form  and  stature,  perfect  Men;  and  that  in  Their  physical 
likeness  mankind  had  been  created  in  the  flesh.c  He  knew 
further  that  the  Father  and  the  Son  were  individual  Per- 
sonages, each  distinct  from  the  other — a  truth  fully  attested 


a  P.    of   G.    P.,    Joseph   Smith    2:5-26;    also    "History    of   the   Church    of 
Jesus    Christ    of    Latter-day    Saints,"    vol.    1,    pp.    2-8. 
b  Eph.  1 :9,  10.     Note  1,  end  of  chapter. 
c  See  page  151  herein;  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


764  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    41. 

by  the  Lord  Jesus  during  His  mortal  existence,  but  which 
had  been  obscured  if  not  buried  by  the  sophistries  of  human 
unbelief.  He  realized  that  the  unity  of  the  Godhead  was  a 
oneness  of  perfection  in  purpose,  plan,  and  action,  as  the 
scriptures  declare  it  to  be,  and  not  an  impossible  union  of 
personalities,  as  generations  of  false  teachers  had  tried  to 
impress.  This  resplendent  theophany  confirmed  the  fact  of 
a  universal  apostasy,  with  the  inevitable  corollary — that  the 
Church  of  Christ  was  nowhere  existent  upon  the  earth.  It 
effectively  dissipated  the  delusion  that  direct  revelation  from 
the  heavens  had  forever  ceased ;  and  affirmatively  proved 
the  actuality  of  personal  communication  between  God  and 
mortals. 

For  the  fourth  time  since  the  Savior's  birth  in  the  flesh, 
the  voice  of  the  Father  had  attested  the  Son's  authority  in 
matters  pertaining  to  earth  and  man.d  In  this  latter-day 
revelation  of  Himself,  as  on  the  earlier  occasions,  the  Father 
did  no  more  than  affirm  the  fact  of  the  Son's  identity,  and 
command  that  He  be  obeyed. 

"A   MESSENGER   SENT   FROM    THE   PRESENCE  OF   GOD."' 

For  about  three  and  a  half  years  following  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  to  Joseph  Smith,  the 
youthful  revelator  was  left  to  himself,  so  far  as  further 
manifestations  from  heaven  were  concerned.  The  period 
was  one  of  probation.  He  was  subjected  to  the  sneers  of 
youths  of  his  age,  and  to  aggressive  persecution  on  the  part 
of  older  men,  "who,"  as  he  very  justly  and  somewhat  accus- 
ingly remarks,  "ought  to  have  been  my  friends  and  to  have 
treated  me  kindly,  and  if  they  supposed  me  to  be  deluded  to 
have  endeavored  in  a  proper  and  affectionate  manner  to  have 
reclaimed  me."/  He  pursued  his  usual  vocation,  that  of 

d  For  earlier  instances,  see  pages  126,  371,  and  725. 

eP.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:29-54,  59;  also  "History  of  the  Church," 
vol.  1,  pp.  10-16,  18. 

/P.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:28. 


VISITATION   OF   MORONI   TO   JOSEPH   SMITH.  765 

farm  work  in  association  with  his  father  and  brothers,  from 
whom  he  received  kindness,  consideration,  and  sympathy; 
and  in  spite  of  raillery,  abuse,  and  denunciations  from  the 
community  at  large  he  remained  firm  and  faithful  in  his 
solemn  avouchment  that  he  had  seen  and  heard  both  the 
Eternal  Father  and  Jesus  the  Christ,  and  that  he  had  been  in- 
structed to  join  none  of  the  contending  sects  or  churches 
because  they  were  all  fundamentally  wrong. 

On  the  night  of  the  2ist  of  September  1823,  while  en- 
gaged in  fervent  prayer  to  God  in  the  solitude  of  his  cham- 
ber, Joseph  observed  the  room  become  illuminated  until  the 
light  exceeded  that  of  a  cloudless  noon.  A  glorious  person- 
age appeared  within  the  room,  standing  a  little  space  above 
the  floor.  Both  the  body  of  the  visitant  and  the  loose  robe  he 
wore  were  of  exquisite  whiteness.  Calling  Joseph  by 
name  he  announced  himself  as  Moroni,  "a  messenger  sent 
from  the  presence  of  God";  and  informed  the  young  man 
that  the  Lord  had  a  work  for  him  to  do,  and  that  his  name 
should  come  to  be  spoken  of  both  for  good  and  for  evil 
among  all  nations,  kindreds,  and  tongues.  The  angel  told  of 
a  record  engraven  on  plates  of  gold,  which  contained 
an  account  of  the  former  inhabitants  of  the  American  con- 
tinent, and  the  fulness  of  the  everlasting  gospel  as  delivered 
by  the  Savior  to  those  ancient  people ;  and  furthermore,  that 
with  the  record  were  a  breastplate,  and  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim,  which  had  been  prepared  by  divine  instrumentality  for 
use  in  translating  the  book.  The  place  at  which  the  plates 
and  the  other  sacred  things  were  deposited  was  shown  to 
Joseph  in  vision,  and  so  clear  was  the  demonstration  that  he 
readily  recognized  the  spot  when  he  visited  it  next  day. 

The  angel  quoted  several  passages  from  the  Old  and  one 
from  the  New  Testament,  some  verbatim,  and  some  with 
small  variations  from  the  Biblical  version.  Joseph's  state- 
ment concerning  the  scriptures  cited  by  Moroni  is  as  follows : 


766  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    41. 

"He  first  quoted  part  of  the  third  chapter  of  Malachi,  and 
he  quoted  also  the  fourth  or  last  chapter  of  the  same  proph- 
ecy, though  with  a  little  variation  from  the  way  it  reads  in 
our  Bibles.  Inst'ead  of  quoting  the  first  verse  as  it  reads 
in  our  books,  he  quoted  it  thus : 

"For  behold,  the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven, 
and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  burn 
as  stubble;  for  they  that  come  shall  burn  them,  saith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor 
branch. 

"And  again,  he  quoted  the  fifth  verse  thus:  Behold,  I 
will  reveal  unto  you  the  Priesthood,  by  the  hand  of  Elijah 
the  prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord. 

"He  also  quoted  the  next  verse  differently:  And  he 
shall  plant  in  the  hearts  of  the  children  the  promises  made 
to  the  fathers,  and  the  hearts  of  the  children  shall  turn  to 
their  fathers;  if  it  were  not  so,  the  zuJiole  earth  would  be 
utterly  wasted  at  his  coming. 

"In  addition  to  these,  he  quoted  the  eleventh  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  saying  that  it  was  about  to  be  fulfilled.  He  quoted 
also  the  third  chapter  of  Acts,  twenty-second  and  twenty- 
third  verses,  precisely  as  they  stand  in  our  New  Testament. 
He  said  that  that  prophet  was  Christ ;  but  the  day  had  not  yet 
come  when  they  who  would  not  hear  his  voice  should  be  cut 
off  from  among  the  people,  but  soon  would  come. 

"He  also  quoted  the  second  chapter  of  Joel,  from  the 
twenty-eighth  verse  to  the  last.  He  also  said  that  this  was 
not  yet  fulfilled  but  was  soon  to  be.  And  he  further  stated 
that  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  was  soon  to  come  in."* 

The  messenger  departed,  and  the  light  disappeared  with 
him.  Twice  during  the  same  night,  however,  the  angel  re- 
turned, each  time  repeating  what  had  been  said  at  his  first 
appearing  and  adding  words  of  instruction  and  caution.  On 
the  next  day  Moroni  appeared  to  the  young  man  again,  and 
directed  him  to  inform  his  father  of  the  visitations  and  com- 
mandments he  had  received.  Joseph's  father  instructed  him 

gP.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:36-41;  and  "History  of  the  Church,"  vol. 
1,  pp.  12,  13. 


RESTORATION  OF  THE  AARONIC  PRIESTHOOD.  767 

to  obey  the  messenger's  instructions  and  testified  that  they 
were  given  of  God.  Joseph  then  went  to  the  locality  speci- 
fied by  the  angel,  on  the  side  of  a  hill  called  in  the  record 
Cumorah,  and  immediately  identified  the  spot  that  had  been 
shown  him  in  vision.  By  the  aid  of  a  lever  he  removed  a 
large  stone,  which  proved  to  be  the  cover  of  a  stone  box 
wherein  lay  the  plates  and  other  articles  described  by 
Moroni.  The  angel  appeared  at  the  place,  and  forbade 
Joseph  to  remove  the  contents  of  the  box  at  that  time.  The 
young  man  replaced  the  massive  stone  lid  and  left  the  spot. 
Four  years  later,  the  plates,  the  Urim  and  Thummim, 
and  the  breastplate  were  delivered  into  Joseph's  keeping  by 
the  angel  Moroni.  This  Moroni,  who  now  came  as  a  resur- 
rected being,  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  Nephite  nation; 
he  had  completed  the  record,  and  then  shortly  before  his 
death  had  hidden  away  the  same  in  the  hill  Cumorah, 
whence  it  was  brought  forth  through  his  instrumentality  and 
delivered  to  the  modern  prophet  and  seer,  Joseph  Smith, 
September  22,  1827.  That  record,  or,  strictly  speaking  a 
part  thereof,  is  now  accessible  to  all ;  it  has  been  translated 
through  divine  instrumentality  and  is  now  published  in  many 
languages  as  the  Book  of  Mormon.*1 

THE   AARONIC  PRIESTHOOD  CONFERRED  BY  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

On  the  1 5th  of  May,  1829,  Joseph  Smith  and  his  scribe 
in  the  work  of  translating  the  Nephite  record,  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  retired  to  a  secluded  glade  to  pray.  Their  special 
purpose  was  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  concerning  the  ordinance 
of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  some  account  of  which 
they  had  found  on  the  plates.  Joseph  writes : 

"While  we  were  thus  employed,  praying  and  calling  upon 
the  Lord,  a  messenger  from  heaven  descended  in  a  cloud 
of  light,  and  having  laid  his  hands  upon  us,  he  ordained  us, 
saying : 

k  See  B.  of  M..  Mormon  6:6;  Moroni  10:2. 


768  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    41. 

"Upon  you  my  fellow  servants,  in  the  name  of  Messiah, 
I  confer  the  Priesthood  of  Aaron,  which  holds  the  keys  of 
the  ministering  of  angels,  and  of  the  Gospel  of  repentance, 
and  of  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins;  and 
this  shall  never  be  taken  again  from  the  earth,  until  the  sons 
of  Levi  do  offer  again  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  in  right-* 
eousness"  * 

The  angelic  visitor  stated  that  his  name  was  John,  the 
same  who  is  designated  in  the  New .  Testament,  John  the 
Baptist;  and  that  he  had  acted  in  ordaining  the  two  under 
the  direction  of  Peter,  James,  and  John,  who  held  the  keys 
of  the  Higher  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  He  explained 
that  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  did  not  comprize  "the  power  of 
laying  on  hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost";  but  he 
predicted  that  the  Higher  Priesthood,  having  this  power, 
would  be  conferred  later.  By  his  express  direction,  Joseph 
baptized  Oliver,  and  the  latter  in  turn  baptized  Joseph,  by 
immersion  in  water. 

THE   MELCHIZEDEK   PRIESTHOOD   CONFERRED  BY 
PETER,    JAMES,    AND    JOHN. 

Shortly  after  their  ordination  to  the  Lesser  or  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  were  visited 
by  the  presiding  apostles  of  old,  Peter,  James,  and  John, 
who  conferred  upon  them  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  and 
ordained  them  to  the  Holy  Apostleship.  In  a  later  revela- 
tion the  Lord  Jesus  thus  specifically  acknowledges  the  re- 
spective ordinations  as  having  been  done  by  His  will  and 
commandment : 

"Which  John  I  have  sent  unto  you,  my  servants,  Joseph 
Smith,  jun.,  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  to  ordain  you  unto  this 
first  priesthood  which  you  have  received,  that  you  might  be 

called  and  ordained  even  as  Aaron And  also 

with  Peter,  and  James,  and  John,  whom  I  have  sent  unto 

*P.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  2:68,  69;  Doc.  and  Cov.   sec.   13;  "History  of 
the  Church,"   vol.    1,   p.   39. 
/  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS.      769 

you,  by  whom  I  have  ordained  you  and  confirmed  you  to  be 
apostles,  and  especial  witnesses  of  my  name,  and  bear  the 
keys  of  your  ministry,  and  of  the  same  things  which  I  re- 
vealed unto  them  :  Unto  whom  I  have  committed  the  keys  of 
my  kingdom,  and  a  dispensation  of  the  gospel  for  the  last 
times ;  and  for  the  fulness  of  times,  in  the  which  I  will  gather 
together  in  one  all  things,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and 
which  are  on  the  earth."  k 

ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  OF 
LATTER-DAY    SAINTS. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  April  A.  D.  1830,  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  formally  organized,  at 
Fayette,  Seneca  county,  New  York,  in  accordance  with  the 
secular  law  governing  the  establishment  of  religious  asso- 
ciations. The  persons  actually  participating  in  the  organiza- 
tion numbered  but  six,  such  being  the  minimum  required  by 
law  in  such  an  undertaking ;  many  others  were  present  how- 
ever, some  of  whom  had  already  received  the  ordinance  of 
baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins.  By  revelation  to  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Lord  had  previously  specified  the  day  on  which 
the  organization  was  to  be  effected,  and  had  made  known 
His  plan  of  Church  government — with  detailed  instructions 
as  to  the  requisite  conditions  for  membership ;  the  indispen- 
sability  of  baptism  by  immersion,  and  the  precise  manner  in 
which  the  initiatory  ordinance  was  to  be  administered;  the 
manner  of  confirming  baptized  believers  as  members  of  the 
Church ;  the  duties  of  elders,  priests,  teachers,  and  deacons 
in  the  Church;  the  exact  procedure  to  be  followed  in  the 
administration  of  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper;  the 
order  of  Church  discipline,  and  the  method  of  transferring 
members  from  one  branch  to  another.7  The  baptized  con- 
verts present  at  the  organization  were  called  upon  to  express 
their  acceptance  or  rejection  of  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  as  elders  in  the  Church;  and  in  accordance  with 

k  Doc.   and  Cov.   27:   8,   12,   13. 
/  Doc.    and    Cov.    sec.    20. 

25 


4770  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    41. 

the  unanimous  vote  in  the  affirmative  the  ordination  or  set- 
ting apart  of  these  two  men  as  respectively  first  and  second 
elder  in  the  new  organization  was  performed."1 

While  the  Book  of  Mormon  had  been  in  course  of  trans- 
lation, particularly  during  the  two  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding the  organization  of  the  Church,  several  revelations 
had  been  given  through  Joseph  the  prophet  and  seer,  relat- 
ing to  the  work  of  translation  and  to  the  preparatory  labor 
necessary  to  the  establishment  of  the  Church  as  an  institu- 
tion among  men.  The  Author  of  these  several  revelations 
declared  Himself  definitely  to  be  Jesus  Christ,  God,  the  Son 
of  God,  the  Redeemer,  the  Light  and  Life  of  the  World, 
Alpha  and  Omega,  Christ  the  Lord,  the  Lord  and  Savior." 
As  early  as  A.  D.  1829,  the  calling  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 
was  indicated,  and  appointment  was  made  for  the  searching 
out  of  the  Twelve  who  should  stand  before  the  world  as 
special  witnesses  of  the  Christ ;  these  were  subsequently 
ordained  to  the  Holy  Apostleship,  and  the  council  or  quorum 
of  the  Twelve  has  been  recognized,  and  instructions  con- 
cerning their  exalted  duties  have  been  given,  in  numerous 
revelations  of  later  dates.0 

In  such  manner  has  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  been  re- 
established upon  the  earth,  with  all  the  powers  and  authority 
pertaining  to  the  Holy  Priesthood  as  committed  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  to  His  apostles  in  the  period  of  His  personal  ministry. 
The  inauguration  of  a  new  dispensation  of  the  gospel,  with 
a  restoration  of  the  Priesthood,  was  absolutely  necessary ; 
since  through  the  apostasy  of  the  Primitive  Church  there 
lived  not  a  man  empowered  to  speak  or  administer  in  the 
name  of  God  or  His  Christ.  John  the  Revelator  saw  in  his 
vision  of  the  last  days  an  angel  bringing  anew  "the  everlast- 
ing gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and 

m  Doc.  and  Cov.  20:2,  3;  compare  21:11;  see  also  "History  of  the 
Church."  vol.  1,  pp.  40,  41.  Note  3,  end  of  chapter. 

n  Doc.  and  Cov.    sections  5,   6,  8,   10-12,   14-20. 

oDoc.  and  Cov.  18:27,  31-36;  20:38-44;  84:63,  64;  9.1:4;  107:23-25;  112:1, 
14,  21;  118;  124:127-130. 


MODERN  REVELATION  FROM  GOD  TO  MAN.  771 

to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  saying 
with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him ;  for  the 
hour  of  his  judgment  is  come:  and  worship  him  that  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."^ 
Such  an  angelic  embassage  would  have  been  but  a  need- 
less and  empty  display,  and  therefore  an  impossibility,  had 
the  everlasting  gospel  remained  upon  the  earth  with  its  pow- 
ers of  priesthood  perpetuated  by  succession.  The  scriptural 
assurances  of  a  restoration  in  the  last  days  through  direct 
bestowal  from  the  heavens  is  conclusive  proof  of  the  actu- 
ality of  the  universal  apostasy.  Moroni  came  to  Joseph 
Smith  as  "a  messenger  sent  from  the  presence  of  God," 
and  delivered  a  record  containing  "the  fulness  of  the  ever- 
lasting gospel,"  as  it  had  been  imparted  to  the  Lord's  people 
in  ancient  times ;  and  the  world-wide  distribution  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  and  of  other  publications  embodying  the 
revealed  word  in  modern  times,  and  the  ministry  of  thou- 
sands who  labor  in  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood 
combine  as  the  loud  voice  addressed  to  every  nation,  crying : 
"Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for  the  hour  of  his  judg- 
ment is  come." 

FURTHER  COMMUNICATIONS  FROM  THE  HEAVENS  TO  MAN. 

Following  the  organization  of  the  Church  as  heretofore 
described,  direct  communication  between  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  prophet  Joseph  was  frequent,  as  the  needs  of 
the  Church  required.  Numerous  revelations  were,  given, 
and  these  are  accessible  to  all  who  will  read.?  A  marvelous 
manifestation  was  granted  to  the  prophet  and  his  associate 
in  the  presidency  of  the  Church,  Sidney  Rigdon,  the  record 
of  which  appears  as  follows : 

"We,  Joseph  Smith,  jun.,  and  Sidney  Rigdon,  being  in 
the  Spirit  on  the  sixteenth  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our 

/>Rev.   14:6,   7. 

q  See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  "History  of  the  Church." 


773  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-two,  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  our  eyes  were  opened  and  our  under- 
standings were  enlightened,  so  as  to  see  and  understand  the 
things  of  God — even  those  things  which  were  from  the  be- 

f inning  before  the  world  was,  which  were  ordained  of  the 
ather,  through  his  Only  Begotten  Son,  who  was  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  even  from  the  beginning,  of  whom  we 
bear  record,  and  the  record  which  we  bear  is  the  fulness  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  Son,  whom  we  saw 
and  with  whom  we  conversed  in  the  heavenly  vision ;  For 
while  we  were  doing  the  work  of  translation,  which  the 
Lord  had  appointed  unto  us,  we  came  to  the  twenty-ninth 
verse  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  John,  which  was  given  unto  us 
as  follows.  Speaking  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  con- 
cerning those  who  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
and  shall  come  forth ;  they  who  have  done  good  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  just,  and  they  who  have  done  evil  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  unjust.  Now  this  caused  us  to  marvel,  for  it 
was  given  unto  us  of  the  Spirit ;  and  while  we  meditated 
upon  these  things,  the  Lord  touched  the  eyes  of  our  under- 
standings and  they  were  opened,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about ;  and  we  beheld  the  glory  of  the  Son,  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and  received  of  his  fulness ; 
and  saw  the  holy  angels,  and  they  who  are  sanctified  before 
his  throne,  worshiping  God,  and  the  Lamb,  who  worship  him 
for  ever  and  ever.  And  now,  after  the  many  testimonies 
which  have  been  given  of  him,  this  is  the  testimony  last  of 
all,  which  we  give  of  him,  that  he  lives;  for  we  saw  him, 
even  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  and  we  heard  the  voice  bear- 
ing record  that  he  is  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father — that 
by  him  and  through  him,  and  of  him  the  worlds  are  and 
were  created,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  begotten  sons 
and  daughters  unto  God."  r 

The  vision  was  fallowed  by  further  revelation  both 
through  sight  and  hearing;  and  the  Lord  showed  unto  His 
servants  and  proclaimed  aloud  the  fate  of  the  wicked  and 
the  characteristic  features  of  the  varied  degrees  of  glory 
provided  for  the  souls  of  mankind  in  the  hereafter.  The 


rDoc.    and    Cov.    76:11-24;    also    "History   of    the   Church"    under   date 
specified. 


MANIFESTATIONS  IN  THE  KIRTLAND  TEMPLE.  773 

several  states  of  graded  honor  and  exaltation  pertaining  to 
the  telestial,  the  terrestrial,  and  the  celestial  kingdoms  were 
revealed,  and  the  ancient  scriptures  relating  thereto  were 
illumined  with  the  new  light  of  simplicity  and  literalness.J 

PERSONAL   APPEARING   OF    THE   LORD    JESUS    CHRIST    IN    THE 
KIRTLAND  TEMPLE. 

In  less  than  three  and  a  half  years  after  its  organization 
the  Church  began  the  erection  of  the  first  temple  of  modern 
times  at  Kirtland,  Ohio.  The  work  was  undertaken  in  com- 
pliance with  a  revelation  from  the  Lord  requiring  this  labor 
at  the  hands  of  His  people.  The  Church  membership  was 
small;  the  people  were  in  poverty;  the  period  was  one  of 
determined  opposition  and  relentless  persecution/  Be  it 
understood  that  to  the  Latter-day  Saints  a  temple  is  more 
than  chapel,  «church,  tabernacle,  or  cathedral ;  it  is  no  place 
of  common  assembly  even  for  purposes  of  congregational 
worship,  but  an  edifice  sacred  to  the  ordinances  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood — distinctively  and  essentially  a  House  of  the 
Lord.  The  temple  at  Kirtland  stands  today,  a  substantial 
and  stately  building;  but  it  is  no -longer  in  possession  of  the 
people  who  reared  it  by  unmeasured  sacrifice  of  time,  sub- 
stance, and  effort  extending  through  years  of  self-denial  and 
suffering.  Its  corner-stones  were  laid  July  23,  1833,  and 
the  completed  structure  was  dedicated  March  27,  1836.  The 
dedicatory  service  was  made  ever  memorable  by  a  Pente- 
costal outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  accompanied  by 
the  visible  presence  of  angels.  In  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  the  several  quorums  of  priesthood  assembled  in  the 
house,  and  a  yet  greater  manifestation  of  divine  power  and 
glory  was  witnessed.  On  the  succeeding  Sunday — April  3, 
1836 — after  a  service  of  solemn  worship,  including  the  ad- 

$See  Doc.  and  Cov.  76:25-119;  also  "The  Articles  of  Faith,"  iv:29;  and 
xxii:18-27. 

*See   "The   House   of   the   Lord,"   pages   114-123. 

26 


7'74  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

ministration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  prophet  Joseph  and 
his  counselor,  Oliver  Cowdery,  retired  for  prayer  within  the 
veils  enclosing  the  platform  and  pulpit  reserved  for  the  pre- 
siding authorities  of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  They 
bear  this  solemn  testimony  to  the  personal  appearing  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  that  time  and  place: 

"The  veil  was  taken  from  our  minds,  and  the  eyes  of  our 
understanding  were  opened.  We  saw  the  Lord  standing 
upon  the  breast  work  of  the  pulpit,  before  us,  and  under  his 
feet  was  a  paved  work  of  pure  gold  in  color  like  amber.  His 
eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  the  hair  of  his  head  was  white 
like  the  pure  snow,  his  countenance  shone  above  the  bright- 
ness of  the  sun,  and  his  voice  was  as  the  sound  of  the  rushing 
of  great  waters,  even  the  voice  of  Jehovah,  saying — I  am 
the  first  and  the  last,  I  am  he  who  liveth,  I  am  he  who  was 
slain,  I  am  your  advocate  with  the  Father.  Behold,  your 
sins  are  forgiven  you,  you  are  clean  before  me,  therefore 
lift  up  your  heads  and  rejoice,  let  the  hearts  of  your  brethren 
rejoice,  and  let  the  hearts  of  all  my  people  rejoice,  who  have, 
with  their  might,  built  this  house  to  my  name.  For  behold, 
I  have  accepted  this  house,  and  my  name  shall  be  here,  and 
I  will  manifest  myself  to  my  people  in  mercy  in  this  house, 
Yea,  I  will  appear  unto  my  servants,  and  speak  unto  them 
with  mine  own  voice,  if  my  people  will  keep  my  command- 
ments, and  do  not  pollute  this  holy  house,  Yea  the  hearts  of 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  shall  greatly  rejoice  in 
consequence  of  the  blessings  which  shall  be  poured  out,  and 
the  endowment  with  which  my  servants  have  been  endowed 
in  this  house ;  and  the  fame  of  this  house  shall  spread  to 
foreign  lands,  and  this  is  the  beginning  of  the  blessing 
which  shall  be  poured  out  upon  the  heads  of  my  people. 
Even  so.  Amen."  u 

After  the  Savior's  withdrawal,  the  two  mortal  prophets 
were  visited  by  glorified  beings,  each  of  whom  had  officiated 
on  earth  as  a  specially  commissioned  servant  of  Jehovah, 
and  now  came  to  confer  the  authority  of  his  particular  office 

«Doc.  and  Cov.  110:1-10;  also  "History  of  the  Church"  under  date 
specified.  Note  4,  end  of  chapter. 


AUTHORITY  OF  EARLIER  DISPENSATIONS  RESTORED.      775 

upon  Joseph  and  Oliver,  thus  uniting  all  the  powers  and 
authorities  of  olden  dispensations  in  the  restored  Church  of 
Christ,  which  characterizes  the  last  and  greatest  dispensa- 
tion of  history.  This  is  the  record: 

"After  this  vision  closed,  the  heavens  were  again  opened 
unto  us,  and  Moses  appeared  before  us,  and  committed  unto 
us  the  keys  of  the  gathering  of  Israel  from  the  four  parts  of 
the  earth,  and  the  leading  of  the  ten  tribes  from  the  land  of 
the  north.  After  this,  Elias  appeared,  and  committed  the 
dispensation  of  the  gospel  of  Abraham,  saying,  that  in  us, 
and  our  seed,  all  generations  after  us  should  be  blessed. 
After  this  vision  had  closed,  another  great  and  glorious 
vision  burst  upon  us,  for  Elijah  the  prophet,  who  was  taken 
to  heaven  without  tasting  death,  stood  before  us,  and  said — 
Behold,  the  time  has  fully  come,  which  was  spoken  of  by  the 
mouth  of  Malachi,  testifying  that  he  (Elijah)  should  be  sent 
before  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord  come,  to  turn 
the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  children  to 
the  fathers,  lest  the  whole  earth  be  smitten  with  a  curse. 
Therefore  the  keys  of  this  dispensation  are  committed  into 
your  hands,  and  by  this  ye  may  know  that  the  great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  even  at  the  doors."2' 

JESUS    THE   CHRIST    IS    WITH    HIS    CHURCH    TODAY. 

Right  gloriously  has  the  Lord  brought  about  a  fulfilment 
of  the  promises  uttered  through  the  mouths  of  His  holy 
prophets  in  by-gone  ages — to  restore  the  gospel  with  all  its 
former  blessings  and  privileges ;  to  bestow  anew  the  Holy 
Priesthood  with  authority  to  administer  in  the  name  of  God  ; 
to  reestablish  the  Church  bearing  His  name  and  founded 
upon  the  rock  of  divine  revelation;  and  to  proclaim  the 
message  of  salvation  to  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and 
peoples.  In  spite  of  persecution  both  mobocratic  and  judic- 
ially sanctioned,  in  spite  of  assaults,  drivings,  and  slaugh- 
ter, the  Church  has  developed  with  marvelous  rapidity  and 
strength  since  the  day  of  its  organization.  Joseph,  the 

vDoc.  and  Cov.  110:11-16.    Note  5,  end  of  chapter. 


776  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

prophet,  and  his  brother  Hyrum,  the  patriarch  of  the  Church, 
were  brutally  slain  as  martyrs  to  the  truth  at  Carthage, 
Illinois,  June  27,  1844.  But  the  Lord  raised  up  others  to 
succeed  them;  and  the  world  learned  in  part  and  yet  shall 
know  beyond  all  question  that  the  Church  so  miraculously 
established  in  the  last  days  is  not  the  church  of  Joseph  Smith 
nor  of  any  other  man,  but  in  literal  verity,  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  Lord  has  continued  to  make  known  His 
mind  and  will  through  prophets,  seers,  and  revelators  whom 
He  has  successively  chosen  and  appointed  to  lead  His  people ; 
and  the  voice  of  divine  revelation  is  heard  in  the  Church 
today.  As  provided  for  in  its  revealed  plan  and  constitution, 
the  Church  is  blessed  by  the  ministry  of  prophets,  apostles, 
high  priests,  patriarchs,  seventies,  elders,  bishops,  priests, 
teachers,  and  deacons.™  The  spiritual  gifts  and  blessings  of 
old  are  again  enjoyed  in  rich  abundance.*  New  scriptures, 
primarily  directed  to  present  duties  and  current  develop- 
ments in  the  purposes  of  God,  yet  which  illuminate  and 
make  plain  in  simplicity  the  scriptures  of  old,  have  been 
given  to  the  world  through  the  channel  of  the  restored  priest- 
hood ;  and  other  scriptures  shall  yet  be  written.  The  united 
membership  of  the  Church  proclaims: 

"We  believe  all  that  God  has  revealed,  all  that  He  does 
now  reveal,  and  we  believe  that  He  will  yet  reveal  many 
great  and  important  things  pertaining  to  the  Kingdom  of 
God."" 

The  predicted  gathering  of  Israel  from  their  long  dis- 
persion is  in  progress  under  the  commission  given  by  the 
Lord  through  Moses.  The  "mountain  of  the  Lord's  house" 
is  already  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  all 
peoples  flow  unto  it;  while  the  elders  of  the  Church  go 

w  See  "Plan  of  Government  in  the  Restored  Church,"  in  "The  Articles 
of  Faith,"  xi:13-32. 

x  See    "Spiritual    Gifts"    in    "The   Articles    of   Faith,"    xii. 

y  No.  9  of  "The  Articles  of  Faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints." 


JTHE  HOLY  PRIESTHOOD  AGAIN  OPERATIVE  ON  EARTH.  777 

fortH  among  the  nations,  saying:  "Come  ye,  and  let  us  go 
up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of 
Jacob;  and  he  will  teach  us  .of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk 
in  his  paths :  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the 
word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem."2 

Within  sacred  temples,  the  living  are  officiating  vicari- 
ously in  behalf  of  the  dead;  and  the  hearts  of  mortal  chil- 
dren are  turned  with  affectionate  concern  toward  their  de- 
parted ancestors,  while  disembodied  hosts  are  praying  for 
the  success  of  their  posterity,  yet  in  the  flesh,  in  the  service 
of  salvation.*  The  saving  gospel  is  offered  freely  to  all,  for 
so  hath  its  Author  commanded.  Through  the  medium  of 
the  press,  and  by  the  personal  ministrations  of  men  invested 
with  the  Holy  Priesthood  whom  the  Church  sends  out  by 
thousands,  this  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  is  today  preached 
throughout  the  world.  When  such  witness  among  the  na- 
tions is  made  complete,  "then  shall  the  end  come" ;  and  the 
nations  "shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory."& 

NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  41. 

I.  The  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times. — "Now  the 
thing  to  be  known  is,  what  the  fulness  of  times  means,  or  the 
extent  and  authority  thereof.  It  means  this,  that  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fulness  of  times  is  made  up  of  all  the  dispensations 
that  ever  have  been  given  since  the  world  began,  until  this  time. 
Unto  Adam  first  was  given  a  dispensation.  It  is  well  known 
that  God  spake  to  him  with  His  own  voice  in  the  garden,  and 
gave  him  the  promise  of  the  Messiah.  And  unto  Noah  also  was 
a  dispensation  given;  for  Jesus  said,  'As  it  was  in  the  days  of 
Noe,  so  shall  it  be  also  in  the  days  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
Man;'  and  as  the  righteous  were  saved  then,  and  the  wicked  de- 
stroyed, so  it  will  be  now.  And  from  Noah  to  Abraham,  and  from 
Abraham  to  Moses,  and  from  Moses  to  Elias,  and  from  Elias 
to  John  the  Baptist,  and  from  then  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  from 
Jesus  Christ  to  Peter,  James,  and  John,  the  Apostles  all  having 
received  in  their  dispensation  by  revelation  from  God,  to  accom- 
plish the  great  scheme  of  restitution,  spoken  by  all  the  holy 

slsa.  2:2,  3;   compare  Micah  4:1,  2;   see   also  Doc.   and  Cov.  29:8. 

a  See    "The   House    of    the    Lord,"    pp.    63-109. 

bP.  of  G.  P.,  Joseph  Smith  1:31,  36;  compare  Matt  24:14,  30. 


778  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   41. 

Prophets  since  the  world  began ;  the  end  of  which  is,  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  fulness  of  times,  in  which  all  things  shall  be 
fulfilled  that  have  been  spoken  of  since  the  earth  was  made." — 
See  Millennial  Star,  vol.  16,  p.  220. 

2.  Limitations  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. — After  conferring 
the     Lesser     or     Aaronic     Priesthood    upon    Joseph     Smith     and 
Oliver    Cowdery,    the    officiating    angel,    who    had    been    known 
while    a    mortal    being    as    John    the    Baptist,    explained    that    the 
authority   he   had    imparted   did   not   extend   to    the    laying-on   of 
hands    for   the   bestowal   of   the   Holy   Ghost,   the   latter   ordinance 
being  a  function  of  the  Higher  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood.     Con- 
sider the  instance  of  Philip,   (not  the  apostle  Philip),  whose  ordi- 
nation empowered  him  to  baptize,  though  a  higher  authority  than 
his  was  requisite  for  the  conferring  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  con- 
sequently the  apostles  Peter  and  John  went  down  to  Samaria  to 
officiate  in  the  case  of  Philip's  baptized  converts   (Acts  8:5,  12-17). 
See  Doc.  and  Cov.  20:41,  46. 

3.  Priesthood  and  Office  Therein. — It  is  important  to  know 
that   although   Joseph    Smith    and   Oliver    Cowdery   had   been    or- 
dained to  the  Holy  Apostleship,  and  therefore  to  a  fulness  of  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  by  Peter,  James,  and  John,  it  was  nec- 
essary  that   they   be    ordained    as    elders    in   the    Church.      When 
they  received  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood   from  the  three  ancient 
apostles,   there    was    no    organized    Church    of    Jesus    Christ,    and 
consequently  no  need  of   Church  officers,   such   as  elders,  priests, 
teachers,   or    deacons.     As    soon    as    the    Church    was    established, 
officers  were  chosen  therein   and  these   were  ordained   to   the  re- 
quisite office  or  grade  in  the  Priesthood.     Moreover,  the  principle 
of    common    consent    in    the    conduct    of     Church     affairs     was 
observed  in  this  early  action  of  the  members  in  voting  to  sustain 
the   men   nominated    for   official    positions,    and   has    continued    to 
be  the  rule  of  the  Church  to  this   day.     It  is  pertinent  to  point 
out  further  that  in  conferring  upon  Joseph  and  Oliver  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  John  the  Baptist  did  not  ordain  them  to  the  office  of 
priest,   teacher,    or    deacon.      These    three    offices    are    included    in 
the  Aaronic,  as  are  the  offices  of  elder,  seventy,  high  priest,  etc., 
in   the    Melchizedek    Priesthood.      Read    Doc.    and    Cov.   20:38-67; 
The  Articles  of  Faith,  xi. 

4.  Modern  Temples. — The  Lord's  gracious  promise  given  in 
the  Kirtland  Temple — to  appear  unto  His  servants  at  times  then 
future,  and  to  speak  unto  them  with  His  own  voice,  provided  the 
people  would  keep  His  commandments  and  not  pollute  that  holy 
house — has  been  in  no  wise  abrogated  nor   forfeited  through  the 
enforced   relinquishment   of   the    Kirtland    Temple   by   the    Latter- 
day   Saints.     The  people   were  compelled  to   flee  before  the   fury 
of   mobocratic    persecution;    but    they    hastened    to    erect    another 
and   yet   more    splendid   sanctuary   at   Nauvoo,   Illinois,   and    were 
again  dispossessed  by  lawless  mobs.     In  the  valleys  of  Utah  the 
Church   has   erected    four   great   temples,   each   more    stately   than 
the    last;    and    in    these    holy    houses    the    sacred    ordinances    per- 
taining  to    salvation    and   exaltation   of   both   the   living   and   the 


NOTES.  779 

dead  are  in  uninterrupted  progress.  The  temples  of  the  present 
dispensation,  in  the  order  of  their  completion,  and  designated  ac- 
cording to  location,  are  those  of  Kirtland,  Ohio ;  Nauvoo,  Illinois ; 
St.  George,  Logan,  Manti,  and  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Cards- 
ton,  Canada,  and  Laie,  Hawaii.  See  The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp. 
63-232. 

5.  Consistency  of  the  Church's  Claim  to  Authority. — The 
proofs  of  order  and  system  in  the  restoration  of  authority  to 
officiate  in  particular  functions  pertaining  to  the  priesthood  are 
striking,  and  go  to  prove  the  continued  validity,  beyond  the 
grave,  of  authoritative  ordination  on  earth.  The  keys  of  the 
Aaronic  order,  comprizing  authority  to  baptize  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  were  brought  by  John  the  Baptist,  who  had  been  espe- 
cially commissioned  in  that  order  of  priesthood  in  the  time  of 
Christ.  The  apostleship,  comprizing  all  powers  inherent  in  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  was  restored  by  the  presiding  apostles 
of  old,  Peter,  James,  and  John.  Then,  as  has  been  seen,  Moses 
conferred  the  authority  to  prosecute  the  work  of  gathering;  and 
Elijah,  who,  not  having  tasted  death,  held  a  peculiar  relation  to 
both  the  living  and  the  dead,  delivered  the  authority  of  vicarious 
ministry  for  the  departed.  To  these  appointments  by  heavenly 
authority  should  be  added  that  given  by  Elias,  who  appeared  to 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  and  "committed  the  dispen- 
sation of  the  gospel  of  Abraham."  It  is  evident,  then,  that  the 
claims  made  by  the  Church  with  respect  to  its  authority  are  com- 
plete and  consistent  as  to  the  source  of  the  powers  professed  and 
the  channels  through  which  such  have  been  delivered  again  to  earth. 
Scripture  and  revelation,  both  ancient  and  modern,  support  as  an 
unalterable  law  the  principle  that  no  one  can  delegate  to  another 
an  authority  which  the  giver  does  not  possess. 


780J  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   42. 


CHAPTER  42. 

JESUS  THE  CHRIST  TO  RETURN. 

LORI/S  SECOND  ADVENT  PREDICTED  IN  ANCIENT 
SCRIPTURE. 

"Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ? 
this  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven, 
shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 
heaven."0  So  spake  the  white-robed  angels  to  the  eleven 
apostles  as  the  resurrected  Christ  ascended  from  their  midst 
on  Olivet.  The  scriptures  abound  in  predictions  of  the 
Lord's  return. 

By  the  "second  advent"  we  understand  not  the  personal 
appearing  of  the  Son  of  God  to  a  few,  such  as  His  visitation 
to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  to  Joseph  Smith  in  1820,  and  again  in  the 
Kirtland  Temple  in  1836;  nor  later  manifestations  to  His 
worthy  servants  as  specifically  promised  ;b  but  His  yet  future 
coming  in  power  and  great  glory,  accompanied  by  hosts  of 
resurrected  and  glorified  beings,  to  execute  judgment  upon 
the  earth  and  to  inaugurate  a  reign  of  righteousness. 

The  prophets  of  both  hemispheres,  who  lived  prior  to  the 
meridian  of  time,  said  comparatively  little  concerning  the 
Lord's  second  coming ;  their  souls  were  too  full  of  the  mer- 
ciful plan  of  redemption  associated  with  the  Savior's  birth 
into  mortality  to  permit  them  to  dwell  upon  the  yet  more 
distant  consummation  appointed  for  the  last  days.  Certain 
of  them,  however,  were  permitted  to  behold  in  vision  the 
working  out  of  the  divine  purposes  even  to  the  end  of  time ; 
and  these  testified  with  unsurpassed  fervency  concerning  the 

a  Acts  1:11. 

&  Pages   713,   715,   761,   and   774;    see   also   Doc.    and   Cov.    110:8;   compare 
86:8;  42:36;  97:15,   16;   109:5;   124:27;   133:2. 


EARLY  PREDICTIONS  OF  THE  LORD^S  SECOND  COMING.  781 

glorious  coming  of  Christ  in  the  final  dispensation.  Enoch, 
the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied  saying,  "Behold  the  Lord 
cometh  with  ten  thousands  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment 
upon  all."c  In  a  more  extended  account  of  the  Lord's  reve- 
lations to  Enoch  than  is  included  in  the  Bible,  we  read  that 
after  this  righteous  prophet  had  been  shown  the  scenes  of 
Israel's  history,  down  to  and  beyond  the  death,  resurrection 
and  ascension  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  pleaded  with  God,  saying : 
"I  ask  thee  if  thou  wilt  not  come  again  on  the  earth.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  Enoch :  As  I  live,  even  so  will  I  come  in 
the  last  days,  in  the  days  of  wickedness  and  vengeance,  to 
fulfil  the  oath  which  I  have  made  unto  you  concerning  the 

children  of  Noah And  it  came  to  pass  that 

Enoch  saw  the  day  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  in  the 
last  days,  to  dwell  on  the  earth  in  righteousness  for  the 
space  of  a  thousand  years. "d  Isaiah,  in  rapturous  contem- 
plation of  the  eventual  triumph  of  righteousness,  exclaimed : 
"Say  to  them  that  are  of  a  fearful  heart,  Be  strong,  fear  not : 
behold,  your  God  will  come  with  vengeance,  even  God  with 
a  recompence;  he  will  come  and  save  you";  and  again: 
"Behold,  the  Lord  God  will  come  with  strong  hand,  and  his 
arm  shall  rule  for  him :  behold,  his  reward  is  with  him,  and 
his  work  before  him."*  The  conditions  specified  were  not 
realized  in  the  earthly  life  of  the  Redeemer;  moreover  the 
context  clearly  shows  that  the  prophet's  words  are  applicable 
to  the  last  days  only — the  time  of  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord, 
the  time  of  restitution,  and  of  the  triumph  of  Zion. 

Of  all  Biblical  scriptures  relating  to  our  subject,  the  utter- 
ances of  the  Christ  Himself  in  the  course  of  His  earthly 
ministry  are  most  direct  and  certain.  Many  of  these  we 
have  already  considered  in  the  narrative  of  the  Savior's  life; 
the  few  following  are  sufficient  for  present  demonstration. 

cjude   14,   15;   compare   Gen.   5:18;    see   next   reference   following. 
d  P.   of   G.   P.,   Moses   7:59,   60,   65.     Note   1,   end   of   chapter. 
e  Isa.   35:4;    and   40:10;    see   also   Psalms   50:3;   Mai.   3:1;   4:5,   6;   compare 
Note   1   on   page   149   herein. 


782  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    42. 

'For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father 
with  his  angels ;  and  then  he  shall  reward  every  man  accord- 
ing to  his  works. "f  To  the  apostles  and  the  people  generally 
He  proclaimed :  "Whosoever  therefore  shall  be  ashamed  of 
me  and  of  my  words  in  this  adulterous  and  sinful  genera- 
tion ;  of  him  also  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when 
he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy  angels. "g 
When  a  bound  prisoner  before  proud  Caiaphas,  Jesus  an- 
swered the  unlawful  adjuration  of  the  corrupt  high  priest, 
by  affirming:  "I  say  unto  you,  Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the 
Son  of  man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven."'1 

The  apostles  had  been  so  impressed  with  the  Master's 
assurance  that  He  would  return  to  earth  in  power  and  glory, 
that  they  eagerly  questioned  as  to  the  time  and  signs  of  His 
coming.*  He  stated  explicitly,  though  at  the  time  they 
failed  to  comprehend  Him,  that  many  great  events  would 
intervene  between  His  departure  and  return,  including  the 
long  era  of  darkness  associated  with  the  apostasy.'  But 
as  to  the  certainty  of  His  advent  in  glory,  as  Judge,  and 
Lord,  and  King,  Jesus  left  no  excuse  for  dubiety  in  the 
minds  of  His  apostles.  After  the  ascension,  throughout  the 
course  of  apostolic  administration,  the  future  coming  of  the 
Lord  was  preached  with  earnest  emphasis.* 

Book  of  Mormon  prophecies  concerning  the  advent  of  the 
Lord  in  the  last  days  are  specific  and  definite.  On  the  occa- 
sion of  His  appearing  to  the  Nephites  on  the  American 
continent  shortly  after  His  ascension  from  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  Christ  preached  the  gospel  to  assembled  multitudes ; 
"And  he  did  expound  all  things,  even  from  the  beginning 

/Matt.   16:27. 

g  Mark  8:38;    compare   Luke  9:26. 

h  Matt.   26:64. 

t'Matt.  24:3;  Mark  13:26;  Luke  21:7;  Acts  1:6;  compare  page  149  herein. 

/Matt.   24;    see   chapters   32   and   40  herein. 

£See  Acts  3:20,  21;  1  Cor.  4:5;  11:26;  Philip,  3:20;  1  Thess.  1:10;  2:19; 
3:13;  4:15-18;  2  Thess.  2:1,  8;  1  Tim.  6:14,  15;  Titus  2:13;  James  5:7,  8;  1 
Peter  1:5-7;  4:13;  1  John  2:28;  3:2;  Jude  14,  etc. 


THE  LORD'S  ADVENT  AGAIN  AFFIRMED.  783 

until  the  time  that  he  should  come  in  his  glory";  and  the 
events  to  follow,  "even  unto  the  great  and  last  day.";  In 
granting  the  wish  of  the  three  Nephite  disciples  who  de- 
sired to  continue  their  ministry  in  the  flesh  throughout  the 
generations  to  come,  the  Lord  said  unto  them : 

"Ye  shall  live  to  behold  all  the  doings  of  the  Father,  unto 
the  children  of  men,  even  until  all  things  shall  be  fulfilled, 
according  to  the  will  of  the  Father,  when  I  shall  come  in  my 
glory,  with  the  powers  of  heaven ;  And  ye  shall  never  endure 
the  pains  of  death;  but  when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory,  ye 
shall  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  from  mortality  to 
immortality :  and  then  shall  ye  be  blessed  in  the  kingdom  of 
my  Father."  m 

THE.    COMING   OF    THE   LORD    PROCLAIMED   THROUGH    MODERN 
REVELATION. 

To  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  restored  and  reestablished 
in  these  the  last  days,  the  word  of  the  Lord  has  come  re- 
peatedly, declaring  the  actuality  of  His  second  advent  and 
the  nearness  of  that  glorious  yet  dreadful  event.  But  a  few 
months  after  the  Church  was  organized,  the  voice  of  Jesus 
Christ  was  heard,  admonishing  the  elders  to  vigilance  and 
proclaiming  as  follows : 

"For  the  hour  is  nigh,  and  the  day  soon  at  hand  when  the 
earth  is  ripe :  and  all  the  proud,  and  they  that  do  wickedly, 
shall  be  as  stubble,  and  I  will  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  that  wickedness  shall  not  be  upon  the  earth ;  for 
the  hour  is  nigh,  and  that  which  was  spoken  by  mine  apostles 
must  be  fulfilled ;  for  as  they  spoke  so  shall  it  come  to  pass ; 
for  I  will  reveal  myself  from  heaven  with  power  and  great 
glory,  with  all  the  hosts  thereof,  and  dwell  in  righteousness 
with  men  on  earth  a.  thousand  years,  and  the  wicked  shall 
not  stand."  n 

/B.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  26:3,  4. 

wB.  of  M.,  3  Nephi  28:7,  8;  see  also  29:2. 

nDoc.   and   Cov.   29:9-11. 


784  JESUS   THE    CHRIST.  .        [CHAP.   42. 

In  the  month  following,  the  Lord  gave  instructions  to 
certain  elders,  concluding  with  these  portentous  words: 

"Wherefore,  be  faithful,  praying  always,  having  your 
lamps  trimmed  and  burning,  and  oil  with  you,  that  you  may 
be  ready  at  the  coming  of  the  Bridegroom :  for  behold,  verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  I  come  quickly.  Even  so. 
Amen."  ' 

Again  we  read  in  a  later  revelation: 

"And  blessed  are  you  because  you  have  believed;  and 
more  blessed  are  you  because  you  are  called  of  me  to  preach 
my  gospel,  to  lift  up  your  voice  as  with  the  sound  of  a 
trump,  both  long  and  loud,  and  cry  repentance  unto  a  crooked 
and  perverse  generation,  preparing  the  way  of  the  Lord  for 
his  second  coming ;  for  behold,  verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
the  time  is  soon  at  hand,  that  I  shall  come  in  a  cloud  with 
power  and  great  glory,  and  it  shall  be  a  great  day  at  the 
time  of  my  coming,  for  all  nations  shall  tremble."  * 

The  Lord  Jesus  addressed  a  general  revelation  to  His 
Church  in  March  1831,  through  which  His  earlier  predic- 
tions uttered  to  the  Twelve  shortly  before  His  betrayal  were 
made  plain,  and  the  assurances  of  His  glorious  coming  were 
thus  reiterated: 

"Ye  look  and  behold  the  fig-trees,  and  ye  see  them  with 
your  eyes,  and  ye  say  when  they  begin  to  shoot  forth,  and 
their  leaves  are  yet  tender,  that  summer  is  now  nigh  at 
hand ;  even  so  it  shall  be  in  that  day  when  they  shall  see  all 
these  things,  then  shall  they  know  that  the  hour  is  nigh. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  he  that  feareth  me  shall  be 
looking  forth  for  the  great  day  of  the  Lord  to  come,  even 
for  the  signs  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man :  And  they 
shall  see  signs  and  wonders,  for  they  shall  be  shown  forth 
in  the  heavens  above,  and  in  the  earth  beneath ;  and  they  shall 
behold  blood,  and  fire,  and  vapors  of  smoke ;  and  before  the 
day  of  the  Lord  shall  come,  the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and 
the  moon  be  turned  into  blood,  and  stars  fall  from  heaven ; 
and  the  remnant  shall  be  gathered  unto  this  place,  and  then 

oDoc.   and  COT.  33:17,   18. 
pDoc.    and    Cov.   34:4-8. 


TODAY   AND   TOMORROW.  785 

they  shall  look  for  me,  and,  behold,  I  will  come;  and  they 
shall  see  me  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  clothed  with  power  and 
great  glory,  with  all  the  holy  angels;  and  he  that  watches 
not  for  me  shall  be  cut  onV's 

So  near  is  the  consummation  that  the  intervening  period 
is  called  "today";  and,  in  applying  this  time  designation  in 
the  year  1831,  the  Lord  said: 

"Behold,  now  it  is  called  today  (until  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man),  and  verily  it  is  a  day  of  sacrifice,  and  a  day 
for  the  tithing  of  my  people ;  for  he  that  is  tithed  shall  not 
be  burned  (at  his  coming)  ;  For  after  today  cometh  the 
burning :  this  is  speaking  after  the  manner  of  the  Lord ;  for 
verily  I  say,  tomorrow  all  the  proud  and  they  that  do  wick- 
edly shall  be  as  stubble ;  and  1  will  burn  them  up,  for  I  am 
the  Lord  of  hosts :  and  I  will  not  spare  any  that  remain  in 
Babylon.  Wherefore,  if  ye  believe  me,  ye  will  labor  while 
it  is  called  today."r 

THE  TIME  AND  ACCOMPANIMENTS  OF  THE)  LORD'S  COMING. 

The  date  of  the  future  advent  of  Christ  has  never  been 
revealed  to  man.  To  the  inquiring  apostles  who  labored 
with  the  Master,  He  said :  "But  of  that  day  and  hour 
knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father 
only."-*  In  the  present  age,  a  similar  declaration  has  been 
made  by  the  Father :  "I,  the  Lord  God,  have  spoken  it,  but 
the  hour  and  the  day  no  man  knoweth,  neither  the  angels  in 
heaven,  nor  shall  they  know  until  he  comes. "*  Only  through 
watchfulness  and  prayer  may  the  signs  of  the  times  be  cor- 
rectly interpreted  and  the  imminence  of  the  Lord's  appearing 
be  apprehended.  To  the  unwatchful  and  the  wicked  the 
event  will  be  as  sudden  and  unexpected  as  the  coming  of  a 
thief  in  the  night.1*  But  we  are  not  left  without  definite 

q  Doc.  and  Cov.  45:37-44;  compare  this  section  with  Matt.  24,  and  Luke 
21:5-36.  See  also  Doc.  and  Cov.  49:23-28. 

rDoc.   and   Cov.   64:23-25. 

s  Matt.   24:36;    compare   Mark   13:32-37;    see  pages   575;   696   herein. 

t  Doc.  and  Cov.  49:7;  the  context  shows  that  the  words  are  those  of 
the  Father. 

«1  Thess.  5:2;  2  Peter  3:10;  compare  Matt.  24:43,  44;  25:13;  Luke  12:39, 
40;  page  575  herein. 


786  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    42. 

information  as  to  precedent  signs.  Biblical  prophecies  bear- 
ing upon  this  subject  we  have  heretofore  considered.^  As 
later  scriptures  affirm :  "Before  the  great  day  of  the  Lord 
shall  come,  Jacob  shall  flourish  in  the  wilderness,  and  the 
Lamanites  shall  blossom  as  the  rose.  Zion  shall  flourish 
upon  the  hills  and  rejoice  upon  the  mountains,  and  shall 
be  assembled  together  unto  the  place  which  I  have  ap- 
pointed. "w  War  shall  become  so  general  that  every 
man  who  will  not  take  arms  against  his  neighbor  must  of 
necessity  flee  to  the  land  of  Zion  for  safety.*  Ephraim  shall 
assemble  in  Zion  on  the  western  continent,  and  Judah  shall 
be  again  established  in  the  east ;  and  the  cities  of  Zion  and 
Jerusalem  shall  be  the  capitals  of  the  world  empire,  over 
which  Messiah  shall  reign  in  undisputed  authority.  The 
Lost  Tribes  shall  be  brought  forth  from  the  place  where  God 
has  hidden  them  through  the  centuries  and  receive  their 
long  deferred  blessings  at  the  hands  of  Ephraim.  The  peo- 
ple of  Israel  shall  be  restored  from  their  scattered  condition.^ 
In  addressing  the  elders  of  His  Church  in  1832,  the  Lord 
urged  upon  them  the  imperative  need  of  devoted  diligence, 
and  said: 

"Abide  ye  in  the  liberty  wherewith  ye  are  made  free; 
entangle  not  yourselves  in  sin  but  let  your  hands  be  clean, 
until  the  Lord  come ;  For  not  many  days  hence  and  the 
earth  shall  tremble  and  reel  to  and  fro  as  a  drunken  man, 
and  the  sun  shall  hide  his  face,  and  shall  refuse  to  give  light, 
and  the  moon  shall  be  bathed  in  blood,  and  the  stars  shall 
become  exceeding  angry,  and  shall  cast  themselves  down  as 
a  fig  that  falleth  from  off  a  fig  tree.  And  after  your  testi- 
mony cometh  wrath  and  indignation  upon  the  people ;  For 
after  your  testimony  cometh  the  testimony  of  earthquakes, 
that  shall  cause  groanings  in  the  midst  of  her,  and  men  shall 
fall  upon  the  ground,  and  shall  not  be  able  to  stand.  And 
also  cometh  the  testimony  of  the  voice  of  thunderings,  and 

v  Page  573. 

wDoc.   and   Cov.  49:24,   25. 

xDoc.  and  Cov.   45:68-71. 

yDoc.  and  Cov.   133:7-14,  21-35;  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xviii  and  xix. 


THE  LORD'S  COMING  NEAR  AT  HAND.  787 

the  voice  of  lightnings,  and  the  voice  of  tempests,  and  the 
voice  of  the  waves  of  the  sea,  heaving  themselves  beyond 
their  bounds.  And  all  things  shall  be  in  commotion;  and 
surely,  men's  hearts  shall  fail  them ;  for  fear  shall  come  upon 
all  people ;  And  angels  shall  fly  through  the  midst  of  heaven, 
crying  with  a  loud  voice,  sounding  the  trump  of  God,  say- 
ing, Prepare  ye,  prepare  ye,  O  inhabitants  of  the  earth ;  for 
the  judgment  of  our  God  is  come :  behold,  and  lo !  the  Bride- 
groom cometh,  go  ye  out  to  meet  him."2  . 

A  characteristic  of  present-day  revelation  is  the  reitera- 
tion of  the  fact  that  the  event  is  nigh  at  hand,  "even  at  the 
doors."  The  fateful  time  is  repeatedly  designated  in  scrip- 
ture, "the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord."a  Fearful 
indeed  will  it  be  to  individuals,  families,  and  nations,  who 
have  so  far  sunk  into  sin  as  to  have  forfeited  their  claim  to 
mercy.  The  time  is  not  that  of  the  final  judgment — when 
the  whole  race  of  mankind  shall  stand  in  the  resurrected 
state  before  the  bar  of  God — nevertheless  it  shall  be  a  time 
of  unprecedented  blessing  unto  the  righteous  and  of  con- 
demnation and  vengeance  upon  the  wicked. b  With  Christ 
shall  come  those  who  have  already  been  resurrected;  and 
His  approach  shall  be  the  means  of  inaugurating  a  general 
resurrection  of  the  righteous  dead,  while  the  pure  and  just 
who  are  still  in  the  flesh  shall  be  instantaneously  changed 
from  the  mortal  to  the  immortal  state  and  shall  be  caught 
up  with  the  newly  resurrected  to  meet  the  Lord  and  His 
celestial  company,  and  shall  descend  with  Him.  To  this 
effect  did  Paul  prophesy :  "Even  so  them  also  which  sleep 

in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him For  the 

Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with 
the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God :  and 
the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first :  Then  we  which  are  alive 
and  remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the 


s  Doc.    and    Cov.    88:86-92. 

oDoc.    and   Cov.    110:14,    16;    compare   Joel   2:31;   Mai.   4:5;   B.   of  M.,   3 
Nephi    25:5. 

&Doc.   and   Cov.   29:11-17. 


788  JESUS  THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   42. 

clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air."c  Compare  the  promise 
made  to  the  Three  Nephites :  "And  ye  shall  never  endure 
the  pains  of  death ;  but  when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory,  ye 
shall  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  from  mortality 
to  immortality. "d  Of  the  superlative  glories  awaiting  the 
righteous  when  the  Lord  shall  come,  we  have  received  in  this 
day  a  partial  description  as  follows :  "And  the  face  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  unveiled;  and  the  saints  that  are  upon  the 
earth,  who  are  alive,  shall  be  quickened,  and  be  caught  up 
to  meet  him."*  The  heathen  nations  shall  be  redeemed  and 
have  part  in  the  first  resurrection/ 

THE)   KINGDOM    OF    HEAVEN   TO   COME. 

The  coming  of  Christ  in  the  last  days,  accompanied  by 
the  apostles  of  old*  and  by  the  resurrected  saints,  is  to  mark 
the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  upon  earth. 
The  faithful  apostles  who  were  with  Jesus  in  His  earthly 
ministry  are  to  be  enthroned  as  judges  of  the  whole  house  of 
Israel  ;*  they  will  judge  the  Nephite  Twelve,  who  in  turn 
will  be  empowered  to  judge  the  descendants  of  Lehi,  or  that 
branch  of  the  Israelitish  nation  which  was  established  upon 
the  western  continent.* 

While  the  expressions  "Kingdom  of  God"  and  "Kingdom 
of  Heaven"  are  used  in  the  Bible  synonymously  or  inter- 
changeably, later  revelation  gives  to  each  a  distinctive  mean- 
ing. The  Kingdom  of  God  is  the  Church  established  by 
divine  authority  upon  the  earth;  this  institution  asserts  no 
claim  to  temporal  rule  over  nations ;  its  sceptre  of  power  is 
that  of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  to  be  used  in  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  and  in  administering  its  ordinances  for  the  salva- 
tion of  mankind  living  and  dead.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven 

c\  Thess.  4:14-17. 

d  B.   of  M.,   3  Nephi  28:8;    see   page  738   herein. 

<?Doc.    and    Cov.    88:95-98. 

f  Note  2,   end  of  chapter. 

g>Doc.    and    Cov.    29:12. 

/tDoc.  and  Cov.  29:12;  compare  Matt.  19:28;  Luke  22:30;  page  479  herein. 

iB.   of  M.,  3  Nephi  27:27;  compare  1   Nephi  12:9,   10;   Mormon  3:18.  19. 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  AND  KINGDOM   OF  HEAVEN.  789 

is  the  divinely  ordained  system  of  government  and  dominion 
in  all  matters,  temporal  and  spiritual ;  this  will  be  established 
on  earth  only  when  its  rightful  Head,  the  King  of  kings, 
Jesus  the  Christ,  comes  to  reign.  His  administration  will 
be  one  of  order,  operated  through  the  agency  of  His  com- 
missioned representatives  invested  with  the  Holy  Priesthood. 
When  Christ  appears  in  His  glory,  and  not  before,  will  be 
realized  a  complete  fulfilment  of  the  supplication :  "Thy 
kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven." 
The  Kingdom  of  God  has  been  established  among  men 
to  prepare  them  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  which  shall 
come ;  and  in  the  blessed  reign  of  Christ  the  King  shall  the 
two  be  made  one.  The  relationship  between  them  has  been 
revealed  to  the  Church  in  this  wise : 


"Hearken,  and  lo,  a  voice  as  of  one  from  on  high,  who 
is  mighty  and  powerful,  whose  going  forth  is  unto  the  ends 
of  the  earth,  yea,  whose  voice  is  unto  men — Prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths  straight.  The  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  are  committed  unto  man  on  the  earth,  and 
from  thence  shall  the  gospel  roll  forth  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  as  the  stone  which  is  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 
hands  shall  roll  forth,  until  it  has  filled  the  whole  earth ;  Yea, 
a  voice  crying — Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  prepare  ye 
the  supper  of  the  Lamb,  make  ready  for  the  Bridegroom; 
Pray  unto  the  Lord,  call  upon  his  holy  name,  make  known 
his  wonderful  works  among  the  people ;  Call  upon  the  Lord, 
that  his  kingdom  maj  go  forth  upon  the  earth,  that  the  in- 
habitants thereof  may  receive  it,  and  be  prepared  for  the 
days  to  come,  in  the  which  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  down 
in  heaven,  clothed  in  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  to  meet  the 
kingdom  of  God  which  is  set  up  on  the  earth ;  Wherefore 
may  the  kingdom  of  God  go  forth,  that  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  may  come,  that  thou,  O  God,  mayest  be  glorified  in 
heaven  so  on  earth,  that  thy  enemies  may  be  subdued ;  for 
thine  is  the  honour,  power  and  glory,  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen."'' 

/  Doc.  and  Cov.  65.  For  a  fuller  treatment  of  this  subject  as  also  the 
distinction  between  Church  and  Kingdom,  see  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xx:16-26. 


790  JESUS    THE    CHRIST.  [CHAP.    42. 

THE  MILLENNIUM. 

The  inauguration  of  Christ's  reign  on  earth  is  to  be  the 
beginning  of  a  period  that  shall  be  distinct  in  many  impor- 
tant particulars  from  all  precedent  and  subsequent  time ;  and 
the  Lord  shall  reign  with  His  people  a  thousand  years.  The 
government  of  individuals,  communities  and  nations  through- 
out this  Millennium  is  to  be  that  of  a  perfect  theocracy,  with 
Jesus  the  Christ  as  Lord  and  King.  The  more  wicked  part 
of  the  race  shall  have  been  destroyed ;  and  during  the  period 
Satan  shall  be  bound  "that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no 
more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled" ;  while 
the  just  shall  share  with  Christ  in  rightful  rule  and  dominion. 
The  righteous  dead  shall  have  come  forth  from  their  graves, 
while  the  wicked  shall  remain  unresurrected  until  the  thou- 
sand years  be  past.*  Men  yet  in  the  flesh  shall  mingle  with 
immortalized  beings;  children  shall  grow  to  maturity  and 
then  die  in  peace  or  be  changed  to  immortality  "in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye."7  There  shall  be  surcease  of  enmity 
between  man  and  beast ;  the  venom  of  serpents  and  the 
ferocity  of  the  brute  creation  shall  be  done  away,  and  love 
shall  be  the  dominant  power  of  control.  Among  the  earliest 
revelations  on  the  subject  is  that  given  to  Enoch ;  and  in 
this  the  return  of  that  prophet  and  his  righteous  people  with 
Christ  in  the  last  days  was  thus  assured : 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  Enoch :  Then  shalt  thou  and  all 
thy  city  meet  them  there,  and  we  will  receive  them  into  our 
bosom,  and  they  shall  see  us ;  and  we  will  fall  upon  their 
necks,  and  they  shall  fall  upon  our  necks,  and  we  will  kiss, 
each  other;  And  there  shall  be  mine  abode,  and  it  shall  be 
Zion,  which  shall  come  forth  out  of  all  the  creations  which 
I  have  made;  and  for  the  space  of  a  thousand  years  the 
earth  shall  rest.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  Enoch  saw  the 
day  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  in  the  last  days,  to 
dwell  on  the  earth  in  righteousness  for  the  space  of  a 
thousand  years."m 

k  Rev.    20:1-6;    compare    Doc.    and    Cov.    43:18. 

/Doc.    and    Cov.    63:50-51;    101:30;    compare    1    Cor.    15:51-57. 

mP.    of   G.    P.,   Moses   7:63-65. 


THE    MILLENNIUM.  791 

% 

In  these  latter  days  the  Lord  has  thus  spoken,  requiring 
preparation  for  the  Millennial  era,  and  describing  in  part 
the  glories  thereof : 

"And  prepare  for  the  revelation  which  is  to  come,  when 
the  veil  of  the  covering  of  my  temple,  in  my  tabernacle, 
which  hideth  the  earth,  shall  be  taken  off,  and  all  flesh  shall 
see  me  together.  And  every  corruptible  thing,  both  of  man, 
or  of  the  beasts  of  the  field,  or  of  the  fowls  of  the  heavens, 
or  of  the  fish  of  the  sea,  that  dwell  upon  all  the  face  of  the 
earth,  shall  be  consumed;  And  also  that  of  element  shall 
melt  with  fervent  heat ;  and  all  things  shall  become  new,  that 
my  knowledge  and  glory  may  dwell  upon  all  the  earth.  And 
in  that  day  the  enmity  of  man,  and  the  enmity  of  beasts,  yea, 
the  enmity  of  all  flesh,  shall  cease  from  before  .my  face.  And 
in  that  day  whatsoever  any  man  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  given 
unto  him.  And  in  that  day  Satan  shall  not  have  power  to 
tempt  any  man.  And  there  shall  be  no  sorrow  because  there 
is  no  death.  In  that  day  an  infant  shall  not  die  until  he  is 
old,  and  his  life  shall  be  as  the  age  of  a  tree,  and  when  he 
dies  he  shall  not  sleep,  (that  is  to  say  in  the  earth,)  but  shall 
be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  shall  be  caught 
up,  and  his  rest  shall  be  glorious.  Yea,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  in  that  day  when  the  Lord  shall  come,  he  shall  reveal 
all  things."" 

The  Millennium  is  to  precede  the  time  designated  in 
scriptural  phrase  "the  end  of  the  world."  When  the 
thousand  years  are  passed,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  for  a  little 
season,  and  the  final  test  of  man's  integrity  to  God  shall 
ensue.  Such  as  are  prone  to  impurity  of  heart  shall  yield 
to  temptation  while  the  righteous  shall  endure  to  the  end.0  A 
revelation  to  this  effect  was  given  the  Church  in  1831,  in 
part  as  follows : 

"For  the  great  Millennium,  of  which  I  have  spoken  by 
the  mouth  of  my  servants,  shall  come ;  For  Satan  shall  be 
bound,  and  when  he  is  loosed  again,  he  shall  only  reign  for  a 
little  season,  and  then  cometh  the  end  of  the  earth ;  And 
he  that  liveth  in  righteousness  shall  be  changed  in  the  twink- 

n  Doc.    and    Cov.    101:23-32;    compare    Isa.    65:17-25    and    11:6-9;    see    also 
Doc.   and  Cov.   29:11,  22;   43:30;   63:51. 
0Rev.    20:7-15. 


792  JESUS   THE   CHRIST.  [CHAP.   42. 

i 

ling  of  an  eye,  and  the  earth  shall  pass  away  so  as  by  fire; 
And  the  wicked  shall  go  away  into  unquenchable  fire,  and 
their  end  no  man  knoweth  on  earth,  nor  ever  shall  know, 
until  they  come  before  me  in  judgment.  Hearken  ye  to 
these  words :  Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  Treasure  these  things  up  in  your  hearts,  and  let  the 
solemnities  of  eternity  rest  upon  your  minds. "^ 

THE  CELESTIAL  CONSUMMATION. 

The  vanquishment  of  Satan  and  his  hosts  shall  be  com- 
plete. The  dead,  small  and  great,  all  who  have  breathed 
the  breath  of  life  on  earth,  shall  be  resurrected — every  soul 
that  has  tabernacled  in  flesh,  whether  good  or  evil — and 
shall  stand  before  God,  to  be  judged  according  to  the  record 
as  written  in  the  books.?  So  shall  be  brought  to  glorious 
consummation  the  mission  of  the  Christ.  "Then  cometh  the 
end,  when  he  shall  have  delivered  up  the  kingdom  to  God, 
even  the  Father ;  when  he  shall  have  put  down  all  rule  and 
all  authority  and  power.  For  he  must  reign,  till  he  hath  put 
all  enemies  under  his  feet.  The  last  enemy  that  shall  be 
destroyed  is  death.  For  he  hath  put  all  things  under  his 
feet."r  Then  shall  the  Lord  Jesus  "deliver  up  the  kingdom, 
and  present  it  unto  the  Father  spotless,  saying — I  have  over- 
come and  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone,  even  the  wine- 
press of  the  fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God.  Then 
shall  he  be  crowned  with  the  crown  of  his  glory,  to  sit  on 
the  throne  of  his  power  to  reign  for  ever  and  ever."*  The 
earth  shall  pass  to  ifs  glorified  and  celestialized  condition,  an 
eternal  abode  for  the  exalted  sons  and  daughters  of  God.' 
Forever  shall  they  reign,  kings  and  priests  to  the  Most  High, 
redeemed,  sanctified,  and  exalted  through  their  Lord  and  God 

JESUS  THE  CHRIST. 

p  Doc.  and  Cov.  43:30-34.     See  also  "Articles  of  Faith,"  xx:27-31. 

q  Rev.   20:11-15. 

rl    Cor.     15:24-27. 

j  Doc.   and  Cov.   76:107,   108. 

/  Note  3,   end   of  chapter. 


NOTES.  793 


NOTES  TO  CHAPTER  42. 

1.  Enoch,  spoken  of  by  Jude  as  "the  seventh  from  Adam/* 
was  the  father  of  Methuselah.     In  Genesis  5:24  we  read:    "And 
Enoch   walked   with   God;   and  he  was   not;    for   God   took  him." 
From   the    Lord's    revelation   to    Moses    we    learn   that   Enoch    was 
a  mighty  man,   favored  of  God  because  of  his  righteousness,  and 
a   leader   of   and   revelator  to   his   people.     Through   his   agency   a 
city    was    built,    the    inhabitants    of    which    excelled    in    righteous 
living   to    such    an    extent   that   they   were    of    one    heart    and    one 
mind   and   had  no  poor  among  them.     It   was   called   the   City   of 
Holiness   or   Zion.     The   residue   of   the   race   were   all   corrupt   in 
the   sight   of   the   Lord.     Enoch   and   his   people   were   taken    from 
the  earth  and  are  to  return  with  Christ  at  His  coming.     (P.  of  G. 
P.,  Moses  7:12-21,  68,  69;  compare  Doc.  and  Cov.  45:11,  12.) 

2.  Heathen  in  the  First  Resurrection. — "And  then  shall  the 
heathen   nations   be   redeemed,    and   they   that   knew   no    law    shall 
have   part  in   the   first   resurrection ;   and   it   shall   be   tolerable    for 
them."      (Doc.   and  Cov.  45:54.)       Such  is  the   word  of  the   Lord 
with    respect    to    those    benighted    peoples    who    live    and    die    in 
ignorance    of    the    laws    of    the    gospel.       This    affirmation    is    sus- 
tained   by   other    scriptures,    and    by   a   consideration    of    the   prin- 
ciples of  true  justice  according  to  which  humanity  is  to  be  judged. 
Man     shall     be     accounted     blameless     or     guilty     according     to 
his  deeds   as   interpreted   in   the   light  of   the   law  under   which   he 
is   required  to   live.     It   is   inconsistent   with   our   conception   of 
a    just    God    to    believe    Him    capable    of    inflicting    condemnation 
upon    any   one    for   non-compliance    with    a    requirement   of    which 
the    person    had    no    knowledge.       Nevertheless,    the    taws    of    the 
gospel   cannot  be   suspended  even   in  the   case  of  those   who  have 
sinned  in  darkness  and  ignorance;  but  it  is  reasonable  to  believe 
that  the   plan  of   redemption   shall   afford   such   benighted   ones   an 
opportunity  of  learning  the  laws  of  God  ;  and,  as   fast  as  they  so 
learn,    will    obedience   be    required    on    pain    of    the    penalty.       See 
Articles  of  Faith,  xxi  :33. 

3.  Regeneration  of  the  Earth. — In  speaking  of  the  graded 
and    progressive    glories    provided    for    His    creations,    and    of    the 
laws  of  regeneration  and  sanctification,  the  Lord  has  thus  spoken 
through  revelation  in  the  present  dispensation  :     "And  again,  verily 
I     say    unto     you,     the     earth     abideth     the     law     of     a     celestial 
kingdom,    for    it    filleth    the    measure    of    its    creation,    and    trans- 
gresseth    not    the    law.      Wherefore    it    shall    be    sanctified;    yea, 
notwithstanding  it  shall  die,  it  shall  be  quickened  again,  and  shall 
abide  the  power  by  which  it  is  quickened,  and  the  righteous  shall 
inherit  it."       (Doc.  and   Cov.  88:25,  26.)       This  appointed  change, 
by  which  the  earth   shall   pass   to   the  condition   of   a  celestialized 
world,  is  referred  to  in  numerous  scriptures  as  the  institution  of 
"a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth"  (Rev.  21:1,  3,  4;  B.  of  M.,  Ether 
13:9;  Doc.  and  Cov.  29:23). 


INDEX 


Aaronic  Priesthood,  restored  by  John 
the  Baptist,  768;  its  powers,  768. 

Ablutions,     ceremonial,     366. 

Abraham,    Children    of,    409. 

Abraham,  Christ's  seniority  over,  410, 
411. 

Aceldama,     the    field    of    blood,    643. 

Adam,  the  first  man,  18;  his  trans- 
gression, 19;  revelation  to,  44. 

Adulteress    brought    to    Christ,    405. 

Adulterous  generation  of  sign-seek- 
ers, 270,  279,  359. 

Agency,  free,  of  unembodied  spirits, 
8,  17;  of  man,  17,  29. 

American  Indians,  progenitors  of,  49, 
56,  742,  757. 

Ananias,    ministers    to    Saul,    714. 

Andrew,  follows  Christ,  140;  one  of  the 
Twelve,  221. 

Annas,    high    priest,    621,    643. 

Announcemeht  of  Christ  by  the 
Father,  39,  126,  371,  725,  761;  of 
Christ's  birth  to  shepherds,  93.  See 
Annunciation. 

Annunciation  by  Gabriel,  to  Zacharias, 
76;  to  Mary  the  Virgin,  79;  by 
angel  to  shepherds,  93. 

Antemortal  Godship  of  Jesus  Christ, 
32. 

Antemortal  state,  graded  intelligences 
in,  14. 

Antipas,    Herod,    110,    118,    446,    635. 

Antonia,    tower    or    fortress    of,    441. 

Apostasy,  the  great,  745;  among  Ne- 
phites,  741. 

Apostles,  the  Twelve,  chosen  and  or- 
dained,  217;  individually  consid- 
ered, 218;  general  characteristics 
of,  226;  compared  with  disciples, 
227;  charged  and  sent  forth,  327, 
328;  their  return,  331;  futile  attempt 
of  to  heal,  379;  as  stewards,  441, 
576;  Christ's  final  commission  to, 
695,  696;  imprisoned,  707;  delivered 
by  an  angel,  707;  scourged  for  their 
testimony,  709. 

Apostleship,  227,  228;  restored  in  pres- 
ent dispensation,  769. 


Apostolic  ministry,  the,  700;  close  of, 
716. 

Appearances  of  the  risen  Lord  to  mor- 
tals before  the  ascension,  699. 

Archelaus,    110,    118. 

Arrest  of  Jesus,  attempted  but  unac- 
complished, 403;  effected  through 
betrayal,  614. 

Ascension,    Christ's,    697. 

Ass,  Christ  rides  upon,  514;  as  pre- 
dicted, 517. 

Athanasius,   creed  of,   756. 

Atonement,  the,  a  vicarious  sacrifice, 
21. 

Authority,  in  Holy  Priesthood,  362;  of 
Elias  and  Elijah,  375;  of  Twelve, 
attested,  392;  of  Christ,  challenged, 
530;  Christ  as  one  having,  249; 
Christ's  ascribed  to  Beelzebub,  265. 

Baptism,  by  John  the  Baptist,  122. 
163,  531;  of  Christ  by  John,  125; 
enjoined  upon  Nephites  by  Christ, 
725;  mode  of,  726;  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  Oliver  Cowdery,  768;  as  re- 
quired in  the  Church  today,  769. 

Baptist,    see  John    the    Baptist. 

Barabbas,    637. 

Barnabas,  sponsor  for  Saul  or  Paul, 
714. 

Bartholomew,    see    Nathanael. 

Bartimeus,     healed    of    blindness,    505. 

Beatitudes,    the,    230. 

Beelzebub,  Christ's  authority  ascribed 
to,  265. 

Benedictus,    the,   78. 

Bethany,  Jesus  at,  432,  448;  the  family 
home  at,  522. 

Bethesda,    Pool    of,   206. 

Bethlehem,  birthplace  of  Christ,  92; 
slaughter  of  children  in,  100. 

Bethphage,    513,    526. 

Bethsaida,  258,  332,  346;  Julias,  360. 

Betrayal  of  Christ;  foretold,  594;  ef- 
fected by  Judas  Iscariot,  614. 

Betrothal,   Jewish,   88. 

Blasphemy,  201;  Christ  charged  with, 
193,  489;  Christ  falsely  convicted  of. 


INDEX. 


795 


Blessing  of  children,   485;   among   Ne- 

phites,    730. 
Blindness,    bodily    and     spiritual,    412, 

416. 
Bloody   sweat,   Christ's,  612;   reality   of 

affirmed,    613,    620. 

Book   of  Mormon,   original   of,   742,   767. 
Bountiful,   Land  of,   724. 
Bread  of  Life,  Jesus  Christ  the,  340. 
Bridegroom,    friend    of    the,    171. 
Brother   of   Jared,    12. 
Burial    of    Jesus,    664. 

Cse"sar,  paying  tribute  to,  545;  Jews 
would  have  no  king  but,  641,  648. 

Ctesarea  Philippi,  coasts  of,  368;  Pales- 
tina,  631. 

Caiaphas,  high  priest;  his  inspired  ut- 
terance, 498;  his  tenure  of  office, 
501;  Christ  before,  621;  the  apostles 
before,  706. 

Called    and    chosen,    540. 

Calvary,    654,    667. 

Camel  and  needle's   eye,  478,   485. 

Capernaum,  181,  186;  our  Lord's  last 
sermon  in  synagog  at,  339. 

Capitation    tax,    383. 

Celestial    marriage,    564. 

Cephas,    see    Peter. 

Ceremonial   ablutions,   366. 

Child,  as  a  little,  386;  humility  illus- 
trated by  a,  387. 

Childlike  and  childish,  distinction  be- 
tween, 387. 

Children,  precious  in  sight  of  God, 
387;  blessed  by  Christ,  475,  485;  of 
Nephites  blessed  by  risen  Lord, 
729. 

Chorazin,  woe  decreed  to,  258. 

Chosen    or    only    called,    540. 

Christ,    see   Jesus   Christ. 

Christ  and  Messiah,  significance  of 
the  titles,  36. 

Christians,    early   persecutions    of,    746. 

Church    discipline    of    individuals,    391. 

Church  of  England,  origin  of,  751; 
affirms  great  apostasy,  753. 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ;  foundation  of, 
361;  rapid  growth  of  Primitive,  705. 
707,  712;  name  of,  736;  among  Ne- 
phites, 737;  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
establishment  of,  769. 
Churches  of  man's  making,  752. 


Circumcision,    88. 

Clay,  applied  to  blind  man's  eyes,  413. 

Clearing  of  the  temple,  the  first,  153; 
the  second,  527. 

Cleopas,    685. 

Coasts,    as    descriptive    term,    368. 

Coin,  image  and  superscription  on, 
546,  563;  in  mouth  of  a  fish,  385. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  his  mission, 
754,  757. 

Comforter  promised,  603,  606;  given, 
702. 

Commandment,    the    great,    '549. 

Common    ownership,    705,    718. 

Common  people,  attentive  to  hear 
Christ,  529. 

Confession,    the    great,    361. 

Congenital    blindness    healed,    413. 

Consent,  common,  observed  in  Primi- 
tive Church,  702,  718;  in  the  Church 
today,  778. 

Consistency  of  Church's  claims,  779. 

Conspiracy  of  Pharisees  and  Herod- 
ians,  544. 

Constantine  the  Great,  gives  state  rec- 
ognition to  Christianity,  746. 

Constitution  of  the  United  States,  a 
necessary  preliminary  to  the  res- 
toration of  the  gospel,  755. 

Consummation,    the    celestial,    792. 

Contention    forbidden,    726. 

Corban,   352,  366. 

Corner  stone,  Jesus  the  chief,  535,  706. 

Cost,    counting    the,    452. 

Council,   the  Jewish,   see  Sanhedrin. 

Council  in  Heaven,  primeval,  9,   15. 

Court  of  the  Women,  in  temple,  407, 
422. 

Cowdery,  Oliver,  ordained  with  Joseph 
Smith,  767;  witness  of  heavenly 
manifestations,  774. 

Creator,    Jesus    Christ    the,    33. 

Creed  of  Athanasius,   756. 

Cross,  figurative,  365;  of  Christ,  borne 

by  Simon,   653. 
Crucifixion,    655,    667;    of   Jesus    Christ, 

654;   hour  of,   668. 

Cumorah,  scene  of  last  Nephite  battle, 
742;  Book  of  Mormon  plates  taken 
from,  767. 

Cups  and  platters,  ceremonial  cleans* 
ing  of,  437. 

Dark   ages,    the,    749. 


796 


INDEX. 


Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  Christ's  la- 
mentation over,  653,  666. 

David,  Son  of,   see  Son  of  David. 

Dead,  gospel  preached  to,  24;  minis- 
tered unto  by  Jesus  Christ,  672,  673; 
missionary  labor  amongst,  674;  vi- 
carious labor  for  in  Church  today, 
777. 

Death,  inaugurated  by  Satan,  20;  over- 
come by  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
20;  and  resurrection  of  Christ  pre- 
dicted, 381,  382,  accomplished,  662, 
678. 

Decapolis,  637;  Jesus  in  coasts  of,  356. 

Dedication,  feast  of,  487,  499;  Jesus  at, 
487. 

Defilement,    things   that   cause,   352. 

Degeneracy,  bodily,  incident  to  the  fall 
of  man,  19,  29. 

Demoniacal  possession,  183. 

Demons,  acclaim  the  Christ,  181,  310, 
312. 

Devil,  Jesus  charged  as  possessed  of  a, 
401,  411. 

Didrachm,  383. 

Disciples  and  apostles,   227. 

Disciples,  instructed,  438,  461;  require- 
ments of,  452. 

Discipline  of  individuals  in  Church, 
391. 

Disembodied  spirits,  Christ  among,  670. 

Dispensation  of  fulness  of  times,  777; 
ushered  in,  763. 

Dives  and  Lazarus,  483. 

Divorce  and  marriage,  473;  views  con- 
cerning, 484. 

Doctrine,  test  of  the  Lord's,  400,  421; 
Christ's,  as  declared  to  Nephites, 
726. 

Dogs   that   eat   of  the   crumbs,   367. 

Door  to  the  sheepfold,  Christ  the,  417. 

Dove,  sign  of,  126,  150. 

Dust,  shaking  from  feet  as  a  testi- 
mony, 345. 

Earth,  regeneration  of,  322,  793. 

Eating,  spiritual  symbolism  of,  343,  347; 
with  unwashen  hands,  351. 

Ecce  Homo,   639. 

Egypt,  flight  into,  100;  return  from,  110. 

Elders   and   high   priests,  644. 

Elias,  John  Baptist  an,  374;  and  Elijah, 
375;  spirit  and  power  of,  376;  ap- 
pearing of  in  Kirtland  Temple,  775. 


Elijah,   and   Moses   at   transfiguration,. 

371;    and    Elias,    375;    appearance    of 

in  Kirtland  Temple,  775. 
Elisabeth,  mother  of  John  the  Baptist, 

75,   78;   visited  by  Mary   the  Virgin, 

82. 

Elohim,  38. 
Emmaus,     Christ     and     two     disciples 

journey   to,  685. 

Enoch,   44,   143,   793;  promise   to,    relat- 
ing to  Christ's   second  coming,   790* 
Enrolment  at  Bethlehem,  91. 
Ephraim,   Jesus   in    retirement   at,   498* 
Essenes,    67. 

Estate  of  man,  first  and  second,  7. 
Eternal     Father,    The,    a    resurrected, 

exalted   Being,   143,   151. 
Eve,  beguiled  by  Satan,  19. 
Evenings,    earlier    and    later,    346. 

Faith,  active,  as  compared  with  pass- 
ive belief,  319;  a  gift  from  God,  347; 
quality  of,  381;  nothing  impossible 
to,  395;  in  behalf  of  others,  395;  as 
to  quantity  and  quality,  469;  cf 
Nephites,  strong,  733. 

Fall  of  man  19;  a  process  of  bodily 
degeneracy,  19;  redemption  from 
wrought  by  Jesus  Christ,  20,  31. 

Fasting  and  prayer,  power  gained  by,. 
381. 

Father,  the  Eternal,  proclaims  the 
Son,  Jesus  Christ,  126,  371;  to  Ne- 
phites, 725;  to  Joseph  Smith,  761. 

Feast,  of  Dedication,  487,  499;  of  Tab- 
ernacleso  400,  419;  of  the  Passover,. 
112,  167;  the  traditional  Messianic.. 
538. 

Few  or  many  to  be  saved,  445. 

Fig  tree,  541;  cursed,  524;  symbol  of 
Judaism,  527;  and  other  trees,  les- 
son from,  754;  as  a  type  in  modern 
revelation,  784. 

First   may   be  last,  478. 

Fishers  of  men,   197,  202. 

Foreknowledge  of  God,  not  a  deter- 
mining cause,  18,  28. 

Foreordination    of    Jesu.;    Christ,    6. 

Forgiveness,  duty  respecting,  391;  un- 
limited requirement  of,  393;  mu- 
tual, 525. 

Fox,  Herod  Antipas  referred  to  39, 
446,  636. 

Free    agency,    of    unembodied    spirits,. 


INDEX. 


97 


8,   17;  of  mnn,   17,  29. 

Gabriel's  annunciation,  of  John  and  of 
Jesus,  75;  to  Mary  the  Virgin,  79. 

Gadarenes  and  Gergesenes,  land  of,  323. 

Galilean'  ministry,  beginnirfg  of,  144; 
close  of,  398. 

Galileans,  68;  slain  in  temple  courts,  441. 

Galilee,  sea  of,  165;  the  risen  Lord  ap- 
pears at  sea  of,  691,  appears  on 
mountain  in,  694. 

Gamaliel,  his  advice  to  the  council, 
709;  tutor  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  712. 

Genealogies    of    Christ,    85,    89. 

Gennesaret,   sea  or  lake  of,   165. 

Gentiles,  345;  to  become  great  on  west- 
ern continent,  •  733. 

Gergesenes  and  Gadarenes,  land  of,  323. 

Gethsemane,  620;  Christ's  agony  in, 
610;  His  arrest  in,  614. 

Goats    and    sheep,    figurative,    584. 

God's  foreknowledge  not  a  determin- 
ing cause  of  action,  18,  28. 

Godhead,    three   Personages    in,   32. 

Godship  of  Jesus  Christ,  antemortal,  32. 

Golgotha,   654,    667. 

Gospels,  the  four,  166;    the  synoptic,  166. 

Graded  conditions  in  the  hereafter,  601. 

Graded  intelligences  in  antemortal 
state,  14. 

Great   commandment,    the,   549. 

Greeks,  as  Gentiles,  345;  certain  ones 
visit  Jesus,  518. 

Happiness    and    pleasure,    231,    247. 

Heathen  to  be  redeemed;  their  part  in 
first  resurrection,  793. 

Hem   of   garment,   346. 

Henry  VIII,  head  of  Church  of  Eng- 
land, 751. 

Herder,    the    hireling,    417. 

Herod,  the  Great,  97,  106;  temple  of, 
73;  Antipas,  110,  118,  referred  to  as 
"fox,"  446;  Christ  before,  635. 

Herodians,  68;  in  conspiracy  with  Phar- 
isees, 544. 

Herodias,    259. 

High    Priestly    Prayer,    Christ's,    609. 

High   priests    and   elders,    644. 

Holy  Ghost,  sin  against,  269,  278;  prom- 
ised to  apostles,  603;  investiture  of 
apostles  by,  at  Pentecost,  702. 

Homily  against  Idolatry,  affirming  the 
apostasy,  753. 

Hosanna   shout,  516,   523. 


Hyrum    Smith,    martyred,    776. 

I  AM,  36;  Jesus  Christ,  the,  411. 

Image   on   the  coin,   546,  563. 

Indians,   American,   progenitors   of,   49,. 

56.    742,    757. 

Inquisition,    court    of    the,    750. 
Isaiah,  Messianic  predictions  by,    46,  47. 
Iscariot,    see  Judas   Iscariot. 
Israel   and   Judah,    kingdoms    of,   59. 

Jacob's  prophecy  concerning  Shiloh,  54. 

Jahveh,    see    Jehovah. 

James  and  John,  sons  of  Zebedee,  called, 
198;  members  of  the  Twelve,  219; 
minister  with  Peter  in  modern  days, 
219,  768;  their  aspiring  desire,  503; 
mother  of,  521. 

James,  son  of  Alpheus,  one  of  the 
Twelve,  224. 

Jared,  brother  of;  his  interview  with 
the  unembodied  Christ,  12. 

Jaredites,   16. 

Jehovah,  significance  of  the  name,  36,. 
41,  411. 

Jeremiah,  Messianic  prophecies  by,  47. 

Jericho,  521. 

Jerusalem,  Christ's  triumphal  entry  in- 
to, 513;  destruction  of,  predicted, 
569,  accomplished,  586;  the  Lord's 
lamentation  over,  560;  daughters 
of,  Christ's  lamentation  over,  653, 
666. 

Jesus  the  Christ,  as  Man  and  Christ,  1. 

Jesus  Christ,  preexistence  and  foreor- 
dination  of,  6;  the  Only  Begotten  of 
the  Father  in  the  flesh,  8,  13,  81 ;  the 
Word,  10;  Word  of  God>*ower,  10  r 
His  supremacy  over  Abraham,  11, 
410,  411;  His  power  over  death,  22, 
23,  418;  antemortal  Godship  of,  32; 
the  Creator,  33;  names  and  titles  of,. 
35;  predicted,  42;  annunciation  of, 
79;  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem,  91;  birth 
of,  91;  birth  announced  to  shepherds, 
93;  circumcision  and  naming  of,  95; 
presentation  in  temple,  95;  testimo- 
ny of  Simeon  and  Anna  regarding, 
97;  birth  made  known  to  Nephites, 
100;  time  of  birth  of,  102,  109;  boy- 
hood of,  111;  in  attendance  at  Pass- 
over when  twelve  years  old,  113; 
with  the  doctors  in  the  temple,  114; 
of  Nazareth,  117;  baptism  of,  125; 


798 


INDEX. 


descent  of  Holy   Ghost,   upon,   126; 
temptations    of,    127;    first    clearing 
of   temple    by,    154;    an    offender    to 
many,    254,    274;    unique    status    of, 
384;    His   brethren,    interview    with, 
398;  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  399; 
rejected    in    Samaria,    423;     at    the 
home  in  Bethany,  448;  blesses  little 
children,    475;    the   ennobler   of   wo- 
man,   484;    at    feast    of    Dedication, 
487;   accused  of  blasphemy,  489;   in 
retirement    at    Ephraim,    498;    pre- 
dicts   His    death    and    resurrection, 
363,  372,  381,  502,  518,  586;  called  Son 
of    David,    80,    86,    320,    354,    505,    515, 
529;    triumphal    entry    into    Jerusa- 
lem, 513;   Prince  of  Peace,  517;  vis- 
ited   by    certain    Greeks,    518;    His 
second  clearing  of  temple,  527;  His 
authority   challenged,   530;    close   of 
His  public  ministry,  544;  His  lam- 
entation   over   Jerusalem,    560;    His 
final   withdrawal   from   temple,   562; 
specific  prediction  of  His  death,   586; 
foretells     His     betrayal,     594;     His 
agony  in  Gethsemane,  610;  His  be- 
trayal and  arrest,  614;  Jewish  trial 
of,    621;    falsely    convicted    of   blas- 
phemy,  629;   appearance   before   Pi- 
late,   first,    631,    second,   636;    before 
Herod  Antipas,  635;  delivered  up  to 
be    crucified,    639;    His    crucifixion, 
654;  His  burial,  664;  physical  cause 
of  death  of,  668;  after  resurrection 
appears    to    Mary    Magdalene    and 
other  women,  681;  to  two  disciples 
on    road    to    Emmaus,    685;    to    ten 
apostles  and  others,  in  whose  pres- 
ence Repeats,  687;  to  Peter,  687;   to 
the  Eleven,  689;  His  ascension  from 
Olivet,  697;  His  death  signalized  on 
American    continent,    721;    giver    of 
the   law   to   Moses,   728;    visitations 
to  Nephites,  724,  731,  736;  ministers 
to   Joseph    Smith,    761,    774;    revela- 
tions from  in  current  dispensation, 
770;    second    advent    of,    780. 
Jesus    of    Nazareth    the    King    of    the 

Jews,  87,  90,  657. 
Jewish   exclusiveness,    61. 
Jews,  Christ  the  King  of,  657. 
John  the  Baptist,  birth  announced,  76; 
circumcision  and  naming  of,  78;  the 
forerunner,    75,    122;    regarded   as   a 


Nazarite,  87;  in  the  wilderness,  121; 
baptizes  Jesus  Christ,  125;  his  tes- 
timony of  Jesus,  138,  150,  164;  his 
message  to  Jesus,  252;  Christ's  tes- 
timony concerning,  256;  imprison- 
ment of,  252;  death  of,  259;  great- 
ness of  his  mission,  275;  the  Elias 
that  was  to  come,  257,  276;  restores 
Aaronic  Priesthood  in  modern  time, 
768. 

John,  son  of  Zebedee,  follows  Christ, 
140;  called,  198;  one  of  the  Twelve, 
220;  his  testimony  regarding  the 
graded  development  of  Jesus,  119; 
with  Peter  at  sepulchre  of  Jesus, 
679;  to  tarry  in  the  flesh  until 
Christ's  second  .coming,  694;  the 
Revelator,  716. 

John  and  James,  see  James  and  John. 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  assists  in  burial 

of  Christ's  body,  664. 
Joseph  and  Mary  the  Virgin,  espoused, 
84;   married,  85;    genealogies   of,  85, 
89. 

Joseph  Smith,  758;  his  perplexity  over 
sectarian  strife,  759;  his  prayer 
for  light,  760;  visited  by  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  761;  persecution  of, 
762;  visited  by  Moroni,  765;  receives 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  768;  receives 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  768;  again 
visited  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
774;  visited  by  Moses,  Elias  and 
Elijah,  775;  martyred,  776. 
Judah  and  Israel,  kingdoms  of,  59. 
Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  Twelve,  225; 
his  complaint  against  waste  of  oint- 
ment, 512;  in  conspiracy  with  Jew- 
ish rulers,  592;  goes  out  to  betray 
Christ,  598;  his  betrayal  of  Christ, 
614;  his  maddening  remorse  and 
suicide,  642;  views  concerning  his 
character,  649. 

Judas  Thaddeus,  or  Lebbeus,  one  of 
the  Twelve,  224,  228;  his  inquiry, 
603. 

Judean   and   Perean   ministry,    423,   419. 
Judgment,    the   inevitable,   584. 

Keys,  of  kingdom  of  heaven,  361;  sym- 
bolical of  power  in  Jewish  litera- 
ture, 362. 

King  of  the  Jews,  Christ  the.  87,  90,  657. 

Kingdom  of  God  and  kingdom  of  heav- 
en, 788. 


INDEX. 


799 


Kirtland  Temple,  scene  of  heavenly 
manifestations,  773. 

Lamanites    and    Nephites,    49,    55. 

Lamanites,  progenitors  of  American 
Indians,  49,  56,  742,  757;  promise 
concerning,  786. 

Lamentation   over   Jerusalem,   560. 

Last  may   be  first,   478. 

Last  Supper,  the,  592. 

Latter-day  Saints,  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of,  769. 

Law,   the,   and   the   gospel,  234. 

Law  of  Moses,  rabbinical  divisions  of, 
564;  Christ  the  giver  of,  728;  ful- 
filled, as  Christ  declared  to  Ne- 
phites, 723,  728. 

Lawyer    questions    Christ,    429. 

Lawyers  and  Pharisees,  Christ's  criti- 
cism on,  436. 

Lazarus  and  Dives,  483. 

Lazarus    restored    to   life,    490. 

Leaven,  of  evil,  359;  of  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  359. 

Leper,  Simon  the,  511. 

Lepers,   ten   healed,  470. 

Leprosy,    189,    199. 

Levi    Matthew,    see    Matthew. 

Levirate  marriages,  548. 

Light  of   the   World,   Jesus   the,   407. 

Living   water,    figurative,   403. 

Lord's    Day,    the,   690. 

Lord's   doctrine,    test   of,   421. 

Lord's   High  Priestly  prayer,   the,  609. 

Lord's    Prayer,    the,   238. 

Lord's  Supper,  Sacrament  of  the,  596.' 

Love,  mutual,  enjoined  on  apostles,  599. 

Lucifer,    see  Satan. 

Luther,  Martin,  750. 

Maccabean   revolt,  60. 

Magnificat,   the,   83. 

Magi,    see   Wise   men. 

Malachi,  his  predictions  misunderstood, 
149;  fulfilled,  775. 

Malchus,  wounded  by  Peter,  healed  by 
Jesus,  616. 

Malefactor,   the  penitent,   659,  671. 

Mammon  of  unrighteousness,  463,  483. 

Man,  preexistence  of,  6,  17;  an  embod- 
ied spirit,  18;  fall  of,  19,  29;  free 
agency  of,  18,  29. 

Man  of  Holiness,  and  Man  of  Counsel, 
names  of  the  Eternal  Father,  143. 


Man,  The  Son  of,  142. 

Manna,    traditions   concerning,   347. 

Mansions,  many  in  the  Father's  house, 
601. 

Many   or   few   to  be   saved,   445. 

Marriage   and   divorce,   473. 

Marriage  for  eternity,  564. 

Marriages,   levirate,  548. 

Martha  and  Mary,  432;  at  house  of 
Simon  the  leper,  511. 

Mary  and  Joseph,  see  Joseph  and 
Mary. 

Mary  anoints  Jesus  with  spikenard, 
512. 

Mary  Magdalene,  defended  against 
traditional  aspersions,  264;  at  sep- 
ulchre, 679;  first  to  behold  the  risen 
Lord,  681. 

Matthew,  or  Levi,  called,  193;  gives  a 
feast,  194;  one  of  the  Twelve,  222. 

Matthias  ordained  to  apostleship,  700. 

Melchizedek  Priesthood,  Jesus  Christ 
holds  the,  552;  restored  .by  Peter, 
James  and  John,  768. 

Meridian  of  Time,  57. 

Messiah,   see  Jesus   Christ. 

Messiah  and  Christ,  significance  of 
names,  36. 

Messianic   Psalms,   46. 

Michael    in    conflict   with    Satan,    6. 

Millennium,  the,  790;  predictions  of, 
ancient,  790,  modern,  791. 

Ministers  and  servants,  542. 

Miracles,  in  general,  147;  attitude  of 
science  toward,  151. 

Miracles  of  Christ:  Water  transmuted 
into  wine,  144;  healing  of  noble- 
man's son,  178;  Peter's  mother-in- 
law  healed,  183;  demoniac  healed  in 
synagog  at  Capernaum,  181;  leper 
healed,  188;  palsied  man  healed  and 
forgiven,  190;  draught  of  fishes,  198; 
cripple  healed  at  Bethesda  pool,  206; 
healing  of  man  with  withered  hand, 
214;  healing  of  centurion's  servant, 
249;  young  man  of  Nain  raised  from 
the  dead,  251;  healing  of  a  blind  and 
dumb  demoniac,  267;  stilling  the 
tempest,  307;  demons  rebuked  in 
land  of  Gadarenes,  310;  raising  of 
daughter  of  Jairus,  313;  healing  of 
a  woman  in  the  throng,  317;  blind 
and  dumb  healed,  319;  feeding  of 
the  five  thousand,  333;  walking  on 


800 


INDEX. 


the  water,  335;  in  the  land  of  Gen- 
nesaret,  337;  healing  of  daughter  of 
Syro-Phenician  woman,  354;  heal- 
'  ings  in  coasts  of  Decapolis,  356; 
feeding  of  the  four  thousand,  357; 
healing  of  blind  man  near  Beth- 
saida  Julias,  360;  healing  of  youth- 
ful demoniac,  378;  tribute  money 
supplied,  382;  blind  man  healed  on 
Sabbath,  413;  woman  healed  on  Sab- 
bath, 443;  dropsical  man  healed, 
449;  ten  lepers  healed,  470;  Lazarus 
restored  to  life,  490;  blind  healed 
near  Jericho,  504;  blighting  of  bar- 
ren fig  tree,  524;  healings  in  the 
temple  courts,  528;  Malchus  healed 
of  wound,  616;  second  draught  of 
fishes,  691. 

Missing    scriptures,    117,    119. 

Mission,  of  the  Twelve,  328,  695;  of 
the  Seventy,  425,  427. 

Modern    revelation,   belief   in,    776. 

Mormon,   Book   of,   742,   767. 

Moroni,  last  of  Nephite  prophets,  742; 
an  angel  sent  from  God,  765;  de- 
livers ancient  records  to  Joseph 
Smith,  767. 

Moses,  repels  Satan,  7;  his  prophecy 
concerning  Christ,  45,  138,  710,  766; 
with  Elijah  at  transfiguration,  371; 
appearance  of  in  Kirtland  Temple, 
775. 

Mount  of  Olives,   see  Olivet. 

Name,  of  Christ,  power  in,  390;  in 
Christ's,  602;  of  Christ's  Church, 
736,  769. 

Names  given  of  God,  40. 

Nard,   see  Spikenard. 

Nathanael,  or  Bartholomew  brought  to 
Christ,  141;  one  of  the  Twelve,  222. 

Nativity  of  Christ,  a  cause  of  discus- 
sion, 402,  403. 

Nazareth,  boyhood  home  of  Jesus 
Christ,  110;  our  Lord's  sermon  in 
synagog  at,  179;  His  rejection  by 
Nazarenes,  180. 

Nazarite,  67,  87;  John  Baptist  re- 
garded as,  87. 

Need   of  a   Redeemer,    17. 

Needle's   eye,   and   camel,  478,  485. 

Neighbor,  Who  is  my,  429. 

Nephites,  birth  of  Christ  made  known 
to,  100;  and  Lamanites,  49,  55;  as 


sheep  of  another  fold,  419;  death  of 
Jesus  signalized  to,  721;  visitation 
of  the  risen  Lord  among,  724,  731, 
736;  Twelve  called  from  among, 
725;  the  Three,  738. 

Nicodemus,  visits  Jesus,  158,  170;  his 
protest  before  Sanhedrin,  404;  as- 
sists in  burial  of  Christ's  body,  665. 

Night,  watches  of  the,  346. 

Ninety  and  nine,  and  the  lost  sheep, 
389. 

Nobleman    seeking  a   kingdom,   522. 

Nunc   Dimittis,    the,   97. 

Offenses    and   offenders,    274,    388. 

Old    cloth    and    old    bottles,    195. 

Olivet,  (Mount  of  Olives)  Christ's  dis- 
course to  apostles  on,  540,  569; 
Gethsemane  near,  611;  the  Lord's 
ascension  from,  697. 

Oneness,  of  Godhead,  500;  of  Father 
and  Son,  602. 

Papal  claims   to  authority,   747. 

Parables  in  general,  2&8;  definitions, 
303. 

Parables  of  Christ:  the  Sower.  282; 
Wheat  and  Tares,  280;  Seed  grow- 
ing secretly,  288;  Mustard  Seed, 
290;  Leaven,  291;  Hidden  Treasure, 
292;  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  293;  Gos- 
pel Net,  294;  Lost  Sheep,  389;  Un- 
merciful Servant,  393;  Good  Samari- 
tan, 430;  Friend  at  Midnight.  434; 
Importunate  Widow,  or  Unjust 
Judge,  436;  Foolish  Rich  Man,  439; 
Barren  Fig  Tree,  443;  Great  Sup- 
per, 450;  Lost  Sheep  (repeated), 
454;  Lost  Coin,  455;  Prodigal  Son, 
457;  Unrighteous  Steward,  461; 
Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  466;  Un- 
profitable Servants,  470;  Pharisee 
and  Publican,  471;  Laborers  in 
Vineyard,  479;  Pounds,  508;  Two 
Sons,  532;  Wicked  Husbandmen, 
533;  Royal  Marriage  Feast,  536; 
Ten  Virgins,  577;  the  same  re- 
ferred to  in  modern  revelation,  579; 
Talents,  580;  Pounds  anc  Talents 
compared,  581. 

Parabolic  teaching,  Christ's  purpose 
in,  295. 

Paradise,  672,  676;  the  penitent  thief 
in,  659,  671. 


INDEX. 


801 


•Passover,  feast  of,  112;  Jesus  at  when 
a  Boy,  113;  throngs  attending,  167; 
recurrences  of  during  Christ's  min- 
istry, 365;  the  last  eaten  by  Jesus, 
593,  617. 

Patmos,    720. 

Paul,  the  Lord's  manifestations  to,  713, 
715;  his  demeanor  when  smitten 
contrasted  with  that  of  Christ,  644. 

Pence   and   talents,  value  of,  396. 

Pentecost,   702,   718. 

Perea,    the   Lord's   retirement   in,   489. 

Perean    and  Judean   ministry,   423,   449. 

Perfection,    relative,    236,   248. 

Persecutions    of   early    Christians,    746. 

Peter,  James,  and  John,  special  wit- 
nesses, 314,  370,  376,  611;  officiate 
in  modern  times,  219,  768. 

Peter,  Simon,  brought  to  Jesus  by  An- 
drew and  named  Peter,  140;  called 
from  his  boat  and  nets,  198;  one  of 
the  Twelve,  218;  his  confession  of 
Christ,  360;  his  presidency  among 
the  apostles,  362;  remonstrates  with 
Jesus  and  is  rebuked,  364,  368;  pro- 
tests against  washing  of  his  feet  by 
Jesus,  596;  his  protestations  of  al- 
legiance, 600;  his  assault  on  Mal- 
chus,  616;  his  denial  of  his  Lord, 
629;  with  John  at  sepulchre,  679; 
questioned  by  the  risen  Lord,  692; 
manner  of  his  death  foreshadowed, 
693;  his  Pentecostal  address,  703; 
heals  lame  man,  705;  testifies  to 
people  and  rulers  in  temple,  706,  708; 
with  James  and  John  officiates  in 
modern  times,  219,  768. 

Pharisees,  and  Sadducees,  65.  72;  leav- 
en of  the,  359;  humiliated  by  an  un- 
learned indigent,  415;  with  lawyers 
criticized  by  Christ,  436;  Jesus  in 
house  of  one  of  chief,  449;  proud  of 
false  humility,  465;  with  scribes, 
denounced,  552. 

Philip,  called  by  Jesus,  140;  one  of 
the  Twelve,  221;  asks  to  behold  the 
Father,  602. 

Phylacteries,   and  borders,   565. 

Physical  cause  of  the  Lord's  death, 
668. 

Pilate,    see    Pontius    Pilate. 

Pilgrim  Fathers,  their  mission  pre- 
dicted, 754,  757. 

Pleasure  and  happiness,  231,  247. 


Pontius  Pilate,  procurator,  631;  hears 
charges  against  Christ,  631,  636; 
questions  Jesus,  634,  640;  sends 
Christ  to  Herod,  635;  tries  to  save 
Jesus  from  death,  640;  gives  sen- 
tence of  crucifixion,  639;  cause  of 
his  surrender  to  Jewish  clamor,  641, 
648;  writes  inscription  for  the 
cross,  656;  gives  body  of  Jesus  for 
burial,  664;  allows  guarding  of 
sepulchre,  665. 

Pool,  of  Bethesda,  206,  a  cripple  healed 
at,  207;  of  Siloam,  403,  421;  blind 
man  sent  to  wash  in,  413. 

Pope,    the,   747. 

Prayer,  the  Lord's,  238;  the  Lord's 
High  Priestly,  609;  and  fasting, 
power  developed  by,  395;  request 
of  disciples  concerning,  434. 

Precedence    and   humility,    503. 

Predictions  of  Christ's  birth,  life  and 
death,  42;  by  Adam,  44;  by  Jacob, 
44;  by  Moses,  45;  by  Job,  46;  by 
Isaiah,  46;  by  Jeremiah,  47;  by 
other  Hebrew  prophets,  48;  by  John 
the  Baptist,  48;  by  Nephite  proph- 
ets, 49,  722;  of  the  Lord's  death  by 
Himself,  363,  372,  381,  518,  586. 

Preexistence  of  spirits,  6,  17;  involved 
in  disciples'  question,  412;  of  Jesus 
Christ,  6. 

Presidency,  Peter's  among  apostles, 
362. 

Priesthood,  Aaronic,  see  Aaronic 
Priesthood;  Melchizedek,  see  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood;  the  Holy,  now 
operative  on  earth,  777;  and  office 
therein,  778. 

Primitive  Church,  the,  705,  707,  712, 
719. 

Prince  of  Peace,  Jesus  Christ  the,  517. 

Prophet,  predicted  by  Moses— Jesus 
Christ— 45,  138,  710,  733,  766. 

Protestants,   origin   of,    750. 

Psalms,   Messianic,   46. 

Publicans,  193,  201;  and  sinners,  193; 
salvation  for,  454;  Zaccheus  a  chief 
among,  506. 

Rabbis,  and    scribes,   63,   71,   554. 

Redeemer,  need  of,  17;  essential  quali- 
fications of,  21. 

Redemption  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ, 
20,  31. 


802 


INDEX. 


Reformation,  the,  750. 

Regeneration    of    the    earth,    322,    793. 

Repentant    woman    forgiven,    263. 

Restoration,  to  mortal  life  contrasted 
with  resurrection,  316,  496;  of  the 
Priesthood  in  modern  times,  768. 

Resurrection,  universal,  24;  distinct 
from  restoration  to  mortal  life,  316, 
496;  Sadducean  denial  of,  72;  Sad- 
ducees  question  Jesus  concerning, 
547;  of  Jesus  Christ,  678;  false  sto- 
ries and  untenable  theories  con- 
cerning Christ's,  683,  698;  heathen 
in  the  first,  793. 

Revelation,  foundation  of  Church  of 
Christ,  361,  775;  modern,  belief  ui, 
776. 

Reward,    for   merit,    assured,   479. 

Rich  men,  and  their  stewards,  483; 
difficulty  of  entering  kingdom,  478. 

Rigdon,  Sidney,  associated  with  Jos- 
eph Smith,  771. 

Rock  of  revelation,  361. 

Ruler,   the  rich  young,  477. 

Sabbath,  distinctively  sacred  to  Israel, 
203;  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord  of  the, 
203;  rabbinical  requirements  con- 
cerning, 205,  215;  desecration  of 
imputed  to  Jesus,  208,  214,  401,  413, 
443;  disciples  charged  with  desecra- 
tion of,  212;  change  of  day  from 
Saturday  to  Sunday,  690. 

Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  insti- 
tuted among  Jews,  596;  on  western 
continent,  730,  733,  735. 

Sacrifice,  animal,  antiquity  of,  53;  pro- 
totype of  Christ's  atoning  death,  45, 
53. 

Sadducees,  and  Pharisees,  65,  72;  deny 
resurrection,  72;  question  Christ 
concerning  resurrection,  547. 

Saliva,  applied  to  eyes  of  blind  man, 
360,  413. 

Salome,  daughter  of  Herodias,  259; 
mother  of  James  and  John,  521. 

Salt  of  the  earth,  figurative,  232,  248, 
743. 

Salvation,    conditions    of,   26. 

Samaritan,  woman  talks  with  Jesus, 
172;  Christ  called  a,  411 

Samaritans,  origin  of,  62;  and  Jews, 
animosity  between,  183;  Jesus  re- 
ceived gladly  by,  176;  afterward 


rejected  by,   423. 

Sanhedrin,  the,  61,  69;  Nicodemus  a 
member  of,  speaks  in  behalf  of  Je- 
sus, 404;  unlawful  trial  of  Jesus  be- 
fore, 621;  the  apostles  before,  706; 
Gamaliel's  advice  to,  709;  Stephen 
condemned  by,  711. 

Satan,  Lucifer,  a  son  of  the  morning, 
7;  in  conflict  with  Michael,  6;  cast 
out  from  heaven,  8;  commanded  by 
Moses,  7;  would  destroy  man's 
agency,  8;  beguiles  Eve,  19;  intro- 
duces sin  and  death,  20;  tempts 
Jesus  Christ,  127;  to  be  bound  dur- 
ing Millennium,  791;  final  vanquish- 
ment  of,  792. 

Saul  of  Tarsus,  his  persecution  of  the 
Saints,  712;  his  conversion,  713,  719; 
his  baptism,  714;  beginning  of  his 
ministry,  714;  name  changed  to 
Paul,  714. 

Savior  and  Redeemer,  necessary  quali- 
fications of,  21. 

Scourging,   638;    of  Jesus,   639. 

Scribes  and  Pharisees,  552;  and  rab- 
bis, 63;  see  further,  Pharisees. 

Scriptures,   lost,   117,   119. 

Sea  of  Galilee,    storms  on,   321. 

Second  ^advent  of  Christ,  780;  pre- 
dicted anciently,  579,  781,  in  mod- 
ern times,  783;  signs  of,  573,  786; 
time  of  unknown,  575,  589,  785;  near 
at  hand,  787;  accompaniments  of, 
787. 

Secular   authority,    submission   to,   564. 

Seed  and   crop,  519. 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  230;  repeated 
in  effect  to  the  Nephites,  727. 

Servants    and   ministers,   542. 

Seventy,  the,   sent,  425;   return  of,  427. 

Sheep  and    goats,    figurative,   584. 

Sheep,  other  than  of  Jewish  fold,  419-, 
Nephite  fold,  728;  Lost  Tribes  an, 
other  fold,  729. 

Shepherd,    Christ    the   Good,   417. 

Shepherds,  angelic  annunciation  to,  93; 
contrasted  with  sheepherders,  416. 

Shewbread,   213,    216. 

Shiloh,  Jacob's  prophecy  concerning, 
44,  54. 

Signs,  miracles  as,  147,  696;  seekers  of, 
270,  279,  358;  of  Christ's  birth  and 
death  shown  on  American  conti- 
nent, 100,  721. 


INDEX. 


803: 


Silence,  Christ's,  when  before  Herod, 
636. 

Siloam,  Pool  of,  403,  421;  fall  of  tower 
at,  442. 

Simon,  Peter,  see  Peter;  the  leper, 
510;  the  Pharisee,  261;  of  Cyrene, 
653,  666;  Zelotes,  one  of  the 
Twelve,  225. 

Sin,  brings  death  into  the  world,  20; 
the  unpardonable,  269,  278;  servi- 
tude of,  409;  and  bodily  affliction, 
413. 

Sinners,  joy  in  heaven  over  repentant,. 
455. 

Smith,  Hyrum,  see  Hyrum  Smith;  Jo- 
seph, see  Joseph  Smith. 

Solomon's    Porch,   487,   500,    705. 

Son  of  David,  title,  applied  to  Joseph 
of  Nazareth,  84;  to  Jesus  Christ,  80, 
86,  354,  505,  515,  529;  Christ's  ques- 
tion concerning,  552. 

Son  of  God,  The,  proclaimed  by  the 
Father,  126,  371,  725,  761. 

Son  of  Man,  The,  142. 

Son    of   the   morning,    see   Satan. 

Spikenard,  523;  Mary  anoints  Jesus 
with,  512. 

Spirit  and  power  of  Elias,   376. 

Spirit  of  Truth,  the  Holy  Ghost,  603. 

Spin'ts,  unembodied,  6,  8,  17;  state  of 
between  death  and  resurrection, 
671;  disembodied,  Christ's  mission 
among,  670,  672,  677;  world  of,  mis- 
sionary labor  in,  675. 

Spiritual  development,  the  one  thing 
needful,  433,  434. 

Stater,   384. 

Stephen,  his  zeal,  709;  his  address  to 
the  council,  710;  his  martyrdom, 
711. 

Stewards,  apostles  likeced  unto,  441, 
576. 

Stone,  head  of  the  corner — Jesus 
Christ— 535,  706. 

Supererogation,   false  doctrine  of,  590. 

Supper,  at  house  of  Simon  the  leper, 
510;  The  Last,  592. 

Sychar,    173,    186. 

Synoptic  Gospels,  166. 

Tabernacles,  feast  of,  419;  Jesus  at  the, 

399. 

Talents   and   pence,   396. 
Talmud,  62,  70. 


Targums,    179,    186. 

Tax,   capitation,   383. 

Taxing,  or  enrolment,  104. 

Temple,  of  Herod,  73;  the  Lord's  body 
symbolized  as  a,  157;  Christ's  first 
clearing  of  the,  153;  second  clear- 
ing of  the,  527;  tribute  paid  to,  396;. 
destruction  of,  predicted,  563,  ac- 
complished, 567;  treasure  of,  567. 

Temples,   modern,   778. 

Test  of  the  Lord's  doctrine,  400,  421. 

Tetrarch,   274.       , 

Thirty    years    of    age,    166. 

Thomas,  one  of  the  Twelve,  223; 
doubts  the  resurrection  of  Christ,, 
689;  is  convinced,  690. 

"Thou  art  the  Christ,"  360. 

Three  Nephites,  the,  738. 

Tiberias,  sea  of,  165,  the  risen  Lord 
appears  at,  691. 

Tithing,   day   of,    785. 

Titles,    ecclesiastical,    566. 

Today  and  tomorrow,  special  applica- 
tion of  terms,  785. 

Tongues,  as  of  fire,  Pentecostal  mani- 
festations, 702. 

Traditionalism,  in  opposition  to  the 
law,  351. 

Transubstantiation,  false  doctrine  of, 
748. 

Transfiguration,  the,  370,  376. 

Transgressors,  Christ  numbered 
among,  601,  655. 

Treasure   belonging   to   temple,   567. 

Treasury  of  temple,  422. 

Trial  of  Jesus,  the  Jewish,  621;  ille- 
galities of,  622,  644. 

Tribes,  of  Israel,  59;  the  Ten,  or  Lost, 
61,  729. 

Tribute,  the  temple,  396;  Christ  pays 
the,  382;  to  be  rendered  to  Caesar 
under  law,  545. 

Triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem, 
Christ's,  513. 

Truth,    shall   make   men    free,   408. 

Twelve,  the,  see  Apostles;  the  Nephite, 
725. 

Tyre  and  Sidon,  Jesus  in  borders  of, 
354. 

Unbelief,  effect  of,  381. 
Unity  of  Godhead,  500. 
Unpardonable  sin,  269,  278. 


804 


INDEX. 


Vine,    Christ   the   true,   604. 

Vineyard  and  vines,  Israel  symbolized 

by,  541. 
Voice,     in     the     wilderness,— John     the 

Baptist,     121;     from     heaven,     the 

Father's,  126,  371,  519,  725;  of  Jesus 

Christ    from    heaven    to    Nephites, 

723. 

r 

War  in  heaven,  6. 

Washing  of  feet,  ordinance  of,  595,  619. 
Washings,    ceremonial,    350,    366. 
Watches   of   the  night,  346. 
Watchfulness  enjoined,  575. 
Water,   living,  403. 
Wedding  garment,   lacking,   539. 
Western   continent,    ministry   of  Jesus 

Christ  on,  721. 
Widow's  mites,  561. 
Wise  men,   the,  97;    their  adoration  of 

Christ.  99. 


Witnesses,  false,  at  trial  of  Jesus,  623. 

Woes    over   Jerusalem,    515,   560. 

Woman,  a  repentant,  receives  forgive- 
ness, 263;  one  taken  in  sin,  405. 

"Woman,"    as    noun    of   address,    144. 

Women,  Christ  the  ennobler  of,  484; 
witnesses  of  the  crucifixion,  659,  688; 
at  sepulchre  of  Jesus,  681;  see  and 
touch  the  risen  Lord,  682. 

Word,    Jesus    Christ,    the,    10. 

Yahveh,    see  Jehovah. 

Zaccheus,   506. 

Zacharias,  the  martyr,  560,  567. 

Zacharias,  the  priest,  visited  by  the 
angel  Gabriel,  76;  stricken  dumb, 
77,  88;  his  speech  restored,  78. 

Zion,  of  Enoch,  719,  790;  of  the  last 
days,  786. 


S8THEKC.  THOMSON 


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